An interesting new study about the values and politics of Generation Y has important input for folks contemplating the design of a youth program. Generation Y may be loosely defined as those born between 1980 and 2000 (though the report really only covers only the adult members of this generation, those currently 18-25 years of age).
The report, with the somewhat gimmicky title of “OMG: How Generation Y is Redefining Faith in the iPod Era” (pdf), was written by Anna Greenberg and is based on a large-scale survey with oversamples among Jews, blacks, Asians, Hispanics and Muslims, as well as supplementary analyses of Census and other data, all conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner
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Ruy Teixeira, Democratic/progressive political analyst, has a good digest of some of the findings from a political angle:
Generation Y is extraordinarily diverse in a race-ethnic sense. Only 61 percent of Gen Y adults are white; 15 percent are black, 4 percent are Asian and 17 percent are Hispanic.
Generation Y is more secular and less Christian. Almost a quarter (23 percent) have no religious preference or are agnostic/atheist, 4 percent are Jewish or Muslim and another 7 percent are other non-Christian; only 62 percent identify themselves with some Christian faith.
Gen Y is at the leading edge of what Chris Bowers has pointed out is an extremely fast-growing demographic: the non-Christian coalition. Between 1990 and 2001, according to CUNY’s American Religious Identification Survey, non-Christians grew by 84 percent (from 20 to 37 million adults), including an astonishing increase of 106 percent (from 14 to 29 million) among seculars.
Generation Y is very liberal on social issues. A majority (53 percent) flat-out support allowing gay marriage. And 63 percent say women shoudl have the legal right to choose an abortion.
Generation Y is unusually liberal in an ideological sense. More Gen Y adults say they are liberal (31 percent) than say they are conservative (30 percent).
Generation Y leans strongly Democratic. Gen Y adults give Democrats an 11 point edge on party ID (39-28).
The Emerging Democratic Majority WebLog – DonkeyRising
There is a clear argument that growth opportunites favor reaching diverse and unchurched and offering a welcoming community. The junior high/middle school years are crucial in the development of independant identity, and a spiritual identity is an important part of that self definition. For a youth in a family that is not tied to a church this begins a time of great fluidity. How do we get the message out? How do we serve youth once they show up at the door? The need for a youth component of CYF is one implication.
Instead we seem to be growing more fearful of “unaffiliated youth” who are attracted to YRUU.