» GC Stats |
Members: 329,715
Threads: 115,665
Posts: 2,204,933
|
Welcome to our newest member, sophiaptt543 |
|
 |

08-21-2007, 12:16 PM
|
GreekChat Member
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Atlanta y'all!
Posts: 5,894
|
|
White youths happier than others
By LARRY McSHANE and TREVOR TOMPSON, Associated Press Writers
Tue Aug 21, 7:38 AM ET
NEW YORK - From their relationships to their jobs to their money — even from they time they first roll out of bed — young white Americans are happier with life than their minority counterparts.
According to an extensive survey of 1,280 people ages 13-24 by The Associated Press and MTV, 72 percent of whites say they are happy with life in general, compared with 51 percent of Hispanics and 56 percent of blacks.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070821/...th_poll_race_4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I would be interested in learning what the economic and social stats were of the sample size (which was only 1,280). Those can make a significant difference in the outcome. Interesting read, if nothing else.....
__________________
"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try to please everyone."
|

08-21-2007, 02:54 PM
|
GreekChat Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: At my new favorite writing spot.
Posts: 2,239
|
|
I am not too shocked by this. Though the categories seem vague and odd for a teen survey to me.
For instance:
"Sex: Sixty percent of white youths are happy with their sex lives, compared with 46 percent of minorities. Both groups are about equal on the sexual activity scale."
This part was interesting. How old were the participants.
__________________
You think you know. But you have no idea.
|

08-21-2007, 06:54 PM
|
GreekChat Member
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Atlanta y'all!
Posts: 5,894
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Little32
I am not too shocked by this. Though the categories seem vague and odd for a teen survey to me.
For instance:
"Sex: Sixty percent of white youths are happy with their sex lives, compared with 46 percent of minorities. Both groups are about equal on the sexual activity scale."
This part was interesting. How old were the participants.
|
It says they were 13-24 years old  now what percentage of the sample was under 18 I don't know. I mean, I know some kids are "fast" nowadays but I don't know to many with sex lives (and if they have one its probably not that satisfying but I digress)
__________________
"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try to please everyone."
Last edited by Honeykiss1974; 08-21-2007 at 06:58 PM.
|

08-21-2007, 11:15 PM
|
GreekChat Member
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Greater Philadelphia Metro Area
Posts: 1,835
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Honeykiss1974
By LARRY McSHANE and TREVOR TOMPSON, Associated Press Writers
Tue Aug 21, 7:38 AM ET
NEW YORK - From their relationships to their jobs to their money — even from they time they first roll out of bed — young white Americans are happier with life than their minority counterparts.
According to an extensive survey of 1,280 people ages 13-24 by The Associated Press and MTV, 72 percent of whites say they are happy with life in general, compared with 51 percent of Hispanics and 56 percent of blacks.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070821/...th_poll_race_4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I would be interested in learning what the economic and social stats were of the sample size (which was only 1,280). Those can make a significant difference in the outcome. Interesting read, if nothing else.....
|
Its just something about white-skin-priviledge that makes folks happy about their lives....
|

08-21-2007, 11:32 PM
|
GreekChat Member
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Midwest cause its the best!!
Posts: 645
|
|
Since MTV did this "research" does this mean that they are going stop showing kids who are getting BMW's and such on Sweet Sixteen knowing that 51-56% of their audience may/may not be able to afford that stuff because of their socio economic status? I would like to know how reliable their study is, especially since I have a bias about surveying people who are 13.
__________________
Rockford Alumnae Chapter
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated
|

08-22-2007, 02:33 AM
|
GreekChat Member
|
|
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: San Diego, California :)
Posts: 3,973
|
|
Theory/Question
It seems to me that if you're middle class or higher it's not socially acceptable to express unhappiness with your life. Even in a survey. I'd defintely be curious to see the socio-economic breakdown of the respondents.
Also, based on mainstream media, I'm led to wonder if it's more acceptable for minorities than whites to express unhappiness with their life. Anybody's thoughts on that?
|

08-22-2007, 03:52 PM
|
GreekChat Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: At my new favorite writing spot.
Posts: 2,239
|
|
When I wrote that I was not surprised, I meant that I was not surprised that a study would show that. I did and do wonder about the questions and if they were written in such a way to elicit a certain kind of response.
Example: Do you wish you had a BMW? (To which the answer might be yes, but that doesn't mean that I am unhappy about my Nissan).
I also agree that age and socio-economic class are factors here, which might speak to some of the disparity the survey documents.
Finally, contrary to what the media presents, there are a good deal of black and other minority folks out here that are happy with our lives, regardless of socio-economic status. I would ask the question of what the media has to gain in continuously representing our communities in negative terms.
__________________
You think you know. But you have no idea.
|

08-22-2007, 04:26 PM
|
GC Member
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: The River City aka Richmond VA
Posts: 1,133
|
|
may i just say, my father retired as a probation officer here in richmond last year. 75% of his clientele was rich, upper class white kids who were dealing, using drugs, stealing money from their parents, and driving their parents BMWs under the influence...they lived in the best neighborhoods, attended the best schools, a few were the children of affluent drs, lawyers, and judges. are these the "happier than black people" white people? if so they can have it.
the 25% left, blacks and hispanics, were older, shiftworking people who rarely had time off, raising 4 kids in an ok area, and not as well educated.
now the question should be asked: what really makes a person happy? having it all doesnt do it for most people. breaking even certainly has its downfalls. what makes me happy personally, is being comfortable. if you are the child of a neurosurgeon who has never had to do anything for themselves, im pretty sure you are happy on some level. having to work at 14 to provide for your siblings while your single parent works 2 jobs of their own? not so much. its about more than demographics. i think they asked the wrong people.
__________________
SBX our JEWELS shine like STARS...
|

08-22-2007, 05:59 PM
|
GreekChat Member
|
|
Join Date: May 2005
Location: in the midst of a 90s playlist
Posts: 9,816
|
|
I will refrain from rolling my eyes and saying "duh." I will....
Quote:
Originally Posted by OneTimeSBX
now the question should be asked: what really makes a person happy?
|
Operational definitions are key.
__________________
"We have letters. You have dreams." ~Senusret I
"My dreams have become letters." ~christiangirl
|

08-23-2007, 06:39 PM
|
GreekChat Member
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,324
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by OneTimeSBX
may i just say, my father retired as a probation officer here in richmond last year. 75% of his clientele was rich, upper class white kids who were dealing, using drugs, stealing money from their parents, and driving their parents BMWs under the influence...they lived in the best neighborhoods, attended the best schools, a few were the children of affluent drs, lawyers, and judges. are these the "happier than black people" white people? if so they can have it.
the 25% left, blacks and hispanics, were older, shiftworking people who rarely had time off, raising 4 kids in an ok area, and not as well educated.
now the question should be asked: what really makes a person happy? having it all doesnt do it for most people. breaking even certainly has its downfalls. what makes me happy personally, is being comfortable. if you are the child of a neurosurgeon who has never had to do anything for themselves, im pretty sure you are happy on some level. having to work at 14 to provide for your siblings while your single parent works 2 jobs of their own? not so much. its about more than demographics. i think they asked the wrong people.
|
You said it right here. Some Suburban well-to-do White kids have more problems than a little bit these days, but mostly because they create them. To them having "things" might mean happiness even though deep down inside, they may be wishing their parents were home more often and had more time for them. But this may not equate with unhappiness in their minds because all of their basic needs and beyond are met.
On the flip side, some children in the Black community may have come to view not having so many material things as unhappiness because they now equate happiness with having "things." Think about how the media flaunts the haves and the have-nots in our faces all the time. So I think this survey may not be accurate at all because perception is everything.
__________________
ΣΓΡ
"True Beauties Wear 10 Pearls and 2 Rubies"
Last edited by rhoyaltempest; 08-23-2007 at 06:42 PM.
|
 |
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|