Author : Niran Jongwutiwes

Summary : The objectives of the study were to : (a) draw up a profile of the rural out-of-school youth, their parents, village development committees, and community development workers; (b) identify some factors related to the youth identity; (c) determine the differences or consensus in perceptions of the youth themselves, their parents, village development committees and community development workers on the youth identity. The findings showed that the identity of the out-of-school youth of Sri-bua, a rice-farming village in northeast Thailand was generally characterized by a majority who : had no geographic mobility and no experience in non-formal training but high exposure to the outside world; were aware of migration; had intimate relationship with their parents; expressed "spiritual health" idealism and low fatalism; had favorable attitudes toward: farming, village and community development program; had high aspirations for education and technical skills; perceived some occupational alternatives other than rice farming; had moderate degrees of migration propensity and community participation.