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The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704-0188), 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)Defense Manpower Data Center 1600 Wilson Blvd.., Suite 400 Arlington, VA 22209 SPONSOR/MONITOR'S ACRONYM(S) SPONSOR/MONITOR'S REPORT NUMBER(S)DMDC Report 2000-001 DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENTApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES ABSTRACTThe Youth Attitude Tracking Study (YATS) began in 1975 and annually surveys 10,000 men and women aged 16-24. YATS collects opinions, attitudes and beliefs of American youth on a wide variety of subjects of interest to military recruiting. For the interviews of women, 45-minute semi-structured interviews were conducted with YATS respondents who were and were not interested in joining the military. The interviews allow opportunities to study the career decision-making, family plans, and social ties of young women in several clusters: Joiners, Shifters, Fence-Sitters and Non-Joiners. The groups were also asked to discuss their perceptions of sexual harassment. SUBJECT TERMS

AcknowledgmentsMany people contributed to completion of this study. In addition to the authors, other staff at Westat conducted interviews and assisted with the management of the sample and the data.Ms. Pamela Giambo worked many evenings and weekends to conduct interviews at times that were convenient to the youth. Tracey Hagerty managed sample selection, scheduling and other logistics associated with collection and management of the data.We wish particularly to thank Dr. W. S. Sellman, Director for Accession Policy, and Dr. Anita Lancaster, Assistant Director for Program Management at DMDC, for their continued support of this series of in-depth qualitative studies. Without their confidence in the long-term rewards to be gained from in-depth studies of youth transitions to adult life, these projects would never have been accomplished.Finally, special thanks to the young men who took time out of their busy days to talk to us. Their openness and candor provided us with valuable insights into their career decision-making processes and propensity for military service. EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe Youth Attitude Tracking Study (YATS) was a complex annual telephone survey of 10,000 men and women aged 16-24. Since its beginning in 1975, YATS has produced nationally representative statistics regarding the opinions, attitudes, and beliefs of American youth on a variety of issues. Although the highly structured, formal YATS interview process allowed precise estimates of the percentage of youth indicating they will "definitely" or "probably" enter military service, it provided limited insight into the considerations or thought processes that caused youth to respond in a particular manner.It did not permit probing into the meaning of the responses.This study of 542 Hispanic youth from a pool of 1997 YATS respondents was designed to gain insights into career decision-making and military propensity not provided by the standard YATS interviews. Equal numbers of Puerto Rican, Mexican, Cuban and Central/South American youth were interviewed. Respondents with a broad range of current and past interests in military service were interviewed. A 45-minute, semi-structured interview protocol was developed. Major topical areas included the career decision-making process, consideration of military enlistment, and knowledge of the military way of life. The interviews allowed respondents to present a "natural history" of their own decision-making process in their own words, reflecting their individual experiences. The interview protocol included the liberal use of probes to clarify or uncover the deeper meaning of responses and used questions that offered respondents opportunities to provide details about their career decision-making process.The study explored the factors influencing young Hispanic men's life plans, including age, geographic location, urbanicity, socioeconomic status, and educational aspirations. Of these, social class, as represented by the young men's parents' socioeconomic status, and educational aspirations were the factors m...

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