9319921 SEYFRIT Rapid social and economic changes have taken place throughout rural Alaska, but relatively little research has focused specifically on how these changes affect adolescents whose life changes and beliefs about their future foreshadow the destiny of many Arctic villages. This project is a longitudinal study based on the Northwest Alaska Borough, site of a large zinc mine, and the Bristol Bay area, where commercial fishing dominates. The project systematically explores the progression from High School expectations to post-High School experiences. The data will be based on surveys as well as ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, employment, police and native association records. The data collected will help test the relationship between intentions and behavior, describe connections between individual and social changes in a rapidly transforming environment, and yield practical insights for those involved in education, social services and occupational training for Native youths in rural Alaska. ***
