This project examines the social impacts of rapid social change on the expectations and aspirations of rural youth in Alaska. Surveys will be administered to high school students in two regions: the Northwest Arctic Borough, site of the Red Dog Zink Mine, and the Bristol Bay Area, where there has been little or no oil or mining development. The object is to compare the responses of students in terms of educational, occupational, and residential aspirations and expectations, as well as attitudes toward family, community and the environment. The project will address the limitations of previous social-impact research, collect data directly from high school students, and provide cross-national and cross-cultural comparisons using data from Scotland and Newfoundland.
