Experiences and Expectations of Young Residents of Impoverished Neighbourhoods in Central America

Abstract

This article analyses experiences and expectations of young residents of impoverished neighbourhoods in Central American capital cities. Four main subject areas are explored: the representation of the local and national environment, demands and desires for the future, the means by which young people expect to achieve (or not achieve) said demands, and sociodemographic factors. The selected neighbourhoods were El Limón in Guatemala City, Popotlán in San Salvador, Nueva Capital in Tegucigalpa, Jorge Dimitrov in Managua and La Carpio in San José. A sample of 300 respondents were selected using sampling quotas. One of the primary findings of the study is that 37.7% of participants neither study nor work, and that only 15% have access to social security. Although inequality was not identified as being among the most pressing problems, when asked about the distribution of wealth in their respective countries, 73.6% of participants considered said distribution to be ‘very unfair’ or ‘unfair’. This recognition of inequality coexists with a deeply rooted conservatism and a largely unquestioned belief in the legitimacy of destiny and parental authority. Against this historical background, electoral democracy is far from offering any kind of significant or profound response and has deepened the institutional void, and in many cases, migration has become more of a push than a choice.