New Research Project Examining Young People's Value Orientation Has Launched

We are pleased to announce that the Földkelte Foundation is launching a new research project focused on examining the value orientation of young people aged 14–20, along with their attitudes toward social and ethical issues.

The Aim of the Project

The goal of the research is to gain a more comprehensive picture of how young people think about today's important social, communal, ethical, and environmental issues. The study seeks to answer which values and attitudes characterize this age group, including in the areas of responsibility, acceptance, community coexistence, sustainability, the preservation of cultural values, and questions of peace and conflict.

The results of the research may contribute to a better understanding of young people's thinking and value systems, as well as to uncovering connections that can be useful in the design of future community, awareness-raising, and youth programs.

What Are We Examining?

The questionnaire developed for the research examines young people's value orientation across six major thematic areas:

1. Animal cruelty – responsible pet ownership

This theme explores responsibility toward animals, responsible pet ownership, the perception of animal cruelty, and questions of individual responsibility in such cases.

2. Social exclusion and bullying – acceptance

The study addresses acceptance within communities, perceptions of bullying at school and in other communal settings, environmental responsibility, and how important young people consider the creation of safe and inclusive communities to be.

3. Food waste – responsible management

The questions examine everyday behavior related to food waste, conscious consumption, perceptions of the environmental consequences of waste, and individual responsibility.

4. Vandalism and destruction of property – protecting cultural values

The research also examines young people's attitudes toward the condition of public spaces, vandalism, and the preservation of historical and cultural monuments, as well as what role they attribute to individuals and communities in protecting them.

5. War – the question of peace

This theme measures attitudes related to the peaceful resolution of international conflicts, military action, awareness of the human consequences of war, and civic cooperation in maintaining peace.

6. Environmental destruction – environmental protection

The study also covers environmental responsibility, perceptions of the impact of everyday lifestyles on the environment, the relationship between economic development and environmental protection, and the question of protecting natural resources.

Research Methodology

The project is based on a questionnaire survey. As part of this, a questionnaire suitable for examining young people's value orientation will be developed, measuring social and ethical attitudes according to uniform criteria.

In addition to questions about participants' basic background characteristics, the questionnaire contains statements that respondents will rate on a five-point scale ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree." The questionnaire also addresses personal experiences related to school bullying. Participation is anonymous, and the data collected will be used exclusively for research purposes.

A total of 120 young people aged 14–20 will be involved in the study. Following data collection, the responses will be organized, analyzed, and interpreted in order to reveal the value choices, attitudes, and correlations between the various thematic areas characteristic of the age group studied.

A Debate Forum with the Active Participation of Young People

An important element of the project is that a debate forum will also be held for students at the secondary school in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County where the data collection will take place.

The aim of the program is for the topics covered by the questionnaire-based research not merely to be subjects of study, but also to encourage young people toward shared thinking and dialogue. During the debate forum, the social, ethical, and environmental questions underlying the research will be explored from multiple perspectives.

The program will also include a film screening and presentations related to the topics. Through these, participants will gain further information and different perspectives on animal welfare, social exclusion and bullying, food waste, the protection of cultural values, war and peace, and environmental protection.

A key part of the debate forum is the moderated discussion, which gives young people the opportunity to articulate their own views, listen to their peers' opinions, exchange arguments and counterarguments, and think together about the social and ethical dimensions of each issue.

In this way, the research and the debate forum complement one another, helping not only to build a picture of young people's value orientation but also to provide them with a space for forming opinions, engaging in dialogue, and thinking critically about society.

Main Tasks of the Project

During the implementation of the project, we will:

• develop the questionnaire examining value orientation;
• carry out the survey involving 120 young people aged 14–20;
• analyze and interpret the data collected;
• prepare an analytical study summarizing the results and key conclusions of the research;
• organize a debate forum for students at the secondary school where the survey takes place, incorporating a film screening, presentations, and a moderated discussion on the research topics.

The project will result in a body of knowledge that can provide a more nuanced picture of how the younger generation thinks about individual and community responsibility, acceptance, social coexistence, the preservation of natural and cultural values, and other defining social and ethical issues of our time.

The project is being carried out with the support of Bethlen Gábor Fund Management Ltd., under the Municipal Civil Fund program.

Project ID: VCA-KP-1-2025/4-002462