Neapolitan youth's sense of community and the problem of unemployment

After a community diagnosis of Naples this paper focuses on Neapolitan youth's problems and resources in relation to unemployment. Thirty interviews with key people from the city and 15 focus groups at grass-roots level were conducted. Data was analysed using the package QSR Nud.Ist. (Non-numerical Unstructured Data-Indexing Searching and Theorizing). One of the findings regards young people's strong connectedness to the city accompanied by feelings of impotence concerning their personal future and that of the community. Once the analysis had been concluded, participants and representatives of the city discussed the findings. The collected data were used for social planning at the level of institutions and associations, and served as a guide for action. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.