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Abstract
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Prospects of democratizing German youth were appraised by interviewing 225 young men and women, aged 18 to 28, of a town in the American zone. Questions dealt with social attitudes and personal outlook. Despite economic scarcity, laborers and professionals are equally interested in marriage and raising a family. Men want to be master of the household, with wives who are good housekeepers. Women want husbands to "understand" them and be good providers. Both sexes want partners who feel just like themselves about everything. Case studies illustrate the common inability to compromise or to adjust to differences of opinion. 68% believe in training children by punishment, shaming, or contempt. Although half of the respondents professed to favor democratic government, they had no conception of grass-roots democracy. They want to be governed from afar by strong leaders. Strong ties are with the "Fatherland," not with their neighbors. Nearly half of the sample desired to emigrate; and only the veterans wanted to see Germany involved in another war. Responsibility for War II is evaded, but there is willingness to admit their political immaturity, deference to authority, and inability of compromise. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)
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