Australia is not just one culture for everybody – it is a multicultural society and many young people get involved in various youth subcultures. In contemporary society there are diverse styles, lifestyles, and ways of being different in Geelong. There are Indigenous young people who live in Geelong. Young people are arriving from many different parts of the world to call Geelong home. There is greater choice and opportunity, but also greater uncertainty. The pace of change in the economy and our social world has never been faster. The stresses of life have never been higher. How can young people cope with this situation, and not just cope, but creatively contribute as culture-makers and change-agents. Spirituality is expressed in many different ways from organised religion to simply having a considered philosophy of life. For young people, it is the challenge of how to do this in a world that is in flux, with many wonderful new things, but also adversity and confusion.
What do you know or think about the issue of understanding modern life amongst young people in Geelong currently? Some things about life might work really well; some things might be a problem; as far as young people are concerned where do you think we are in the area of attitudes and beliefs about life right now?
What would you like to see in the future – say five years on – in the area of life styles and ‘philosophy of life’ (spirituality) for young people in Geelong? Can you imagine a different or better future in this area and what might it look like?
What do you think needs to be done to get from where we are to we might want to be in five years time? Is there are a clear ‘strategy’ or ‘strategies’ for getting there. What do we need to do about the life issues generally for young people in Geelong and what can we do about them?
