FSD2152 Finnish Local Government 2004: Youth Affairs 1999
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Ikola-Norrbacka, Rinna (University of Vaasa)
Mattila, Juha (University of Vaasa)
Abstract
The survey focused on the scope, service provision, management, and development policies of youth affairs departments of Finnish municipalities. The respondents were municipal officials responsible for youth affairs. Similar surveys were carried out in 1996 and 2002.
First, the respondents were asked how many employees there were in the youth affairs departments of their municipalities, and what their responsibilities were. Further questions explored the opening hours and ownership of the municipality's youth facilities, the various functions of the youth affairs department, and the facilities related to providing youth services in the municipality. Potential changes in the ownership of the facilities since 1994 were also queried, as well as whether the municipality collects fees from the users of these facilities.
In relation to service provision, the respondents were asked what kind of youth services and recreational activities the municipality provided, which body organised them, and whether the municipality allocated funds for them. Some questions covered opinions on contracted-out services, competitive tendering and supplementary services, as well as the respondents' satisfaction with the contracted-out services. Opinions on alternative ways of providing youth services in the respondents' municipality were queried. Views were also probed on whether the respondents' municipalities sold services to other municipalities.
In relation to management and decision-making, the respondents were asked which elected body was in charge of youth affairs in their municipality, as well as what was the significance and role of that body in taking care of youth affairs. Views on the structure of the elected body were probed. The respondents gave their opinions on the influence of various bodies on the municipal youth services. In addition, views on the use of client surveys and performance measures were explored, as well as how much time the respondents allocated to various tasks. The potential changes in the importance of these tasks were also canvassed.
Finally, the present state of the municipal youth affairs department and its development policies for the future were explored, as well as whether there had been any changes in the department in terms of services and their scope.
Background variables included the respondent's gender, age, education, work experience in the field of youth affairs, and responsibility areas at work.
Keywords
adolescents; decision making; development; elected officials; job characteristics; local community facilities; local finance; local government policy; local government services; management; municipalities; public services; satisfaction; youth; youth work
Topic Classification
local government studies; youth studies (FSD Topics Classification)
government, political systems and organisations; youth (CESSDA Topics Classification)
Series Name
Restrictions
Variables connected to question 15a have been removed from the data because of ambiguous classifications.
Access to the data granted for scientific and teaching purposes. FSD's access application procedure.
Data Collector
Ikola-Norrbacka, Rinna (University of Vaasa)
Mattila, Juha (University of Vaasa)
Data Producer
Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities
Collection Date
1999
Nation
Finland
Geographical Coverage
Finland
Analysis Unit
Geographic unit (Municipality)
Universe
Finnish municipalities (excluding the Åland Islands)
Sampling Procedure
Two-stage stratified sampling in selecting project municipalities.
The project municipalities were selected separately from those with less than 10,000 inhabitants (28 municipalities) and from those with more than 10,000 inhabitants (19 municipalities). The selection aimed to be representative within both groups in relation to all municipalities with the same population size. Large municipalities were over-represented because 70% of the Finnish population lives in large municipalities. Representativeness criteria included regional location, age and education of the population, industry structure, municipal economy parameters, political situation and variables related to municipal policy. The selected municipalities form a small scale model of all Finnish municipalities. The Åland Islands municipalities were excluded because of special features resulting from Åland's autonomy.
The questionnaire was sent to the heads of youth affairs of the selected municipalities (N=47). 39 municipalities responded.
Collection Mode
Postal survey
Research Instrument
Structured questionnaire
Response Rate
83%
Time Method
Longitudinal: Trend/Repeated cross-section
Collection Size
Data: SPSS portable file. Data available also in other file formats.
Data version
1.0 (19.2.2008)
Other Material
Questionnaire: pdf file in Finnish
Citation Requirement
The source must be acknowledged in any publication based wholly or in part on the data. The bibliographic citation may be in the form required by the publication, or in the form suggested by the archive.
Bibliographical Citation
Pekola-Sjöblom, Marianne: Finnish Local Government 2004: Youth Affairs 1999 [computer file]. FSD2152, version 1.0 (2008-02-19). Tampere: Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor], 2008.
Depositing Requirements
The archive must be informed of all publications where the data have been used.
Disclaimer
The depositor and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the secondary use of the data.
Related Publications
Mattila, Juha & Ikola-Norrbacka, Rinna (2004). Vaihtelevat vapaa-aikapalvelut. Tutkimus kuntien kirjasto-, kulttuuri-, nuoriso- ja liikuntapalveluista 1996-2002 [verkkodokumentti]. Helsinki: Kuntaliitto. http://hosted.kuntaliitto.fi/intra/julkaisut/pdf/p041216133533D.pdf [viitattu 28.9.2006].
