We are thrilled to welcome Maya Frost as a guest blogger on The Way We’ll Be. Maya is an internationally recognized expert on nontraditional and innovative paths through higher education. Maya is the author of The New Global Student, a primer for students and parents interested in global and unorthodox higher education while avoiding the anxiety and expense of traditional college. You can read more about Maya at her website and blog. Thanks Maya!

In his book, The Way We’ll Be, John Zogby describes the current generation of twenty-somethings (and a bit younger) as those who are more likely than any other age group to know someone who lives abroad, to consider going abroad, and to have knowledge of and interest in other parts of the world. He describes these young people as our First Global Citizens.

In my book, The New Global Student, I describe the young people who are broadening their perspective by actually spending meaningful and substantial periods of time abroad. These “New Globals” are a subset of the First Global Citizens in that they are the travelers who are sharing their experiences and first-hand knowledge with those who are seeking information about the world beyond our nation’s borders.

What distinguishes these young travelers from their backpacking-through-Europe-in-the-seventies parents is that are using the internet to design their individual dreams. And while their peers may be signing up for group tours, “submarine” programs (immersed in a bubble along with other Americans abroad) or expensive university study abroad options, the New Globals are choosing to:
1) create the terms of their stay (destination, cost, length of time, activities, type of housing, etc.)
2) connect directly with locals who can help them learn more about the people and places that intrigue them
3) collaborate with others to share ideas about ventures that allow them to spend more time in their chosen destination in ways that support and encourage the community.

In general, the New Globals are following three bold rules when it comes to traveling: go solo, go long, and go deep. This isn’t the Cancun-for-spring-break crowd or the shopping-and-cappuccino-in-Rome-with-my-girlfriends crowd—it’s the hey-I’m-thinking-of-heading-to-Bogotá-next solo traveler who speaks Spanish (thanks to, say, a few months as a journalism intern in Argentina after a summer volunteering in Guatemala), has an abiding interest in Latin American culture and has friends (new and old) waiting for him when he arrives. New Globals are more likely to pick off-the-beaten-path places that require less money but a greater sense of adventure. They use Facebook and CouchSurfing to meet others and find endless opportunities for work and cultural engagement wherever they go.

While the First Global Citizens will be making a tremendous impact on our culture in the next few years, keep your eye on the ones they’re watching: the New Globals. Their stories will inspire others to stretch their wings and discover more about the world and their possibilities for making it a better place.

ZogbyFeaturedContributor Uncategorized culture, education, international, internet, John Zogby, shopping, summer, The Way We'll Be, travel, volunteering, work, zogby

We’re very excited to welcome Maya Dukmasova as a guest blogger this weekend. Maya is an intern with Zogby International and a junior at the University of Rochester, working on a dual B.A. in Philosophy and Religion. Originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia, she currently lives in Syracuse, NY and will be spending the coming semester studying philosophy in Paris, France. She also writes an intependent blog with interviews and impressions of ‘Life in a New Russia’ www.newspblife.com . Thanks Maya!

One of the major themes that have come out as a result of research for The Way We’ll Be is an emergent demographic which considers the Planet Earth rather than America or their city or town to be their primary place of residence. It would seem intuitive that people who chose the first option to call home would be most dissimilar to those who chose the narrowest geographic and political boundaries within which to identify their place of residence. However, in numbers from a January 6, 2009 Interactive Survey, it appears that it’s actually the residents of America whose opinions are most contrasted to those of our new Global Citizens. One good example of the divergent opinions of these two groups can be found among responses to our beloved questions about the American Dream.

When it comes to the American Dream, most of those who see themselves as Americans first as well as the majority of Planet Earth citizens believe that the American Dream exists and that it is possible for them to achieve it (62% and 42%, respectively).

Both groups believe that the American Dream is predominantly about spiritual fulfillment, though more “Nationals” than “Globals” think that the middle class can still achieve the Dream (61.8% to 33.8%, respectively). Conversely, it is those who define themselves primarily as residents of their city/town who have the highest percentage of respondents equating the Dream to material success (42% as opposed to 38% among “Nationals” and 32.5% among “Globals”).

More behind the cut.. Read more…

Katy Uncategorized American dream, death, international, religion, The Way We'll Be, work, zogby

Another one of our standard demographic questions that shows up on our surveys has to do with whether one considers themselves a member of the investor class. We’ve nicknamed people who do consider themselves members of the investor class “investors next door”.  Here is John Zogby’s description of  investors next door  from The Way We’ll Be:

“Compared to non-investor voters, investor voters are more likely to fall into the thirty-to-forty-nine-year-old age group, to be married, to have completed college and perhaps gone on to do graduate work or earn a graduate degree and to have household income of $50,000 or more. But the group defies easy generalities. One in nine investors is under age thirty, one in three has never completed college, and a little better than a quarter have household incomes under fifty thousand dollars a year. Racially, investors and non-investors have virtually the same representations.”

Do you consider yourself a member of the investor class?  How does your membership (or non-membership) in the investor class relate to any worries you might have about the current economy?

Katy economics economics, economy, John Zogby, The Way We'll Be, work, zogby

Most Americans believe small business, science and tech leaders will lead the U.S. to a better future – not the news media, government or large corporations. That’s the key finding from a new We Media/Zogby survey released today in conjunction with the We Media Miami 09 conference.

You can find and discuss the findings here. Like all surveys, this one is a snapshot in time – and given the times, not that surprising. The world is in a world of mess made worse by failing big businesses and inept governments. Big media is tumbling too. But it correlates with what my research organization, iFOCOS, has been forecasting for nearly a decade: a historic, global shift in human behavior and organization. A new era.

The New Now

While the marketers and lords of commerce were playing with our futures, the future itself was emerging in ways that broke dramatically from the past. Technology, economics and human creativity converged to shape the post-collapse era, the connected and empowered culture we call the New Now. In the connected culture we can no longer claim ignorance, innocence or powerlessness. Great forces of authority, perception and commerce compete for our attention and submission. What’s changed is that we can compete back. And we are. Something big is emerging – a culture broadly redefined and organized around individuals, creativity, empowerment and responsibility – and enriched, as we’ve long anticipated, by the continuous flow of information through ubiquitous digital networks.

In his book The Way We’ll Be, John Zogby writes optimistically of what he sees in today’s 20-somethings – global, digital natives, diverse and accepting of differences, and hunger for solutions. We see that too in our work at iFOCOS: an emerging culture of passion and purpose – in business, in life, in everything. The public’s sense of who will lead us to a better future reflects the failures of the 20th Century’s biggest and most influential institutions.  Dissatisfaction with the news media, corporations and government runs deep. So in The New Now Americans look elsewhere.

Read more…

ZogbyFeaturedContributor communication, future, media culture, economics, future, John Zogby, media, technology, The Way We'll Be, work, zogby

Following the publication of The Way We’ll Be: The Zogby Report on the Transformation of the American Dream last summer, I’ve been traveling nonstop around the country, seeing and hearing enthusiasm all across the U.S. about the themes in the book – living with less as consumers and citizens, embracing diversity of views and ways of life, looking inward to find spiritual comfort and demanding authenticity from the media, our leaders, and leading institutions.

I’m very excited about this blog because just like the work we already do here at Zogby International, it’s going to welcome ideas and follow trends that are always ahead of the curve. We will continue to uncover and welcome what others don’t see. In this world of market research, we’re now into our 25^th year and we’ve become both pioneers and mavericks — and we love that role. We also pride ourselves on being fearless and provocative.

As we embark on this latest endeavor, we will embrace the provocative and as always we will share data and opinions with you. We welcome your input – whether you want to comment on our latest posts, suggest topics for future surveys or even submit a blog post of your own. The blog will also feature excerpts from some of the best opinion leaders in the country about politics, what people are buying, how we live our lives and peering in on how our neighbors live their lives. Join us as together we discover The Way We’ll Be. – John Zogby

Grace Uncategorized American dream, future, international, John Zogby, media, politics, race, summer, The Way We'll Be, travel, war, work, zogby