YOUNG people are traditionalists at heart, with high aspirations of wealth, happiness, and independence, according to a nationwide Mori survey.
They are depicted as risk-takers, who believe in self-made success and the importance of careers, but a large majority place great emphasis on having children and a happy marriage.
The report, published by the right-wing think tank the Adam Smith Institute, aims to provide a snapshot of the lives and values of the generation which will be the first to shape society in the new millennium.
The 16 to 21-year-olds were asked what they seek out of life, who they respect, and what they esteem.
They emerge as a generation which curiously blends ambition, independence, and confidence with a deep belief in traditional family values.
Asked to list a single goal, most wrote ''to be happily married with a family'' as their first priority, over and above a successful career and good health.
The report also shows 59% listing ownership of their own homes as something they aspire to, and 46% include having children among their top priorities. However, ambition and determination to succeed are also in evidence, with 43% listing ''becoming a millionaire by the age of 35'' as a career goal, and 48% expressing a desire to own their own business.
This generation believes in equality over privilege and class, with more than 70% citing determination and education as the golden keys to success.
The lack of interest in the state and its activities is disclosed further in young people's attitudes to politicians.
A significant 71% think the way they vote will make little or no difference to their lives, with 87% believing getting a job is up to them, not the Government, and 57% believing it is their own job to find somewhere to live. Only 5% put MPs among the two or three groups they respect, with journalists as the only group who did worse at 2%.
More than half (56%) think that a pension is the Government's responsibility, versus 36% who believe it is up to them to secure one, and 57% think the Government should pay for university education, as against 38% who think they should pay themselves.
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