LISTENING TO YOUTH

New Zealand Listener, Volume 13, Issue 328, 5 October 1945, Page 12

LISTENING TO YOUTH

A New Kind of Group Discussion

(Written for "The Listener" by

JAS. F.

McDOUGALL

MAGINE tuning in to a National station one night and hearing the voice of your grocer’s boy discussing sex education, or your neighbour's bobbysox daughter arguing with her friends the pros and cons of "pick-ing-up." Readers of the interview with Mr. Boyer, Chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Commission, printed in a recent Listener would learn of the freedom and frankness of the Australian "Forum of the Air." These, like the BBC seties, "To Start You Talking," were and are primarily addressed to organised listening groups. But the Australian discussions ate addressed to adults, these British ones were aimed at youth roughly ‘between the ages of 16 and 20. A copy of reprints of some of these "To Start You Talking" discussions, which, according to references in English journals, caused a small sensation in England in 1943-44, has just reached New Zealand, together with an introductory essay by Charles Madge, of Mass Observation fame, and some chapters on the preparation and following up of the series. No Time for the Expert The BBC had been running talks series to youth off and on since about 1937..Some had been aimed at organised listening groups, some just at youth in general. Two things, however, were soon discovered: one, that these could not be given in a peak listening period; two, that the straight talk given by the expert just didn’t go across with youth. Broadcast debates which would be models of democratic controversial exchange" were tried, but youth just regarded these as phoney. Some of the BBC scouts, however, were struck by the quality of the free discussions in schools and clubs among the more vocal boys and, girls. Out of this original impression the idea grew and the series was planned for putting youth itself on the — air discussing problems which fell within their own personal experience, The BBC took the risk again and the series "To Start You Talking" went on at a peak listening hour-8.10 to 8.30 on a Wednesday evening. From the statistics at the back of this book we learn that the greatest number of groups organised by Youth Clubs, Service of Youth Organisations, etc., actually listening was 44-say 800-1200 listeners. But the BBC Listeners’ Research Department estimate by the end of the series was. that each broadcast was being listened

to by 4,000,000 eavesdroppers over the age of 16, 95 per cent. of them outside the target area. Topics and Technique The idea was something more than merely to have a few young people read a debate written by "youth experts." The script was to be written by the young people themselves. But "written" is a misnomer for the actual process employed. What the director of the series did was to send out talent scouts to the Youth Clubs in search of vocal youth who were representative of different views and experience, were intelligent, and possessed reasonably distinguishable radio voices. These were then brought together and given some time to settle down and get to know one another. Then a preliminary informal discussion was held on the subject chosen, the main rule for subject being that it should be a problem falling within the experience of youth. Here are the discussions printed in this volume: "Youth states the Case for Having Some Say in Matters of Public Business that ‘Affect Young People." "What is meant by All Men Being Equal?" "Only One Living, Room." "When. Should We Be Treated* as Grown-up?" ~ "Money to Burn." "Wiltul Damage." "Scrounging and Stealing." "All Out for a Good Time." "Learning About Sex." Of these "What is Meant by All Men Being Equal" was the least popular; the reasons given were that it was'too unreal, too academic. A specially written dramatic interlude stating the problem is usually read first, the chairman then leading the discussion out and keeping it to the point, by a filling of predetermined "buckets." The

"buckets" for "Wilful Damage," for instance, were (a) Comments on the problem in terms of personal experience; (b) Why do people commit this offence? (with reference to personal experience); (c) What can be done about it? Sometimes a guest expert would be present, a magistrate in "Wilful Damage," a doctor in "Learning About Sex"; for each programme in which four or five young people would broadcast a dozen or so were brought together at the preliminary discussion. Two reporters were present at these early discussions and every aside, laugh, and response went down along with the actual debate. Some Statistics The script of the actual "To Start You Talking" broadcast is prepared from the transcript of the preliminary discussions, the editors’ and producers’ aim being not to censor these discussions, but to mould them into radio fare, getting juxtaposition of experience and ideas; placing "clashes," .laughs, changes of emotional tension, seeing that each viewpoint is fairly represented and that the freshness and spontaneity of the original discussions is kept in a script perhaps half of the length of the original debate. As the title of the series suggests, the aim was to stimulate discussion among glistening groups. A careful check was kept by the BBC on the success of each broadcast. After each programme and discussion, a reporting form was filled in by the club leader and sent to the Central Committee for Group Listening who passed on comments and criticism to those responsible for the programmes. Each leader supplied also a report on the discussions which followed, and_ these show that the discussions achieved what they intended to achieve-they started people talking. Here is the analysis of the nine broadcasts (44 groups):

(continued from previous page) So much for the technique of the series. The actual content of each broadcast shows these young people talking sensibly, frankly and with remarkable shrewdness about topics on which many a parent has lectured his or her teenager, which are the subject of innumerable prize-giving day speeches, pontifical judgments from the bench and daily letters to the editor. It is refreshing to hear youth’s views on the corruption of modern youth, on the question of sex instruction, the break-up of family life, the destructiveness of "youth, their lack of manners, their degeneracy by having too much money to spend. One comes away with the impression that some of the younger generation takes a more sensible and balanced view of these problems than many of their elders. This, for instance, is part of the exchange of views during the discussion on the ways of a certain Reenie, earning big money and spending 75 per cent. of it: CHAIR: So some of you think Reenie was wrong in spending her own money as she chose and some of you think she was right. Let’s hear you give some reasons to back up your opinions. Eileen, I gather you thought she was wrong. EILEEN: I don’t think she was paying enough at home, especially with Father away. Twelve _ shillings

doesn’t go far. It’s like just paying for your bed. KEVIN: Surely it depends on family circumstances? PAT: If the family’s a large one a girl ought to turn up more money, but if she’s an only child and_ the father’s-say-a foreman, he could manage to keep her without her having to turn up all her money. EILEEN: It’s not good for a girl to handle so much money at such an age. PAT: I disagree, You learn by your own mistakes always. GILBERT: She’s learning how to sowed money. Not save. PAT: Well, you’ve got to learn how to spend-how to use money properly. KEVIN: I think you should consider Reenie’s attitude. She’s been working all day, probably as most girls do at a humdrum job and the only way she can get it out of her mind is to get away from work and go to the pictures or go dancing. It doesn’t matter how much money it costs; she feels she must have a bit of fun-enjoy herself for a change. GILBERT: But there are plenty of ways of enjoying yourself without spending a lot of money. I’d say Reenie wasn’t paying.enough at home.

Name of Broadcast For Having Some Say in Public Affairs What is Meant by All Men Being Equal? ... Only One Living Room ... When Should We Be Treated as eke Money to Burn Wilful Damage Scrounging and Stealing All Out for a Good Time Learning About Sex "- Did it Hold Attention? Yes Noa. 34 13 34 82 30 30 29 29 26 OorOWNNRNDN © oroecooour | Did Good Discussion Follow? Yes 34 14 31 31 28 23 24 26 24 No a eofroofh on FS Fair BSS NHbretwoww sd cornooowono!]