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Thirty-one variables comprise this indicator. The base question asked
respondents to choose the top six challenges of greatest concern to them from the list of
choices. PERCEPT has grouped the 31 concerns into five clusters called: The Basics, The
Family, The Community, Hopes and Dreams, and Spiritual/Personal. These clusterings are
designed to make the large number of concern variables more manageable. You may notice
that several of the concerns could actually fit in more than one cluster. |
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As you study these concerns, begin by first scanning the cluster
groupings looking for items in bold type. In other words, are most of the likely concerns
in your area gathered in The Basics cluster, or the Hope and Dreams cluster, or both? As
you seek to develop impressions about the likely ethos in your community, we believe that
the Primary Concerns clusters will provide you with the most insight as to where
people are likely feeling stress. |
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You should be aware of two cautionary factors in interpreting primary
concern information. First, some households may express as a primary concern something
like Dealing With Drug/Alcohol Abuse. It may be that this is a problem in their
households, or they may be referring to a concern for dealing with the drug and alcohol
problem in society at large. Either way, they are indicating that dealing with drug and
alcohol abuse is an important challenge with which they are concerned. Secondly, there is
undoubtedly a gap between what people express as their primary concerns and their actual
needs. For example, some people may have a personal or family problem with drug abuse, but
not necessarily indicate that as one of their six highest concerns. This could be
accounted for by several possible explanations. They might be in denial or they might have
other issues which are even more pressing on their minds. Be careful not to make an
automatic link between concerns and needs. In many cases, they will be related, but you
should not necessarily make that assumption. |
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In VISTA, this variable is called the Primary Concerns Group. |
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Estimated Households Likely to Be Primarily Concerned With: |
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The Basics: Concerns in this cluster have to do with items that
most of us would agree represent the basic necessities of life: food, housing, employment,
health care, etc. Providing Adequate Food..Finding/Providing Aging Parent Care. These
seven variables indicate the percentage of households likely to express any of these seven
concerns as primary. |
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The Community: Concerns in this cluster primarily revolve around
community problems. Dealing With Neighborhood Gangs..Maintaining Personal Safety. These
three variables indicate the percentage of households likely to express any of these three
concerns as primary. |
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The Family: Concerns in this cluster primarily revolve around
family relations and issues. Dealing With Abusive Relationships..Dealing With Divorce.
These five variables indicate the percentage of households likely to express any of these
five concerns as primary. |
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Hopes and Dreams: Concerns in this cluster primarily revolve
around longer term quality of life issues: fulfilling marriage, financial security,
satisfying career, etc. Achieving Financial Security..Finding Retirement Opportunities.
These eight variables indicate the percentage of households likely to express any of these
eight concerns as primary. |
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Spiritual/Personal: Concerns in this cluster primarily revolve
around personal issues. These concerns might also be referred to as a
"searching" cluster. Here people are dealing with change, loneliness, stress and
finding direction. |
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