CARIBBEAN SECONDARY EDUCATION

CERTIFICATE (CSEC)
SOCIAL STUDIES SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT
(SBA)

Candidate Names: Albrina Hunter Jamia Jones

Iesha Bailey Jameela Skeene

Topic: Unemployment

Candidate Number:

Territory: Jamaica

Centre Number: 100098

Year of Exam: 2020

Subject: Social Studies

 TABLE OF CONTENT
Acknowledgement .............................................................................................. Page 1

Statement of Problem ......................................................................................... Page 2

Reason for Selecting Area of Research .............................................................. Page 3

Method of Investigation ...................................................................................... Page 4

Data Collection Instrument ................................................................................. Page 5-6

Procedures of Data Collection ........................................................................... Page 7

Presentation of Data ............................................................................................ Page 8-9

Analysis and Interpretation of Data .................................................................... Page 10-11

Statement of Findings ......................................................................................... Page 12

Recommendations and Implementation Strategy ............................................... Page 13

Reference ............................................................................................................ Page 14

Appendix ............................................................................................................ Page 15

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to express appreciation to our teacher (Ms. Norman), our parents

and friends who have helped us thus far in the completion of this School Based Assessment.

They provided us with the necessary items that we needeed to do this assignment and gave us a

strong sense of determination. We were very grateful for the full support given in aid of this

SBA.
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STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

What effect does unemployment has on youths 16-30 years old in the community of St. Johns

Road?
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REASON FOR SELECTING AREA OF RESEARCH

Unemployment is defined as a situation where someone of working age is not able to get

a job but would like to be in full time employment (Pettinger 2019). The community being

highlighted in the research is St. Johns Road. Members of these communities tend to be

unemployed due to low attainment of education, lack of opportunities and funding and as a

result, the state of unemployment allows these youths to participate in criminal activities as a

means of survival. The researchers want to research on this widespread issue and wish to

achieve a better understanding of the issue, the causes and the preventing measures.
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METHOD OF INVESTIGATION
The researchers decided to use a printed questionnaire for collecting data for the research.

A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions for gathering

information from respondents (by Saul McLeod, 2018). There are numerous advantages of a

questionnaire, the advantages are, they are easier to scrutinize, a large amount of information can

be collected from a relatively large amount of people in different areas of society, and it costs

less money. With advantages, comes disadvantages as well, the disadvantages are that persons do

not answer some of the questions, some of the questions are difficult to analyze and it is not

suitable for certain issues.

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DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT
Questionnaire
Please to answer the questions below by placing a ‘√’ in the provided boxes.

1. What is your gender

Male Female

2. Which age group do you belong?

16-18 19-21 22-25 26-30

3. What level of education have you completed?

Primary Secondary Tertiary

4. How long have you been living in the community?

5-10 years 11-16 years 17 or more years

5. State whether you are employed or unemployed

Employed Unemployed

6. What age group is mostly seen unemployed?

16-18 19-21 22-25 26-30

7. Which gender is mostly seen unemployed?

Male Female

8. Do you think your community plays a major part in persons employing you?

Yes No

9. How does unemployment affect your community?

Increased crime rate Increased Street Children

Low unity in the community

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10. Does your current state of unemployment affect your well-being?

Yes No Occasionally

11. How do you maintain your personal needs being unemployed?

Hustle Join Welfare/ PATH

Ask family members for help

12. How does unemployment affect persons in the situation emotionally?

Low self-esteem Empowers you to be productive

Suicidal Thoughts

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 PROCEDURE OF DATA COLLECTION

The researchers created a letter for the approval of the participants. The research was

conducted on the 11th of December 2019 in the community of St. Johns Road. The questionnaire

was sampled using the Quota sampling method where the participants were chosen by their

common characteristics of being unemployed. This method was quite suitable due to it being a

non-probability sampling technique in which the researchers looks for a specific characteristics

in the selected participants. After the data gathering, the researchers tallied and tabulated the

statistical information given.

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 PRESENTATION OF DATA
FIGURE 1

Age Groups Mostly Seen Unemployed Within My

Community

15%
20% 16 - 18
19 - 21
22 - 25
25% 26 - 30

40%

Figure 1: Pie chart showing the percentage rate of persons in a particular age group mostly seen
unemployed

FIGURE 2

The Effect Of Unemployment On The Community

Low unity in the community

Increased Street Children

Increased Crime Rate

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

Figure 2: Bar graph showing the effect unemployment has on the St. Johns Road Community
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FIGURE 3

Different Methods in Which Persons Maintain Their

Personal Needs Being Unemployed

20%
Hustle
Join Welfare/ PATH
Ask Family Members for
45% Help

35%

Figure 3: Pie chart showing the different means by which unemployed persons meet their needs

FIGURE 4

The Effects of Unemployment on a Person

Emotionally

Suicidal Thoughts

Empowers you to be productive

Low Self-Esteem

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Figure 4: Bar graph showing the effects of unemployment on a person emotionally

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 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
The issue being discussed is the effect of unemployment on persons between the ages of 16-30.

Unemployment is a major social problem within a person’s life and it has diminishing effects on

their community as well. Throughout analyzing the data collected, the researchers have

concluded that majority of the persons seen unemployed are those between the ages of 19-21.

The respondents answer to the question, which age group is mostly seen unemployed, showed

that a fifteen percent (15%) minority of those seen unemployed are between the ages of 26-30,

another twenty percent (20%) was between the ages of 16-18. Twenty-five percent (25%) of

those seen unemployed was in the age group of 22-25, and the majority of those unemployed

were forty percent (40%) of the respondents between ages 19-21. This analysis portrayed that

those between the ages of 26-30 are those who have enough work experience and more mature to

get a suitable job to stay employed rather than those between the ages of 19-21 who are not able

to get a suitable work from lacking experience.

In figure 2, the respondents highlighted that the most damaging effect on the community

was the increased crime rate that was forty percent (40%) of the respondents’ answers. The least

damaging effect was the increased street children, which came up with a twenty five percent

(25%) minority, compared to the low unity witnessed within the community by the respondents

with a thirty five percent (35%). It therefore shows how horrific unemployment is to a

community.

This leads to a more in depth question, as to how unemployed persons maintain their

personal needs. Figure 3, in the data presentation, revealed that individuals ask family members

for help, hustle or join Welfare or PATH. The respondents’ answers to the questions depicted

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that out of the 20 respondents, a forty-five percent (45%) majority requests helps from family

members to maintain their needs. Thirty five percent (35%) depends on the government for

welfare/ PATH and the minority, which is twenty percent (20%), goes out and tries to hustle to

garner enough money to maintain themselves and their family members. The analysis of figure 3,

shows that a smaller amount of persons chooses to go out and hustle to maintain themselves

compared to the majority who only wishes to ask for help from family members and not try to

help themselves.

It therefore leads to the question, how does the situation of being unemployed effect a

person emotionally. Suicidal thoughts at a percent of twenty (20%), was the least chosen answers

by the respondents. The remaining 80 percent was, divided into a forty five percent (45%)

majority stating that they are empowered to be more productive to gain a work, and the other

thirty five percent (35%), having low self esteem from their circumstances. The effect of

unemployment can be both damaging and at times beneficial to a person. It can allow them to be

push towards a goal to achieve or it can lead to them doing unlawful activities or activities,

which can harm them.

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 STATEMENT OF FINDINGS

I. It was discovered that youths age 19-21 is mostly likely seen unemployed in the

community of St. Johns Road as it accounts for 40% of the total responses.

II. Unemployment negatively affects the community’s ability to reduce its crime rate and

increase a sense of unification among its members as the majority selected these two

options accounting for 40% and 35% respectively.

III. It can be concluded that unemployment affects a person’s mental state, as many

unemployed persons are dependable on family members and or the government to meet

their needs. Unemployed persons may experience suicidal thoughts and low self-esteem

as they see themselves as inferior because they are unable to provide for themselves.

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 RECOMMENDATION AND IMPLEMENTATION
STRATEGY

I. The government should provide more job opportunities for unemployed persons in

volatile communities.

II. Provide scholarships and school grants for children of persons in these volatile areas to

prevent the chain of poverty.

IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGY

The government should provide more job opportunities for unemployed persons in volatile

communities. If the government provides means by which unemployed persons could gain

employment then the number of persons being dependable, as they are unable to meet their

needs, will decrease. The government can build educational institutions for acquiring a skill and

start a pilot program in these violate communities to provide the members with skills as a result

making them marketable, employable and able to provide for their families.

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 REFERENCE

Retrieved from https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/2247/unemployment/definition-of-

unemployment.com

Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/questionnaires.html.com

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 APPENDIX
Dear Respondents,

We are a group of students from The Queens School carrying out a Social Studies School

Based Assessment research on the topic unemployment. The data collection is being carried out

to find feasible causes of unemployment within the communities of St. John’s Road. It is with

this that we are asking you to assist us in our study by answering a written questionnaire. You

are advised to answer the following questions by ticking in the box provided. All the responses

will be held confidentially and as a result, there is no need to identity yourself. Thank you for

your time and effort.

Sincerely,

Jameela Skeene
Iesha Bailey
Albrina Hunter
Jamia Jones