This research aims at studying determinants of frustration among Egyptian youth aged (22-29) in
2009. That age category is selected because youth of that age were the spark of the 25th January
revolution. This is the age category where youth are done with their education and are starting their
independent life and career. Year 2009 is two years before the Egyptian revolution. Frustration of the
population in general and the youth in particular was a major element in the explosion of the revolution in
2011.
In order to achieve the research aims, data from SYPE (2009) are used. There isn’t a specific
question on frustration in the SYPE questionnaire. That makes factor analysis important to be used in
order to form one. Frustration as a psychological feeling should be measured on a scale. It is divided into
three and five categories and results are compared. There isn’t a significant difference between the results
using three or five categories. So, the three categories variable is selected to be used in the analysis.
Showing several associations between frustration and some other variables, cross-tabulations and
chi square test are used. In order to measure those associations, Cramer’s V measurement for nominal
variables and gamma measurement for ordinal variables are used. Excel and SPSS are used to visualize
the variables and the associations.
In order to determine frustration’s determinants, multivariate analysis is used. Since frustration is
an ordinal scale variable that consists of three levels, ordered logistic model is the suitable technique to be
used. Using STATA software, the following results are obtained:
Concerning Individuals’ basic characteristics variables, age, place of residence, marital status,
work status and the highest educational level of the individuals don’t significantly affect youth’s
frustration. On the other hand, individual’s gender and wealth affect youth’s frustration negatively.
Concerning the Variables that are related to feelings, feeling loved by the individual’s family, the
degree of certainty about one’s future and self description of the individual’s religiosity level don’t affect
youths frustration significantly. However, discussing one’s issues and getting used to drugs affect
frustration positively while self evaluation of one’s health affects youth’s frustration negatively.
Concerning the social and political engagement, the usage and time that an individual spends in
public transportations, using the internet or playing videogames during leisure time, don’t affect youth’s
frustration significantly. However, relaxing during the leisure time, corruption, having a voting card and
going to mosques or churches regularly affect frustration positively. While practicing any type of physical
activities and feeling the presence of social values affect youth’s frustration negatively