LATENT STRUCTURE OF SOCIOLOGICAL INDICATORS IN GRAMMAR SCHOOL STUDENTS

The purpose of the study was to investigate latent structure of the set of sociological indicators of 400 male grammar school students. The sample was drawn from the Herzegovina grammar school students from the first to the fourth grade (117+109+90+84) and described with 52 variables of general sociological status. The data were collected through the questionnaire, authored by Danijela Bonacin. They were primarily normalized and then subjected to the factor analysis with the rotation in varimax position. The results indicated there were 6 factors. Factor one describes predominantly material status, factor two managerial/leadership status, and factor three educational status. Factor four defines clearly political status, factor five describes the place of birth, and factor six presents residential status. It was assumed that the structure of latent dimensions of the grammar school students was fairly stable and that it reflected most general elements of community value systems. The viable conclusion is that the young men, secondary-school (grammar) students have already adopted to a great extent future social behavior, therefore it can be expected they will start to transfer their attitudes very soon into their close local communities, and many of them, who are going to study at universities, onto future generations of carriers of basic social system values.