ABSTRACT
In the first chapter of this volume we discussed some of the many problems associated with cross-cultural and cross-national research, but we also argued for the usefulness of conducting such studies of adolescent development. The time is ripe to ask what the costs and benefits, so to say, of this study have been. Kohn (1987) stated rather pessimistically: “As with any research strategy, cross-national research comes at a price. It is costly in time and money, it is difficult to do, and it often seems to raise more interpretive problems than it solves” (p. 713). We agree with Kohn on the time costs; a research project conducted in 12 nations is time-consuming at all levels (not only in time, but also in energy and in communication efforts). As for the statement that cross-national research creates more problems than it solves, we argue that the Euronet project has at least provided many answers-for more than we had sensible questions. In this chapter, we summarize the main and clearest results and come back to the general issues raised in the chapter 1.
