Looking for a specificity of Rural Youth. The Polish Case

Abstract

In social consciousness a view is embedded that our rural and agrarian areas are our weakness which limits our development potential and social change. Whatever the reasons (mostly historical) for this view, the divide into rural and urban areas, Poland A and Poland B, is frequently referred to and just as frequently exaggerated, supporting thus various stereotypes and prejudices. Do they also concern the young generation? Rural areas in Poland are subject to dynamic transformation. The image of rural areas and its reception across society is changing positively. The favourable balance between migration and a growing interest among young people in the countryside as a future place of residence can be used as an example. However, this does not mean that the problem of rural areas and regional differences in Poland has been resolved. Neither do the changes happen as rapidly as could have been expected, nor do they happen in parallel in terms of geography and social structure. Not all of them are positive. The large number of small farms (although land concentration was expected in agriculture) is disturbing. The succession to economically weak farmsteads (which shows that in the face of no employment and non-agricultural life prospects an economically non-viable farm seems – from an individual perspective – the best possible solution). This phenomenon gives rise to many questions. Here, we only want to discuss the questions concerning the young generation – whether their aspirations and life goals, educational decisions, places of residence can be conducive to change (inside and outside rural areas) or rather impede them?