Young Adults see the Benefits of Staying in Small Towns
There are norms and structures that encourage young people to leave smaller towns. However, new research from the University of Gothenburg shows that young adults see the advantages of staying put.
The labour market’s qualification requirements have increased, and the jobs that used to provide entry to the labour market have become fewer. This trend has consequences for young people in smaller towns, where there is often a high unemployment rate combined with a low level of education.
In her thesis, Hanna Uddbäck investigates young adults’ experiences and perceptions of work, and their hopes for the future. The focus of the study is on how young adults view their opportunities for employment while remaining in a small town.
- Their conceptions of work are largely based on the possibilities of the location; they adjust their hopes according to what is possible in the local labour market. Another important aspect is that they are looking for permanent, secure employment in order to enter adult life.
Their conceptions of work are largely based on the possibilities of the location; they adjust their hopes according to what is possible in the local labour market.
Location loyalty over mobility
One focus of the thesis has been to problematise and explore conceptions of staying in a small town as something passive and the result of a lack of ambition.
According to Hanna Uddbäck, the expectation that young people in smaller towns will want to move to larger cities has been described as an urban norm, both in research and in so-called rural activism.
- The study shows that although the urban norm is present, it is not as strong among those young adults who stay put. There are other parallel conceptions of a successful life in a small town that young adults relate to.
The study shows that although the urban norm is present, it is not as strong among those young adults who stay put. There are other parallel conceptions of a successful life in a small town that young adults relate to.
Despite the pressure that encourages young people to leave smaller towns, for many staying put seems both desirable and beneficial due to access to social networks, knowledge about the informal rules of the labour market, the opportunity to have a good home and close social relationships. Location loyalty appears to be more valuable than mobility.
Location loyalty appears to be more valuable than mobility.
The study also shows that there are significant differences between young people’s experiences of opportunities. Those who lack resources find it more difficult to enter the labour market and to imagine or achieve alternative paths. However, this does not mean that they are planning to move to the big city.
- Unemployment and job insecurity do not necessarily mean that people become more mobile. From a societal perspective, this shows the importance of investing in ensuring that people who live in smaller towns have access to education and jobs with good conditions.
The thesis “Att stanna kvar: arbete, plats och mobilitet i småstaden” (“Staying Put: Work, location and mobility in small towns”) has been published digitally: http://hdl.handle.net/2077/67447
This is a qualitative study, in which the material consists of interviews with young adults in a small town in southern Sweden and local actors such as the public employment service, municipalities, vocational colleges and employers.