Abstract
Cultural images of young people’s lives in the city and rural areas are characterized by polarization and hierarchization. The city is often portrayed as the natural centre whereas rural areas are positioned as periphery. This trend is supported by much contemporary sociological theory, where modernity is linked to urbanity and life in the city, whereas rural areas often are portrayed as
‘backwards’ or traditional (Farrugia 2013, Bloksgaard et al 2013, Paulgaard 2002). Farrugia underlines that the sociology of youth tend to theorize youth through ”...theoretical frameworks based on urban experiences which capture neither the lives of rural young people nor the spatial dimensions of the structures and cultures that make up contemporary youth.” (Farrugia 2013:295).
By this, youth sociology tends to focus on young lives in urban areas, while there has been little attention pointed towards how young people experience life in rural areas (Bloksgaard et al 2013:188). Drawing on a research project focusing on young people’s lives in rural Denmark, in this paper we explore how domina
nt storylines (Davies 2000, Søndergaard 2002) of urbanity can be
traced in young people’s narratives of youth, place and belonging. At the same time however, in the young people’s narratives there are also traces of alternative storylines where young people re-articulate and ’talk back’ at dominant storylines, and in the paper we focus on these elements of
‘talking back’ with the aim of reconceptualising the relationship between the city, rural areas and youth.
‘backwards’ or traditional (Farrugia 2013, Bloksgaard et al 2013, Paulgaard 2002). Farrugia underlines that the sociology of youth tend to theorize youth through ”...theoretical frameworks based on urban experiences which capture neither the lives of rural young people nor the spatial dimensions of the structures and cultures that make up contemporary youth.” (Farrugia 2013:295).
By this, youth sociology tends to focus on young lives in urban areas, while there has been little attention pointed towards how young people experience life in rural areas (Bloksgaard et al 2013:188). Drawing on a research project focusing on young people’s lives in rural Denmark, in this paper we explore how domina
nt storylines (Davies 2000, Søndergaard 2002) of urbanity can be
traced in young people’s narratives of youth, place and belonging. At the same time however, in the young people’s narratives there are also traces of alternative storylines where young people re-articulate and ’talk back’ at dominant storylines, and in the paper we focus on these elements of
‘talking back’ with the aim of reconceptualising the relationship between the city, rural areas and youth.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication date | 2015 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2015 |
| Event | Contemporary youth, contemporary risks: Journal of Youth Studies Conference - Copenhagen, Denmark Duration: 30 Mar 2015 → 1 Apr 2015 |
Conference
| Conference | Contemporary youth, contemporary risks |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Denmark |
| City | Copenhagen |
| Period | 30/03/2015 → 01/04/2015 |