The Prestige of Farming Profession in the Opinion of Youth Graduating from Agricultural Schools

Abstract

The subject of the described investigations are the opinions of graduates of agricultural schools, who passed final exams in the 2000/2001 and 2006/2007 school years, concerning social position of farmers in Poland as well as conditions of life in rural areas, work in agriculture and features of persons living in villages. A comparison of the results of surveys conducted with the help of identical questionnaire in different years has made it possible to reveal changes that occurred in the course of six years in the attitudes of graduates of agricultural schools towards the rural community, agriculture and their vocational future. Re-plies provided to the question about the prestige of a farmer's profession in comparison with 16 other professions suggest that between 2001 and 2007 this prestige increased considerably in statistical terms. The farming profession's position has improved especially in relation to the professions of: a security guard, a teacher, a journalist, a clerk and a businessman. Positive changes in the farming profession's position are attributable to an improvement in the conditions of work and life in rural areas that is being noticed by young people. In comparison with 2001 work in agriculture was assessed by them in 2007 as: more profitable, more interesting, lighter, cleaner and not so primitive or uncreative. Life in rural areas has become more comfortable, more modern, more interesting and safer. The inhabitants of villages have become definitely wiser, resourceful and enterprising, more persevering in the development of their farms. Changes in the assessments of the rural community and agriculture presented by youth graduating from agricultural schools are accompanied by a four-fold growth in the proportion of graduates who intend to stay in rural areas and work on a farm.