Young people living in the rural areas near the Polish-Ukrainian border: a modernisation potential or barrier?

Abstract

The article presents the results of sociological research work on rural youth living in the Polish-Ukraininan border area. The study was based on a survey of 1,318 school-leavers at the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013 in upper secondary schools in Przemyśl (Poland) and Drohobych (Ukraine).Many similarities were noted between young people living in rural and urban areas in both countries. In Poland, similarities were evident in the case of economic capital, access to modern technologies, life aspirations, professional aspirations and digital competence. On the other hand, differences were reported in the case of cultural capital as well as educational, pay and settlement aspirations. Young people from rural areas more often attended poorer schools and had lower cultural capital measured against their father's educational background and the number of books held. In addition young people from rural areas had lower pay expectations and more frequently wished to relocate to towns.In Ukraine, differences between young people from rural and urban areas were more conspicuous. Young people from rural areas more frequently attended poorer schools, had lower cultural and economic capital as well as more difficult access to modern technologies. These young people from rural areas had lower educational aspirations, were more statist-minded, less mobile and had lower digital competence. In addition, similarities between young people living in rural areas in both countries were reported. Young people from rural areas were more religious, had lower educational aspirations and, further, they less frequently used the Internet and when used it was more often for entertainment.These findings suggest that it should not be expected that youth will modernise the border area.