The study presented below was embedded in a project named H!ERgeblieben.H!ERgeblieben is a German play on words which can either mean “stay here!” as an imperative or simply describe that somebody has remained in a place. The transdisceplinary project focusses on one of the most important effects of demographic change: the migration of young adults in the transitional phase from school to employment. The loss of a significant number of community members in the age group 18–25 years has a fatal impact especially on rural areas (Dienel, 2005). Yet, Becker and Moser (2013) found out that 34 to 58 percent of adolescents want to remain in their region, which is a fairly high range. Wochnik (2014) concluded that especially adolescents in rural areas are simultaneously confronted with the questions of migration and occupational choice.The aim of the current project is to find strategies to reduce the out-migration of youth in rural areas. In a survey with pupils from the ninth class we wanted to identify the factors that matter most during their decision process.The runtime of the project is from September 2015 to January 2018. The study will be published in January 2018 at BELTZ-Juventa (Weinheim und Basel).

Bonding factors for young people in rural areas Schametat, Jan; Schenk, Sascha; Engel, AlexandraHAWK University of Applied Science and Arts | Zukunftszentrum Holzminden-Höxterjan.schametat@hawk-hhg.de | www.das-zukunftszentrum.de | www.hiergeblieben.net

Background

Study Design

Studys about youth in the context of demographic change in the last two decades mostly focussed on the reasons for rural depopulation (Dienel 2005; Schubarth, Speck 2009). The approach to ask for the reasons to remain in rural areas however is rather new (Beierle, Tillmann, Reißig 2016).The survey therefore aimed at the identification of major bonding factors.

Guiding Questions:- What makes young people stay in rural areas?- What categories are important in their decision processes?

Approach:- literature analysis- qualitative pre-study (5 pupils and 5 people aged 25-30)- quantitative study: 440 pupils from the ninth class (15-16 years old) in one district in North-Rhine Westphalia and one in Lower Saxony (Germany)- data were collected through a standardized questionaire in school

Main Results

We found out that the major bonding factors for pupils in rural areas—besides a general satisfaction with the region— are social contacts. Those who spend their free time with their families, friends or in club contexts are more willing to remain in their home region than those who have hobbies that do not bring them into contact with other people. The results also revealed a significant correlation between the population number of the locations and the bonding tendency. Those who live in smaller villages have a stronger bonding tendency than those from the rural towns. They are also more satisfied with the possibilities of spending their free time and also with the offer of shopping facilities. The latter result is especially surprising because those smaller villages do not even have any shopping facilities at all. The adolescents from smaller villages in addition are more often engaged in local associations and they are more often attended to hybrid types of school (Sekundarschule, Oberschule).

The Character-Regression-Modell shows the major bonding-factors in the middle and one momentous pullfactor outside the circle. The spots show the different characters and their bonding tendencies. The closer they are placed to the center, the higher is their regional bonding.

BECKER, Heinrich; MOSER, Andrea (2013): Jugend in ländlichen Räumen zwischen Bleiben und Abwandern. Lebenssituation und Zukunftspläne von Jugendlichen in sechs Regionen in Deutschland. Thünen Report 12. Braunschweig.

BEIERLE, Sarah; TILLMANN, Frank; REISSIG, Birgit (2016): Jugend im Blick - regionale Bewältigung demografischer Entwicklungen. Abschlussbericht. Projektergebnisse und Handlungsempfehlungen. Hg. v. Deutsches Jugendinstitut. München. Online verfügbar unter www.dji.de/fileadmin/user_upload/jugendimblick/Abschlussbericht_Final.pdf, zuletzt geprüft am 04.07.2016.

CHRISTMANN, Gabriela (2008): Statement ‚Identität und Raum’. Leibniz-Institut für Regionalentwicklung. Online verfügbar unter http://www.irs-net.de/download/aktuelles/RG26_Christmann.pdf, zuletzt geprüft am 30.03.2016.

DIENEL, Christiane (Hg.) (2005): Abwanderung, Geburtenrückgang und regionale Entwicklung. Ursachen und Folgen des Bevölkerungs-rückgangs in Ostdeutschland. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.

SCHUBARTH, Wilfried; SPECK, Kartsen (2009): Abwanderung Jugendlicher und demografischer Wandel - was tun? In: Wilfried Schubarth und Karsten Speck (Hg.): Regionale Abwanderung Jugendlicher. Theoretische Analysen, empirische Befunde und politische Gegenstrategien. Weinheim und, München: Beltz Juventa; Juventa Verlag (Jugendforschung), S. 254–258.

WOCHNIK, Markus (2014): Aufbruch in dieselbe Welt. Bleibestrategien von Jugendlichen im ländlichen Raum. 1., Aufl. Marburg: Tectum.

Discussion

The results show that the different characters need individuall forms of adress, especially with regard to forms of communication to motivate them to remain in their rural home region. Another point is that a general satisfaction with the region is a precondition to stay. A proper employment is also important, but the question to stay does not arise, if the youth are discontented with the regional offer.In addition we need to have a stronger focus on the advantages of rural life in the scientific discourse as well. Bad news about demographic change are reproduced in local news, which has a negative impact on the regional self-perception (Christmann 2008). The project H!ERgeblieben transforms the study results into a local campaign consisting of workshops at schools to sensetise the pupils for the regional advantages.

Photo, ZZHH: „My region, my here!“