Youth Regional Identity Analysis

Institute for Social Research of Lithuania - PIPE

Research funded by PIPE and carried out by E.Krukauskiene, I.Sutiniene and V.Zilinskaite, researches of the Institute for Social Research of Lithuania, in February - May 2003.

Results of the research were presented in PIPE Regional Identity Conference in Alytus, 28-31 May 2003.

Summary of the research

Identity

Identity has three main aspects: past, present and future. Regional communities and people view themselves in world context as having their own history with its peculiarities and differences from history of entire nation, their own life-styles and future projects. Regional identity is only one of aspect of identity in general. Understanding themselves as inhabitants of region, many people see themselves as members of ethnic, linguistic, religious or civic communities as well.

Self-identity refers to the process of self-development through which young people formulate a unique sense of themselves and their relationship to the world around them. It is the individual's constant negotiation with the outside world - in region, in his country. Social identity refers to characteristics that are attributed to an individual by others.

Research programme 

Subject of research. School children of upper secondary school from Norwegian Ostfold and Telemark regions, Latvian Cesis region, and Lithuanian Alytus town, Alytus and Lazdijai regions.

The aim of research. To investigate social regional identity formation factors.

Tasks of research:  

1.Investigate cultural - geographical factors: the meaning for students of the symbols of landscape and history of region as well as ethnic culture;

2.Research of factors related with "centre - periphery" relations: the image of the region in relation to the image of big cities, other regions, the relations between the regional and „central" identities (national, European, etc.);

3.Communication influence on self-identities of youth, such as mass media and electronic communications;

4.To establish priorities of cultural activities and identities;

5.To establish identification with region-world continuum referential group that has most common interests.

Research characteristics 

858 respondents were questioned: Ostfold - 134 respondents, Telelmark - 141 respondents, Cesis - 133 respondents, Alytus town, Alytus and Lazdijai regions - 150 respondents in each.

Qualitative and quantitative data analysis was used. Data reliability is evaluated according to the table of statistical error. While carrying out population interrogation according to random selection, statistical error is evaluated on the basis of mathematical statistics.

Main results of the research

Regional identity of the students is not among the strongest social identities; in all countries and regions, according to importance, it is mostly on the third place after national and local identities; but supra -national identities (European, world, regional of wider regions) are less important than regional. European identity and cosmopolitan orientation are more important for Alytus region youth than for others.

Regional identity partly intersects with local (town, village) identities that are stronger than regional. Local peculiarities and identities also are among important symbolic resources of youth identity construction.

Important regional identity construction resources are on the local level (connections with local territory, community, culture, family, local social practices, etc.).

Norwegian youth has more than other regions' youth symbolic resources for positive regional identity construction (landscape, ethnic culture, stronger connections with local communities, positive image of region in comparison with "outside" terrains). Nevertheless, the Alytus (especially town) youth' relations to the region are problematic, in spite of their positive attitudes towards regional identity ideologies. Their regional identity is supported by fewer amounts of symbolic resources; some of them can be resources only for negative regional identity construction. Regional identity of Latvian youth is in the medium position.

The regional identity construction is perceived by youth mostly as attributed - determined "by destiny" - birth, living, originating from the region. Norwegian students perceive predetermined, regional identity mostly coherent, while perception of it by Lithuanian students is contradictory: as predetermined by birth, but also constructed by choices. This ambivalent grasp of regional identity partly may be connected with rapid urbanization of Alytus region, experienced by their parents' generation. The youth has lost "natural" ties with traditional regional culture and perceives regional identity mostly as chosen and developed individually and slightly connected with the origins or ethnic culture.

Religion is more important to youth identity from the researched Lithuanian regions, while Latvian and Norwegian youth identify themselves through culture and customs. Religious identity opens in global or country aspect rather than regional one. That's why Lithuanian youth identify themselves with country rather than region.

Regional identity is more related to the traditions of national and regional communities than to place or location.

Native country's national art and culture were named as closest to respondents. From other listed countries the neighbouring ones, especially that are tied by political and historical relations, have more cultural influence and are named as having the closest culture. Swedish and Danish art and culture were named by Norwegians; Russian, Lithuanian and Estonian ones by Latvians; and Latvian and Russian ones by Lithuanians.

Most attractive and effectual regional mass media are newspapers and radio. This is characteristic for all researched regions. Foreign mass media are less popular than regional and national in all the regions. On the contrary, foreign music groups are more preferred than national or regional ones in all the regions, especially in Norway.

Cultural lifestyles differ in all the regions and are influenced by local cultural traditions and youth economic capital. Cultural capital is acquired through both professional artistic training and creative activities that express it as well. Cultural capital correlates with cultural life-style. Regional cultural identity influences attitudes toward staying in the region or leaving it.

Value orientations are different in regions and reflect employment situation. Lithuanian and Latvian youth much more frequently than Norwegian chose work as the most important sphere of life. Latvian and Norwegian respondents chose family life most frequently. Value structure differences supplement historical and cultural evidence that Latvian youth identity has features both of Lithuanian and Norwegian ones.

Value orientations coincide with infrastructural proposals. This shows willingness to change the region. Although it is not necessarily opposite to leave present places of residence in broad sense, it shows care about the regions through the prism of value orientations.

Identity with youth of the region is almost the same in all researched regions, but named preferred groups for communication show Norwegians having stronger regional identity than Latvians and Lithuanians that are more country oriented in their emotional aspect of identification.

Research data allows hypothesis about possible regional identity with negative aspects. Regional attitude with negative aspect may be identity with region, without being proud of it or even seeing it as reason for diffidence or being discontent with it. Such negative identity may influence lack of identity with symbols and history, high identity with peers through common dissatisfaction or prestige lack of being person from the region and high interest and value of global culture seeing it as superior to regional culture.

Areas of regional infrastructure that according to students need improvement are related to the peculiarities of life conditions in the regions, county's specifics and youth life-plans.

General conclusion. Identity of Norwegian youth, especially from Telemark region (even in comparison with youth the Ostfold region), has more features of regional identity. Regional identity is less characteristic of Alytus town in Lithuania. Identity of youth from other researched Lithuanian regions, Alytus and Lazdijai regions, has more features of regional identity, although less than Norwegian and Latvian ones. Latvian Cesis youth regional identity is in the middle position between Lithuanian and Norwegian ones. Latvia has common characteristics both with Norway and Lithuania. Latvians, as Lithuanians, are Baltic nation and have similar language of the same language family and related history. Norwegians and Latvians share religion - Lutheranism, which even in secular world influences understanding of the world and life attitudes.