Worldviews Apart? Perceptions of Place among Rural, Farm and Urban Young People in Ireland

In this paper, we report findings from a national survey of 8,316 Irish young people in 2002,which reveals the ways in which socio-spatial context impacts on young people's perceptions of the places in which they live and their views about the nature of certain 'social capital' aspects of their local communities, such as safety, friendliness, potential support from others, opportunities for recreation, and physical environment. It is clear from the evidence presented that perceptions of place are coloured by key contexts such as age, gender and social background. Our evidence also points to the striking significance that socio-spatial location implies for young people's perceptions of their communities. Differences are apparent between rural and urban young people, particularly the strength of positive perceptions among rural youth, while simultaneously reflecting the influence of gender, age and occupational status of parents. Within the rural environment, farm young people also show distinct patterns in the kinds of perceptions they are likely to hold. Our findings raise several conceptual considerations and implications for further inquiry.