Tekijät

• Sinkkonen-Tolppi, Merja (University of Kuopio. Department of Health Policy and Management)

Asiasanat

community identification, neighbourhoods, occupations, social capital, social interaction, youth

Sisällön kuvaus

The survey focused on young people's social capital and their attachment to home district. The respondents were 15-16-year-old pupils in seven different types of municipalities in Eastern Finland.

Attachment to home district was investigated first. The respondents were asked where they would like to live in different stages of their lives, and to what extent certain people and issues influenced their preference of location for their working years.

Some questions surveyed opinions on and knowledge of their home municipality, as well as the degree of attachment to the home district. Another topic pertained to choice of occupation and future education plans. Questions covered the importance of occupation to the respondents, future education plans, information sources on education opportunities, their ideal occupation, factors influencing their image of ideal occupation, and parental wishes regarding the respondents' future occupation and education.

The respondents were asked what their grades on four school subjects (mother tongue, mathematics, first foreign language and sport) were and whether it was important for them to get good grades. Atmosphere in the school was also surveyed.

Family situation was charted with questions about, for instance, household composition and financial situation, education and unemployment periods, and social interaction with others. The respondents were asked how often they discuss important things with their parents and how good a relationship they had with the parents, siblings, and some other people. Activities outside school hours and number of good friends were also investigated.

Background variables included, for instance, the respondent's gender, age, municipality of residence, duration of residence in the municipality, and number of times R had changed schools because the family had moved.