ABSTRACT
School-to-work transition, employment, and opportunity structures all have a spatial dimension that is often discussed in youth studies through a rural–urban dichotomy, geographical mobility and the decision between staying or leaving. Mobility is seen as a positive value and as a part of cultural capital, whereas immobility connotes undesirable inactivity or lack of aspiration. However, not all young adults are on the move. This chapter aims to provide insights into young adults living and working in provincial small towns and rural areas that have undergone substantial economic restructuring. Instead of mobility, the focus is on the significance of such notions as locality, belonging and settling down. The chapter highlights the interrelatedness of young adults’ agency in the labour market and locality, which is understood as being both social and spatial. When considering the social dimension of locality, special attention is paid to intergenerational relations. The data consist of 28 interviews conducted with 22- to 32-year-olds who were all in working life and employed in low-paid, part-time or temporary jobs, or self-employed.
