Transitions, local culture and human dignity

Abstract

Rural towns are made up of people who want to be here, people who need to be here and people who want to get out. This article focuses on the narratives of working-class young men who want to stay in their home town. For these individuals, rapid social change is presenting one complex series of challenges, while contemporary social policies are presenting yet another. I argue that entrenched ways of thinking about social problems are compounded by ‘silos’ within research traditions. In the context of this study, when research enquiries about young people’s transitions are informed by their narratives about identity, their explanations of cultural practices and resources and an understanding of the role of cultures of trust, shifts in understanding become possible. Acknowledging the ways in which these distinct areas of study are integrally related brings new sociological insights, methodological possibilities, alongside implications for policy and practice.