Waiting for the Market: Young Adults in Telavi and Vanadzor

Abstract

This paper uses two cases studies to analyse what has happened to young people and their life-stage transitions in those parts of the former communist bloc where all the main industries stopped when communism ended and remained shut-down over 10 years later. Our evidence is from two such places—Telavi in eastern Georgia and Vanadzor in north-central Armenia. Interview surveys gathered information from samples of 200 25–29 year olds in each of the cities, focusing on their experiences while in transition to adulthood. The respondents’ life-stage transitions had been roughly co-terminous with their countries’ transformation into independent states, market economies and multi-party democracies. Information was also obtained from documentary sources and interviews with key informants—regional and city council officers, and education and labour office personnel. The paper describes how approximately two-thirds of the young adults who were surveyed were unemployed when interviewed and had never held proper jobs. As a result, cash incomes in both cities were extremely low, as were rates of participation in most forms of out-of-home leisure that cost money. Family transitions—into marriage and parenthood—were occurring at older ages than in the 1980s but these were still happening. This leads into to an examination of the young adults’ typical responses to their circumstances. There were two main responses; patience and migration away. In conclusion, it is argued that, all other things remaining equal, the most probable future trends in places such as Telavi and Vanadzor are gradual population decline until the numbers of residents are compatible with the shrunken economies, and socio-cultural regression to quasi-traditional ways of life.