ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an analysis of sociocultural capital among young people examining students’ participation in their community, examining young people’s connection to their local community and school, feelings of security, and finally their commitment to their communities. The authors use pilot survey data to investigate youth attachment to local school and community, looking in particular at differences by gender and also by residential location. Modest gendered differences were detected, with females in particular showing stronger school valuing both at the time the survey data were gathered as well as in thinking about the characteristics of desired future adult residence. Stronger locational effects were discerned, with students from both inland and island communities reporting strikingly higher levels of school and community attachment. While suggestive, these differences bear further investigation using mixed and/or qualitative methodologies to better understand the contextual factors associated with these differences and their relation to place. Overall, this discussion suggests the importance of youth perceptions of school and community and sociocultural capital as an important potential asset in enhancing the well-being and sustainability of rural places in Croatia and elsewhere.
