ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the structural context shaping Serbian rural young adults’ social biographies at the beginning of the 21st century. This chapter discusses how the changes brought by political and economic transition have introduced new uncertainties for rural Serbian youth, especially in the areas of education, employment, and overall social standing. These uncertainties have been especially severe in the countryside, given the rural population’s lower economic, cultural, and social capital in relative comparison to the urban population. Drawing upon empirical data from a study conducted in 62 Serbian municipalities using a sample of 1,627 respondents, the chapter analyzes the structural context of Serbian rural young adults at the beginning of the third millennium. This chapter finds that rural young adults’ orientations and aspirations can be understood as key indicators of the complex interplay of structure and agency within their transitions in post-socialist Serbian society.
