DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RURAL-AREAS - RURAL YOUTH IN EASTERN AND WEST-GERMANY

In 1995 a youth survey on the topics of regional orientation, remainin g on the land, violence and the acceptance of young people in rural ar eas was conducted in 7 federal states (four in the west, three in the east). Over 1700 young people participated in the survey, which was co nducted as a comparison between east and west. The main results were a s follows: the phase of youth follows different courses in east and we st. Considerable regionally dependent differences sometimes emerged, w hich were attributable to the local regional infrastructure. Thus, in the eastern areas, ''land'' can still be found which corresponds almos t exactly to the traditional socio-agrarian sense of the word as used in the fifties. Adaptable, flexible young people in both parts of Germ any regard their greatest problems as being the actual or feared lack of work or opportunities for training. Attitudes to violence displayed low thresholds and high degrees of tolerance.