Eliminating Stereotypes: Villages as Desirable Spaces for Partying among Spanish Youth

Abstract

Most of the research on rural youth has focused on the material conditions that cause their migration to cities, but it has not tended to address sociocultural dimensions, such as those concerning leisure and what might condition the processes of migration among young people. The aim of this study is to contrast the discourse and representations that young people have regarding leisure with the festive practices that they carry out in Spanish villages. The fieldwork consisted of 13 discussion groups and 38 in-depth interviews (N = 118), with participants aged between 15 and 24 years. The results show that: (1) young people construct their idea of partying through dominant, dichotomous and unequal rural–urban representations, demonstrating the presence of traditional stereotypes around rurality; (2) the village becomes desirable as a place for partying at specific times of the year, such as local festivals; (3) the practices of rural youth call into question this normative imaginary, as is also shown by their adaptation, belonging and agency in the construction and management of leisure. Getting rid of stereotypes about rurality and creating positive thinking about the leisure possibilities in villages can lead young people to see it as a space for opportunities and personal development.