A LOOK AT "YOUTH WHO WANT TO STAY":

CHALLENGES, RESISTANCE, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR RURAL YOUTH

Abstract

Rural youth, essential for rural succession, have long been rendered invisible and had their basic rights violated. The prevailing trend was rural exodus and the search for a better quality of life in cities—a path often encouraged even by rural schools as a means of social mobility. Conversely, social and youth movements have been struggling for public policies that value life and labor in the countryside, grounded in Agroecology, and that treat young people as rights holders. In this regard, despite adversities, recent years have seen an increase in the rates of young people remaining in rural areas, with Agroecology serving as an ally in creating opportunities for this permanence. Examining these "young people who stay" (or wish to stay) is, therefore, of paramount importance. Thus, for this research, we were guided by the following questions: Who are the rural youth who wish to live in the countryside, and what do they do? Which aspects (such as gender, community participation/engagement, and relationship with the rural property) most distinguish those who wish to stay from those who wish to leave? How can Agroecology contribute to this decision? To this end, in addition to theoretical and normative research, questionnaires were administered to rural youth participating in the Projeto Semear/SERTA in the Zona da Mata Norte (North Forest Zone) of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil. Of the 90 respondents, 57 expressed a desire to remain in rural areas; the majority were men with autonomy regarding the activities performed on the property. Based on the data collected, we seek to establish a theoretical foundation regarding rural youth, understand the profile of young people who want to live in the countryside, and identify the determining factors and difficulties regarding this decision. Furthermore, we aim to relate youth, territorial issues, and the construction of opportunities based on Agroecology. Finally, considering that the decline in rural exodus is still a relatively new process—given the history of migration to cities—studying the potential and challenges of this phenomenon is of great social and academic relevance.