Preferred and led lifestyles versus place of residence and gender of adolescents

Abstract

Adolescents are at the stage of life when they start to prefer and lead a particular and specific lifestyle. The choice of a lifestyle and leading it depend on the personal possibilities of an individual, as well as on the socio-cultural conditions in which they grow and function. This thesis presents the results of research on lifestyles adolescents prefer and lead living in various environments: rural and urban. The objective of the research was to compare the lifestyle preferred and led by adolescents living in rural and urban areas, including boys and girls, in order to demonstrate whether their place of residence and gender are related to the lifestyles they prefer and lead. The analysis of the conducted research allows to formulate the following conclusions: 1) youth living both in rural and urban environments marginalise such values as materialism, lofty ideas or social involvement, but they recognise the sense of family life and value stability and comfort in life; 2) when defining the desired lifestyle, youth from rural areas take into account family, independence and helping others more often, while youth from urban areas appreciate the value of self-development and aesthetic experiences more; 3) boys are more competitive and materialistic than girls, while girls appreciate the value of the family more than boys.