Abstract:

In today’s scientific research and political discourse of Latvia, culture is considered an area comprising features that create the national originality and foster development of the nation. Preservation and development of the cultural capital through the participation of society in cultural processes is the priority of Cultural Policy Guidelines 2014–2020 “Creative Latvia”. The study aims to analyse what forms of cultural participation are available for young people within the formal educational system and beyond and what attitudes young people have towards cultural and social participation in general. Both teachers and young people themselves acknowledge that cultural interests and participation in certain cultural events are important factors determining young people’s cultural diversity. Interactions between ethnic, regional, local and national identities often result in young people becoming aware of their hybrid (diverse) identity.

The field work at schools took place from 10 February 2019 to 30 May 2019. A total of 60 students and nine teachers in the three schools of Latvia were interviewed. The data analysis started with observation of students in different school situations, thus obtaining an additional material for the analysis to be carried out at a later stage. The total duration of student and teacher interviews was 44 hours and 22 minutes, of which the interviews with students lasted for 36 hours and 40 minutes, but those with teachers – 7 hours and 36 minutes. A thematic analysis of the documents was undertaken using an iterative, inductive approach to the generation of codes and themes guided by the aims and objectives of the review. The interviews were coded by employing NVivo 12 software.

Young people’s cultural interests vary greatly. They depend on both the psychological characteristics (temperament, character, specific psychological situation) of young people’s personalities and external factors (school, family, friends, place of residence, mass media, etc.). According to teachers and young people themselves, cultural interests and participation in certain cultural events are more important factors determining young people’s cultural diversity. National, ethnic or religious aspects were not mentioned as a form of differences. However, they influence young people’s understanding of cultural diversity indirectly since the above aspects forge a cultural identity and determine participation in specific cultural activities with national, ethnic, religious or other orientations. Cultural diversity is perceived as an interesting and positive feature of society. Young people emphasize that they possess both diversity and similarity/unity simultaneously.

This is determined by the aspect of juxtaposition e.g. lifestyles and priorities of many young people are similar, but their specific interests are different/individual.

Keywords:

Youth, teachers, cultural participation, qualitative research, cultural diversity.