Places of Belonging, Places of Detachment:

This chapter contributes to the ongoing discussion about rural belonging by considering the role of historical consciousness (Rüsen, 2004) in the process of belonging in a place. The chapter suggests that young people’s temporal orientation in relation to local culture and history plays a significant role in their commitment to rural communities. The analysis draws on qualitative longitudinal data from Finnish girls, aged 16–19, from two sparsely populated regions (Central Finland and the Northern Finnish Sámi homeland). The chapter shows how multiple strands of commitment tie rural young people to their local surroundings, where the past is present in the landscape and everyday life in a m…