The two-year project "Changing village living conditions 1952, 1972, 1993, 2012" was part of a long-term study. It analysed how everyday life and infrastructure had changed in 14 villages across Germany and what consequences the changes in rural societies had for social cohesion, quality of life or intentions to stay and mobility. The IZT was responsible for the village studies in Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The IZT also focussed on the use of new media in all the villages studied.

The overall study was coordinated by the Institute for Rural Areas of the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute (vTI) and was organised as an interdisciplinary joint project between the coordinating institution and six other partners. Each collaborative partner researched two study villages and their surrounding areas and worked on a specific scientific issue relating to changes in rural living conditions.

The IZT research team investigated the villages of Glasow in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Mildenberg in Brandenburg and dealt with the specific issue of "new media" as a determining factor of social change and thus also of village development in all areas.

Both the technical and the socio-cultural aspects of new media were analysed in the research project: On the one hand, aspects were examined that related directly to the reality of new media and could be recorded, described and typologised as media use, for example. On the other hand, the focus was on socio-cultural change as a result of the appropriation and use of new media. The study focussed on the key topic of "new media and rural change":

  • Infrastructure, equipment and user typology,
  • Village life and networks in the "global village",
  • Information and communication behaviour,
  • Entrepreneurship, freelancing and gainful employment with new media,
  • Youth - utilisation patterns and opportunities in rural areas and
  • special requirement groups.

 

The empirical research centred on a survey of 3,000 residents aged between 18 and 85 in the 14 villages under investigation. This resident survey was supplemented by group discussions with young people aged 14 to 17, who spoke about their perceptions of living conditions in the respective villages. Furthermore, focus interviews on the importance of local agriculture and local trade, expert discussions on the development of the villages and their surroundings as well as in-depth interviews with people in special circumstances provided an authentic picture. Secondary statistical analyses of existing data and discussions of the results with local stakeholders in validation interviews rounded off the mix of instruments.

On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV), the BLE supervised this scientific decision support project to solve its political and administrative tasks.