| Summary: | This study aims to analyze young adults born, raised, and currently living in the county of Jämtland in northern Sweden. The study explores the phenomenon of youth choosing to remain in the county, either in the city or in the smaller surrounding towns. Through a qualitative approach, employing semi- structured interviews, the factors, and motivations behind their decision to stay is investigated. The study reveals the complex dynamics of place attachment and place identity through a youth perspective. In addition, the study highlights several key themes, including youths’ perceptions of their hometowns, their sense of having actively chosen to stay, and the reception they have received from their surroundings, regarding their decision to remain locally anchored. The results reveal a complex interplay of individual-, social- and structural factors influencing young people’s choices to remain in Jämtland. It also testifies to a notable difference between the two groups where the place itself seems to have an impact on the sense of place, anchoring and identity. The study challenges preconceived notions behind immobility and the choice to remain, in order to better understand the phenomena trough a youth perspective.
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