Habits Stem from Childhood: School Years Found to Shape Leisure Preferences in Adulthood
Moving to a big city does not necessarily lead to dramatic changes in daily habits. A study conducted at HSE University found that leisure preferences in adulthood are largely shaped during childhood and are influenced by where individuals spent their school years. This conclusion was drawn by Sergey Korotaev, Research Fellow at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences, from analysing the leisure habits of more than 5,000 Russians.
The environment in which a person lives shapes their daily habits, including how they spend their leisure time and the cultural and social activities they choose to engage in. However, as Sergey Korotaev, Research Fellow at the Laboratory for Comparative Analysis of Post-Socialist Development of the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences, found in a recent study, a person’s lifestyle is influenced not only by their current place of residence. The community where they spent their childhood and completed their schooling also plays a significant role.
The study is based on a dataset from the survey Social Distinctions in Modern Russia and includes over 5,000 respondents aged 24 to 55. The survey questionnaire covered a range of activities, including attending theatres, exhibitions, or sports events; drinking alcohol socially; reading books in libraries; and playing computer games. This approach made it possible to capture a broader range of everyday behavioural patterns.
The results were then mapped along three axes: active versus passive behaviour, cultured versus mundane practices, and real-world versus virtual activities. Based on this data, four behavioural clusters were identified, ranging from individuals with minimal engagement in leisure activities to those who actively participate in cultural events. The analysis revealed that higher income, education, and professional qualifications are linked to more active and cultured lifestyles. The family also plays a significant role in shaping leisure choices in various ways; for instance, parents' higher education increases the likelihood of engaging in cultured and active leisure, both in megacities and small towns.
However, it’s not only social status that influences behavioural style. The researchers examined how leisure patterns change among individuals who move from one type of settlement to another. It was found that more than a third of established habits can be attributed to where a person lived during their school years. Individuals raised in megacities are typically four times more likely to attend cultural events than those who grew up in small towns or villages.
Sergey Korotaev
'One might assume that the act of moving itself influences leisure preferences. For example, those who have relocated to a large city are likely to appreciate new opportunities more, leading to even more diverse and intense leisure activities. However, the study showed that this is not the case: the habits of those who have moved to large cities tend to fall somewhere between the habits of their hometown community and those of their new residence,' comments Sergey Korotaev, Research Fellow of the Faculty of Economic Sciences.
'The context of the move is important: whether it was driven by the pursuit of education in youth or by the need to find employment later in adulthood. This can significantly influence the imprint that a person’s spatial trajectory leaves on them. However, to fully account for this, a more complex model and additional data are needed,' according to Korotaev.
These findings raise important considerations for regional policy and urban development. Understanding how leisure habits are formed can contribute to more effective development of cultural infrastructure and provide people of different ages and living in diverse locations with the most suitable leisure options for them. The researcher emphasises that to influence people's daily activities, it is essential to consider not only their current environment but also their biographical context.
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