Negotiating the imperative of personal development in a rural context

Abstract In neoliberal society, personal development is a dominant cultural ideal. This article examines what I conceptualize as the ‘development imperative’ — a normative force demanding continuous self-improvement — through a study of rural Swedish families. Drawing on joint interviews with eleven adolescents and their parents, I examine how notions of personal development shape visions of future occupational and geographical trajectories. Participants framed development in diverse ways, highlighting personal growth, overcoming social disadvantage, and aspirations for geographic mobility. Notably, geographic mobility emerged not only as a practical necessity but also as a rite of passage, enabling young people to reshape their identities. Within development discourse, self-improvement appears as an opportunity while simultaneously constituting an obligation, creating insecurity about insufficient progress. Adopting a relational approach centered on parent-child dialogues, this study highlights how subjectivity is formed through negotiated expectations in rural contexts.