Activity 1.1.1.9 "Post-doctoral Research" of the Specific Objective 1.1.1 "Strengthening research and innovative capacities and introduction of advanced technologies in the common R&D system" of the European Union's Cohesion Policy Programme for 2021-2027 

Project name: Fundamental research: “Bridging the Cultural Divide: Strategies for Rural Families to Curate Digital Cultural Consumption for Youth” 

Project implementer: Līga Vinogradova 

Contract No.: 1.1.1.9/LZP/1/24/033 

Project implementation period: 01.07.2025.-30.06.2028. 

Project funding: EUR 184 140,00, including: 

ERDF funding: 156 519,00 EUR 

State budget funding: 18 414,00 EUR 

LAC funding: 9 207,00 EUR 

Project aim: The aim of the study is to explore the curation strategies for digital cultural consumption in rural families and identify effective approaches to promote quality cultural participation for youth in a digital environment. The problem addressed by the study arises from the dominance of digital content in cultural consumption, which raises questions about its impact on society, especially on young people as the future audience, and how digital content can be used to foster quality participation in culture. The goal of EU and national policies is to address this issue by ensuring equal access to digital culture; however, due to isolation, lifestyle, and lack of infrastructure, the digital divide particularly affects rural families. The study focuses on how the digital divide manifests itself in the cultural participation of rural families and how families balance digital and in-person content to enrich the development of young people’s cultural capital. The research objective will be achieved in six work phases, which include the creation of the research framework, development of methodology, and fieldwork in three stages. Using contemporary approaches from the social and humanities sciences (visual and digital ethnography), these phases will assess the digital cultural consumption strategies of rural families. The main target groups of the study are academic staff and policymakers from various fields (ICT, humanities, and social sciences), while specific societal target groups include young people and families.