Geographies of Rural Cultures and Societies (Perspectives on Rural Policy and Planning)

The last decade or so has witnessed a flourishing of research in rural geography; in particular, approaches which have developed socio-cultural perspectives on rural issues. This book brings together well-established and newer researchers to examine the position of rural social and cultural geography at the beginning of the 21st century and to suggest new research agendas. It offers critical evaluations of theoretical positions and advances, introduces new conceptual and methodological tools and reports on recent empirical work on a variety of topical issues in a number of countries. With diverse theoretical and empirical content, the book makes a valuable contribution to the development of research into changing social and cultural geographies of rurality in 'developed' or 'Western' countries. The Contributors To This Volume Examine The Position Of Rural Cultural And Social Geography At The Beginning Of The 21st Century And Draw Attention To Some Of The Key Dimensions Of Cultural And Social Experience In The Contemporary Countryside. Geographies Of Rural Cultures And Societies: Introduction / Lewis Holloway, Moya Kneafsey -- Thinking Ruralities -- Obese And Pornographic Ruralities: Further Cultural Twists For Rural Geography? / Martin Phillips -- Spatial Stories: Preliminary Notes On The Idea Of Narrative Style In Rural Studies / Rob Fish -- (re)positioning Power In Rural Studies: From Organic Community To Political Society / Graham Gardner -- Constructing Multiple Ruralities: Practices And Values Of Rural Dwellers / Hanne Kirstine Adriansen, Lene Moller Madsen -- Rural Societies: Inclusions And Exclusions -- Politics And Protest In The Contemporary Countryside / Michael Woods -- Geographies Of Invisibility: The 'hidden' Lives Of Rural Lone Parents / Annie Hughes -- Constable Countryside? Police Perspectives On Rural Britain / Richard Yarwood, Caroline Cozens -- Community And Governance -- Mobilizing The Local: Community, Participation And Governance / Bill Edwards, Michael Woods -- A Sense Of Place: Rural Development, Tourism And Place Promotion In The Republic Of Ireland / David Storey -- 'community'-based Strategies For Environmental Protection In Rural Areas: Towards A New Form Of Participatory Rural Governance? / Susanne Seymour -- Cultures Of Farming And Food -- Lost Words, Lost Worlds? Cultural Geographies Of Agriculture / Carol Morris -- Producing-consuming Food: Closeness, Connectedness And Rurality In Four 'alternative' Food Networks / Lewis Holloway, Moya Kneafsey. Edited By Lewis Holloway And Moya Kneafsey. Most Chapters Based On Papers Given At The Conference 'progress In Rural Geography : Towards 21st Century Geographies Of Rurality,' Held At Coventry University July 5-6, 2001. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The notion of a 'cultural turn' in rural studies has become a widely accepted part of the story which rural geographers tell concerning the history of their (sub)discipline.