Ruralis Brage
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Lost in Transnational Space? Migrant Farm Workers in Rural Districts
Get PDF-In recent decades, theories of transnationalism have emerged as key perspectives for analysis of international migration. Drawing on Glorius and Friedrich’s (2006) model of transnationalism, the paper analyses the case of migrant farm labour in rural Norway and demonstrates how the social context of migrants’ work influences their building of various kinds of social-capital resources which are crucial for development of transnational space. The paper argues that circularity of migration is not sufficient to instigate full-fledged transculturation and hybrid identity-formation processes. In conclusion, the paper recommends that transnational theory should pay greater attention to the social contexts of migration and observe the limits of the theory’s application
The Uplands after neoliberalism? - The role of the small farm in rural sustainability
Get PDF-The modernist project foresaw no role for small farms, but this can no longer be regarded as axiomatic as neoliberalism enters what Peck et al. call its “zombie phase”. This paper asks what contribution small farms in the uplands can make to societies’ goals, what role they might play in the sustainability of rural communities in such regions, and how this contribution might be supported by state policies. In Scotland and in Norway these questions have recently been the subject of policy debates which appear to offer exceptions or alternatives to neoliberal universalism, and these are considered specifically in this paper. In each case support for small farms is seen as necessary to maintain ‘lights in the windows’ of remoter rural areas. Moreover, each highlights the vital role of the state in offering not only financial support but also in regulating land transfers and occupancy. It is argued that the dismantling of such regulatory powers depletes the state’s ability to manage the tensions between continuity and change which are at the heart of sustainable rural development. The paper concludes that small farms can persist and can contribute to rural sustainability in ways that have been infrequently recognised under neoliberalism
Dreaming of a Smallholding
Get PDF-The article examines a phenomenon associated with the rural idyll – the dream of becoming the owner of a smallholding in the countryside. Much research and policy concern in Norway have focused upon rural–urban migration trends and the consequences of the urbanisation process on the sustainability of rural communities. Less attention has been given to the counter trend, that is, urban dwellers searching for a better quality of life in the countryside. The article is based on data from a Norwegian national survey and analyses a question measuring respondents' interest in buying a smallholding. The analysis involves an estimation of a regression model to determine which demographic, socioeconomic and attitudinal variables influence people's interest in buying a smallholding. Further, we were interested in their plans for the smallholding (farming, residence, second home) and the kind of influences these potential new smallholding owners might have on rural communities. Three categories of potential smallholders are identified: aspiring farmers, country-life lovers and recreation seekers. The results indicate that those who live in urban areas are more interested in buying a smallholding than those already living in rural areas
Books, Branding and Boundary Objects: On the Use of Image in Rural Development
Get PDF-This article addresses the use of image building in rural community development. We see rural image construction as taking place between the need for broadness and inclusiveness to mobilise locally, and the need for narrowness and exclusivity to attract attention from the outside world. Thus, rural images may be seen as boundary objects that need to be both flexible and clear. Empirically, the article presents a case study based on fieldwork, individual interviews and group interviews in a rural community that has used processes of image construction in order to turn depression into vitality. Fjærland, an area on the western coast of Norway, has created the image of a small, quiet and picturesque Book Town: an unlikely cluster of 12 bookshops, combined with remoteness and rurality in a place with only 300 inhabitants. The study concludes with a few core implications of this for future rural development initiatives
Bears and Fears: Cultural capital, geography and attitudes towards large carnivores in Norway
Get PDF-Recent studies and literature suggest that negative attitudes towards large carnivores may to a large extent be explained by ignorance and lack of certain aspects of cultural capital. Fear and resistance, it has been argued, can be overcome through spreading information and knowledge about carnivores and how to interact with them. This argument has, on the other hand, been interpreted as an example of inherent arrogance among urban elites, undermining the economic foundation and quality of life in rural areas. The article aims to analyse acceptance of bears in Norway among a representative sample of the population, to describe attitudes towards large carnivores, economic and cultural capital, the importance of physical and geographical closeness, and the extent to which and how these factors are interlinked. The analysis is based on two national quantitative surveys, carried out in 2005 and 2007. The findings show a clear, although small, increase in resistance to the existence of bears in Norway. The increase appears to be most marked among young people who have grown up in rural areas. The authors conclude that there is an increasing urban-rural divide on the issue of conservation policies and carnivore stock management
Evaluering av Utviklingsprosjektet i Ørland og Bjugn
Get PDF-Den 14. juni 2012 ble det vedtatt at Norges nye kampflybase skulle legges til Ørland i Sør-Trøndelag. For at Ørland og Bjugn kommuner skulle stå bedre rustet til å håndtere oppgaver av de dimensjoner de da sto overfor, fikk de tildelt skjønnsmidler på til sammen 31 millioner kroner for å finansiere et samfunnsutviklingsprosjekt (her kalt Utviklingsprosjektet). Målene har vært å bidra til at etableringen av kampflybasen på Ørland blir vellykket, og samtidig utrede og planlegge tiltak for å skape vekst og utvikling i det sivile samfunnet utover det basen vil generere. Denne evalueringsrapporten vurderer Utviklingsprosjektets organisering, gjennomføring og resultat, og kommer med råd for det videre utviklingsarbeidet i kommunene
Dreaming of a Smallholding
Get PDF-The article examines a phenomenon associated with the rural idyll – the dream of becoming the owner of a smallholding in the countryside. Much research and policy concern in Norway have focused upon rural–urban migration trends and the consequences of the urbanisation process on the sustainability of rural communities. Less attention has been given to the counter trend, that is, urban dwellers searching for a better quality of life in the countryside. The article is based on data from a Norwegian national survey and analyses a question measuring respondents' interest in buying a smallholding. The analysis involves an estimation of a regression model to determine which demographic, socioeconomic and attitudinal variables influence people's interest in buying a smallholding. Further, we were interested in their plans for the smallholding (farming, residence, second home) and the kind of influences these potential new smallholding owners might have on rural communities. Three categories of potential smallholders are identified: aspiring farmers, country-life lovers and recreation seekers. The results indicate that those who live in urban areas are more interested in buying a smallholding than those already living in rural areas
Food as attraction: connections between a hotel and suppliers of specialty food
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