Sociologia Ruralis

Heley, Jesse

doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9523.2011.00534.xpmid: N/A

This article explores the significance of researcher's positionality for the interpretation of local cultures of rurality. Drawing on personal experience of studying the apparent emergence of a new squirearchy in an English village, it argues that backyard ethnographies, in which researchers study worlds with which they are already familiar if not intimate, can offer valuable insights into cultures of rurality by facilitating particular forms of disclosure and understanding. While the potential value of insider status, and indeed participant observation, has become increasingly debated in rural research, the implications of being local have been largely neglected. The article discusses the significance of being local in terms of privileged access to elite cultures in rural space, focusing on how it assists enquiry in terms of acceptance, observation and interpretation. At the same time, it highlights some of the challenges to this mode of investigation. The article draws on material from a locality based study of the so‐called new squirearchy in England.

Sutherland, Lee‐Ann; Burton, Rob J.F.

doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9523.2011.00536.xpmid: N/A

Recent decades have seen a gradual erosion of farming incomes across the UK due to falling commodity prices and changes to the subsidy regime. This study examines what resources farmers are able to access informally and how this ‘social capital’ is generated and maintained in farming communities. Using a conceptual framework based on Bourdieu's conceptualisations of social and cultural capital, this study explores the evolving informal exchange relationships between farmers in a case study of Upper Deeside, Scotland. We find that although cultural capital is important for accessing social capital, the technological treadmill characteristic of ‘good farming’ creates a disincentive for informally sharing machinery amongst large‐scale farmers. However, social capital remains an important resource for smaller scale farmers, particularly in terms of their access to labour. We conclude by suggesting that, far from being a low‐cost means of facilitating community economic development, increasing the level of social capital will be difficult in communities where labour is a scarce or expensive resource.

Vanclay, Frank; Enticott, Gareth

doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9523.2011.00537.xpmid: N/A

We advocate an increased utilisation of script theory in rural social research and suggest this will enhance understandings of the social life of farmers and other rural residents. We define a script as a culturally shared expression, story or common line of argument, or an expected unfolding of events, that is deemed to be appropriate or expected in a particular socially defined context, and that provides a rationale or justification for a particular issue or course of action. We suggest there are four types of script: (1) a socially perceived routine or expected sequence of events; (2) a catch‐phrase, metaphor or allegory that is frequently recited in response to a particular issue or situation; (3) a mini‐story, narrative or parable; and (4) a commonly used line of argument that is widely invoked in response to a particular issue or situation. Using examples from our work with farmers in the UK and Australia relating to animal health and biosecurity, and specifically bovine tuberculosis, we demonstrate how scripts affect the perceived management options of farmers in particular circumstances. We suggest that scripts have implications for policymakers and those seeking to promote practice change such as agricultural extension staff and agricultural veterinarians.

Granjou, Céline

doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9523.2011.00538.xpmid: N/A

This article analyses the impact of a local breed restoration project on biodiversity management policy within an alpine area (Les Bauges, France). At the present time, this region is witnessing the rebranding of breeding practices as an activity that is an environmental problem in terms of objectives to restore for wildlife to that of a solution permitting the open management of these alpine areas. The success of this ‘greening’ re‐legitimisation process can be linked to the specific local agricultural development context. However, this text seeks to go beyond an interpretation that focuses solely on the strength of the agricultural lobby to show that the involvement of both agricultural and environmental actors in the restoration of pastoral farming in scrublands creates both knowledge and knowledge practice, specifically with respect to the emerging relationship between stock animals and grassland biodiversity.

de Vos, Birgit I.; Bush, Simon R.

doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9523.2011.00539.xpmid: N/A

The sustainable seafood movement has given greater credence to non‐governmental organisation (NGO) involvement in fisheries' governance through a series of market‐based tools and strategies, including consumer awareness campaigns and seafood certification schemes. Despite their proliferation in recent years, the market‐based translation of consumer demand directly steering fishermen towards more sustainable practices, we argue, limits our understanding of the wider patterns of interaction that these tools can engender. Using the case of the Dutch Good Fish Guide or Viswijzer, we contend that market‐based tools can be effective in creating both horizontal and vertical spaces of interaction between key actors in the Dutch fishery sector. We conclude that while market‐based impacts may be negligible, the Viswijzer presents a powerful communicative instrument that has succeeded in fostering more face‐to‐face interaction and deliberation between otherwise disparate actors. Constructive collaboration between NGOs and industry can therefore create the requisite level of trust in the transition towards sustainable fisheries.

Dubuisson‐Quellier, Sophie; Lamine, Claire; Le Velly, Ronan

doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9523.2011.00540.xpmid: N/A

Contemporary alternative food movement implement various means of action, which were previously developed by movements that were striving to construct citizenship through consumption. Drawing on the results of in‐depth ethnographic studies, this article analyses the main fields of action of three French organisations: consumer education, implementation of alternative forms of trade and consumer mobilisation in protest campaigns. It shows that these actions require the movement to build representations of consumers, highlight their potential power within the framework of regulations and provide them with various tools to make the right choice. The article also presents the difficulties these organisations face in articulating political action and economic engagement. Consumption remains an important means for recruiting and mobilising individuals. Yet neither individuals nor movements can entirely overlook certain consumerist modes of functioning that stem from the current features of the agro‐food system and the irreducible nature of the freedom of choice.