This gives a superb overview of the principal rural problems and serves to structure the lectures for 2001 and following sessions. My lecture series on rural issues builds around 4 main area. Classically this illustrates the hidden dimension to rural problems. The second lecture Newcomers in the countryside looks at the changing social structure of the community as influenced by counterurbanisation. Although the population of rural areas has increased this is highly selective.
Tensions can run high.
The contribution to our understanding of rural problems has been greatly enhanced by Paul Cloke via his rural lifestyles research in England and Wales where a more psychological component to rural problems is promulgated. A discussion paper Contemporary problems in the rural community puts the flesh on some key areas of rural life. Not all rural problems are chosen but I have selected key research from England and Wales and statistics that together give you a real flavour of rural Britain. You should also read Prosperity in the Countryside the cabinet report which led to recent statements by PM Blair that the crisis in rural communities was overstated. There is a real debate out there.