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Wellcome to Joensuu!
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Rural at the Edge 21st to 23rd of May 2012, | ||||
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Additional information: Working groups: Practical information (registration, accommodation, payments etc): Program: |
A number of social challenges and policy issues are confronting Nordic rural areas. The shifting flows and paths of global change, climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as environmental changes, create diverse challenges and opportunities for social and economic transformations in the Nordic setting. The theme of the second Nordic Rural Research conference is "Rural at the Edge" indicating not only our Nordic location at the outskirts of Europe, but also a focus on issues that emerge in this changing landscape and increasing interdependency between countries and regions. The conference will be held in Joensuu 21st – 23rd May 2012 with the following subthemes. Working Groups Schedule (pdf, updated 20th of May) | ||||
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1. Cultures and people, places and identities | ||||
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Nordic rural communities are being redefined and rural areas are in a state of flux. Mobility and migration are increasing and new rural-urban relations, disparities and complementarities emerging. Distance working and migrating labour are increasing, as well as the number of second homes. Depopulation continues in many regions, while some rural areas are thriving. The importance of place and of location is changing. These processes affect social cohesion and social differentiation in rural areas as well as the construction of identities across borders and places. How are such processes expressed in different locations? How do migration and mobility affect rural areas? | ||||
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Working group (WG) 1.1 Transforming transportation | ||||
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Working hours and places: Mon 21st 15.15-17.15 AU101 Tue 22nd 8.30-10.00 AU101 |
Thoroddur Bjarnason, University of Akureyri, Iceland | ||||
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WG 1.2 International migration and rurality | ||||
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Working hours and places: Mon 21st 15.15-17.15 AU209 Tue 22nd 8.30-12.00 AU209
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Marit Aure, Northern Research Institute, Norway
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WG 1.3 Meanings of remoteness and glocalisation in the age of mobility | ||||
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Working hours and places: Tue 22nd 10.30-12.00 AU101
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Laura Assmuth, University of Eastern Finland We invite both theoretical and empirical papers from all disciplinary perspectives to discuss the changing concepts and meanings of remoteness and glocalisation against the background of increased mobility affecting all spheres of life, also in remote rural areas. A Finnish scholar of folklore, Anna-Leena Siikala has noted how people everywhere create and live by meanings, in which their locality functions as “the centre of the world for those who live there”. What matters most to people is not the factual or mental distance to the relevant centre but the feeling of belonging to their own community, in one way or another. Thus, many ordinary people
living in rural peripheral areas have themselves become keenly aware of
the unique subjective worth of their culture and location. They have
realized that local traditions, landscapes and livelihoods constitute
valuable resources. In such contexts local identities are consciously
maintained, recreated and appropriated through patterns of
re-vitalization of local cultural traditions. At the same time, products
and services based on the notions of ‘local’ increasingly form the
backbone of entrepreneurial activities that allow people to make a
sustainable living in the periphery. Such 'localisation' is happening
simultaneously with and in relation to concurrent processes of
'globalisation' and the increasing mobility of people, things and
ideas. | ||||
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WG 1.4 Rural tranquillity | ||||
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Working hours and places: Mon 21st 15.15-17.15 AU204 Tue 22nd 9.00-10.00 AU204
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Ilkka Luoto, University of Jyväskylä, Finland This working group invites discussions on the meaning of a wider definition of silence, and how it is brought together with rural spaces, places and cultures. When continuous communication, speech and traffic are the pacemakers of the contemporary life-style, a need to counterbalance this hectic way of life occurs. In this sense the rural landscape is expected to contain healing potential – even small-scale entrepreneurial potential – in the form of hiking routes, a sense of space, fresh air, wilderness activities, fitness training, contemplation and pilgrimage events, or the more widespread phenomenon of second home tourism. There are strong ongoing trends which indicate that rusticity has become a synonym for slow culture, slow food, a natural way to be idle, and even for some kind of self-found spirituality. Peace and quiet has become an established cultural categorization of rurality, as well as an argument for migrating to or living in rural areas. We invite papers to discuss all aspects of rural silence, peace and quiet. What new economic possibilities and potentials are seen in the supposed therapeutic rural, especially in peripheral areas? What is the role of history and culture in rural development work in this field? Can the countryside offer some multi-sensory, corporeal and mental experiences which are not available in densely populated areas? We also welcome papers which demonstrate some practical examples of difficulties and success stories related to the ways in which rural and its tranquil resources are utilised in the Nordic countries. | ||||
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WG 1.5 Second homes and rural change | ||||
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Working hours and places: Mon 21st 15.15-17.15 AU202 Tue 22nd 8.30-10.00 AU202
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Dieter K. Müller, Umeå University, Sweden Second homes are an integrated part of most rural areas in the Nordic
countries. In fact, in some rural areas second home owners and users
outnumber the ‘permanent’ rural population. Despite this prevalence of
second homes, their role in rural change has not been discussed
sufficiently. Issues like second home owners’ relation to rural
communities, impacts on economy, housing provision, property market and
landscape need further investigation. Similarly, local communities’
perceptions of second homes and the interaction between rural dwellers
and second home owners are not sufficiently understood. Finally, the
role of the ‘rural’ in second home living remains to be explored in
order to bridge the gap between rural and tourism studies. Hence, this
session aims at highlighting the various aspects of second homes in
relation to rural change and thus looks for contributions addressing the
issue theoretically or empirically. | ||||
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WG 1.6 Kinship and family in rural development | ||||
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Working hours and places: Tue 22nd 9.00-12.00 AU203
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Ann-Kristin Ekman, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden We are told that we live in an individualized and globalized society where mobility and migration increase. But kinship is still an existing and relevant way to organize a number of different kinds of relations in rural areas. The session will welcome papers that address the importance of kinship and family in rural development. The focus could be on different themes, for example, whether or not kinship plays any significant role in relation to economic organization like family farming and small enterprises, the role of kinship in building social communities and security in relation the welfare state or the relevance of kinship in relation to the increased number of second homes. The session will also welcome papers problematising how meaning is created around kinship relations, and especially how people navigate in relation to changing conditions of family building. | ||||
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WG 1.7 Rural Russia revisited | ||||
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Working hours and places: Tue 22nd 15.30-17.30 AU202 Wed 23rd 10.15-12.00 AU202
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Leo Granberg, University of Helsinki, Finland
After more than 20 years from its system change, Russia is still in the
middle of a social transition. The Russian countryside is underdeveloped
and full of contradictions, and forming a challenge for rural
researchers in the Nordic countries being so near and still so unknown. This working group welcomes all the researchers who have studied or are
interested in the changes and/or the stagnation of the Russian
countryside during the system change. Possible topics include: rural and
urban actors in the Russian food system; studying changing class
structures in the Russian fringe areas; gender aspects;
entrepreneurship; analyses on sources and strategies of resilience in
fringe areas and on socio-ecological challenges in rural areas;
analyzing ways of coping with poverty and marginalization; the (formal
and informal) system of governance in local communities; or challenges
of cultural diversification and increased mobility; as well as other
topics. | ||||
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WG 1.8 Gender and rural development | ||||
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CANCELLED
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Andrea Hjálmsdóttir, University of Akureyri Migration from rural to urban areas is a well known development
throughout the western world. Over the last decades the demography of
rural areas has also changed significantly since women are leaving in
higher numbers than men. This fact raises important questions about how
this pattern has and will continue to impact the development of rural
communities. This session will address the different aspects of gendered
patterns of migration; focusing on why women are moving/not returning
to the rural communities and the possibilities involved in actively
monitoring and addressing the issue of gender and migration through
policy implementation. The questions raised and the issues for
consideration in the session could include the following: | ||||
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2. Natural resources governance and landscape management | ||||
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New pressures, interests and claims on the use of natural resources and on landscapes lead to processes of innovation, re-evaluation as well as depletion. Natural resources are not just valuable economic resources, but also ecological, political and social resources. Continuities in both natural resource governance and landscape management are questioned and transformed. Yet, path dependencies and institutional contexts shape activities as well. Multifunctional and sustainable landscapes and use of natural resources have become some of the keywords. How are these processes enacted in different contexts? How do trends in food and energy production, forestry, mining, tourism and nature conservation affect Nordic rural areas? How are entitlements, ownership and right of access and use of nature transformed? What are the impacts on local levels, on local development and social cohesion? | ||||
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WG 2.1 Natural resources governance and socio-cultural aspects of the commons | ||||
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Working hours and places: Mon 21st 15.15-17.15 AU206 Tue 22nd 9.00-10.00 AU206 Wed 23rd 10.15-12.00 AU206
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Rauno Sairinen, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland Studies on commons and collective use of natural resources are a vital research field internationally. Natural resources –such as land, water, minerals, forests, biodiversity – are the primary source of people's livelihoods in most rural areas. Currently, global competition for natural resources is intensifying. In the Nordic Countries, for example, bio-economy and mining industries are developing rapidly. Yet, sustainability has become an important target also for natural resource economy. Sustainable management should safeguard natural resources, ensuring that development potential in rural areas is maintained for the future. All these trends and policies influence strongly rural development. A general objective of this research field is to develop institutional
design principles for sustainable management of natural resources. In
current research on commons it is possible to note a focus on economy
and governance and this may obscure the equally important aspects of the
commons related with local heritage, identity, history, ecology and
social change. In this session we want to address the social and
cultural aspects of commons and the future role of commons in the
context of natural resource management and rural development. The
session will also focus on the many-sided questions how natural resource
usage is or will be affecting the rural development and its
communities. What is sustainable natural resources governance from the
perspectives of rural development? How do we develop trust and
legitimacy between different stakeholders? What are the environmental,
socio-economic and community impacts of changing natural resource use in
rural areas? | ||||
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WG 2.2 Renewable energy, rural development and rural change | ||||
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CANCELLED |
Cecilia Waldenström, Swedish University of Agriculture, Sweden There is a growing interest for renewable energy produced in rural areas. The current EU Rural Development Programme supports bioenergy production. The plans for the coming programme period point to a further emphasis on climate change mitigation, not least through biomass and renewable energy production. Moreover, there is little doubt that EU energy policies, if successful, will boost a European demand for bioenergy. However, renewable energy production embraces numerable options and combinations in terms of organization, technology, scales and bioenergy feedstock. Large scale plants as well local or even farm specific, systems may all be energy effective and profitable depending on technology and organization. Combinations include e.g. farm based production, through crops, residuals and manure, forest based production, or wind based power plants placed in rural areas etc. This workshop will focus on how and why certain technologies and organization gain precedence and on the local rural processes connected to the energy production. Papers are welcome on issues such as: | ||||
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3. Rural economy and entrepreneurship | ||||
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Rural economy is usually related to traditional industries and sectors such as agriculture, forestry, recreation and tourism, and innovations are very often incremental or organizational within the same lines, carried out by the same entrepreneurs; or entrepreneurship is seen upon as a black box. Nevertheless, can changing landscapes also make way for new rural economies and entrepreneurship? Can new industries and new modes of entrepreneurship operate ”at the edge” and revalorize local resources and be seen as important and keys to growth within rural economic and cultural life? There is a need to explore such new industries and modes of entrepreneurship more and see how they can contribute to the advance of rural economy. | ||||
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WG 3.1 Rural entrepreneurship: same, different or both? | ||||
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Working hours and places: Tue 22nd 9.00-10.00 AU205 Wed 23rd 10.15-12.00 AU205
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Steffen Korsgaard, Aarhus University, Denmark Does rural entrepreneurship differ from other forms of entrepreneurship,
and if so, how? Rural entrepreneurs face many of the same difficulties
as other entrepreneurs, such as accessing resources and overcoming the
liabilities of newness and smallness. Rurality, however, may present
additional specific challenges, as local markets may be smaller,
transaction costs may be larger and financial and human resources may be
limited. At the same time, rurality may offer sources of competitive
advantage and unique values for rural entrepreneurs. Rural landscapes,
places and communities can provide fertile settings for some new
ventures and entrepreneurial activities. | ||||
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WG 3.2 The role of primary production and food processing in rural development | ||||
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Working hours and places: Tue 22nd 15.30-17.30 AU204 Wed 23rd 10.15-12.00 AU204
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Minna Mikkola, University of Helsinki, Finland While (post)modern livelihoods emerge in rural contexts, one of the basic roles of the rural areas is still primary production and related food processing. Recent patterns of primary production and processing include growing collaboration across intensive and extensive production modes such as organic farming as well as life science research. This workshop deals with trajectories of these collaborative developments and their contributions to rural livelihoods and development. Particularly we are looking for innovative farming and food processing methods as well as products, which show new options of this extensive co-operation and networking for rural businesses. The workshop will investigate product development regarding items such as organic vegetables, wild berries, herbs, organic milk and honey. The workshop connects two main topics: life sciences and socio-economic sciences. | ||||
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WG 3.3 Care at the edge: Options and challenges | ||||
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CANCELLED
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Katriina Soini, MTT, Agrifood Research Finland Regional differentiation has significant consequences for the affordance/supply and distribution of welfare across Nordic countries. Structural change in supply of social and health services, for example, have an impact on the accessibility of these very basic services. New forms of care are urgently needed in the rural areas. Green care, which refers to the utilization of rural environment as a base for promoting human mental and physical health, and quality of life for a variety of client groups, can be seen such a new initiative. Green Care provides new livelihood opportunities for farms and other rural enterprises, and it also contributes to the rural viability and quality of rural environment. It brings together the rural resources (natural, social and cultural) and the needs of society looking for new alternatives to organize social and health services. This workshop invites papers from different disciplines that address the
aforementioned themes of distribution of welfare, accessibility of
basic services and the new options for care in rural context. Due to the
many similarities the Nordic countries have in historical, social,
political and cultural terms, it is interesting to discuss and share
experiences for example on the following questions: | ||||
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WG 3.4 Cantering at the Edge: Encounters between humans and horses in the rural | ||||
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Working hours and places: Wed 23rd 10.15-12.00 AU101
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Rhys Evans, Norwegian College for Agriculture and Rural Development, Norway, rhys(at)hlb.no The growth of equine sector in the past few decades is a multi-faceted phenomenon that can be traced back to the transformations in human–horse relations as part of the new role of animals as companions and in leisure activities, and to the significance of nature-related activities creating new forms of rural–urban interaction. These developments are seen across all Nordic countries, resulting in both diverse rural entrepreneurship and the increase of horsekeeping for leisure purposes. In the emerging field of equine research, these phenomena are being investigated from socio-economic, geographic and cultural viewpoints, as well as health and education perspectives. Further, researchers in the Nordic countries are at the forefront of this research. In this working group, presentations are welcomed which look at the encounters between humans and horses in mainstream and equestrian lifestyles, the rural and the urban, history and the present, and the empirical and theoretical. | ||||
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WG 3.5 Farm succession and recruitment to agriculture | ||||
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Working hours and places: Mon 21st 15.15-17.15 AU205
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Hilde Bjørkhaug, Center for Rural Research, Norway Achievement of farm succession is crucial for the maintenance of active farms and the future of agriculture. A general trend is a decrease in number of farmers and farms and increase in size of farms. The majority of farms in the Nordic countries are run as family businesses and succession within the family is the main pattern. The major structural changes in agriculture will therefore continue to be connected to life cycle factors and as such to succession. A focus on farm succession will therefore clarify central challenges for the future of agriculture. Farm succession involves factors concerning juridical rights and duties, agricultural policy, economy, management of land/nature, lifestyle, family relations, gender, identity and tradition. The role of agriculture in the local community (e.g. status) and in the public opinion (e.g. media coverage) might also influence on potential continuation of farming. The geographical context and how agriculture is connected to rural development and regional policy are also issues with importance for recruitment to agriculture.
We invite papers that discuss different aspects of farm succession
processes for the future of agriculture in the Nordic countries. We
encourage comparative and/or Nordic perspectives, but more locally based
studies are also welcome. | ||||
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WG 3.6 Incorporating climate change in rural tourism product development | ||||
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CANCELLED
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Edward H. Huijbens, University of Akureyri, Iceland The proposed session/workshop intends to discuss how small communities
around the Northern periphery can take advantage of the potentials
climate change offers them in terms of tourism, but at the same time
cope with said change and address their services and products so as to
not enhance the effects of climate change. The session invites papers
and presenters from the whole Northern Periphery area welcoming
especially; | ||||
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4. Policies and politics of the rural | ||||
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Rural and agricultural politics and policies increasingly open for new constellations in the rural development bringing new kinds of conflicts to the fore. A dilemma inherent to the balance of subsidiarity and common regulations emerges. Changing regional policies, the new CAP and welfare state regimes also affect rural areas. What concepts of rurality underpin these different policies? Are urban ideals and rural realities at variance in the policy formation? What are the new issues and edges emerging in rural policy formation and policy practices? | ||||
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WG 4.1 What’s new in the “new rural paradigm”? | ||||
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Working hours and places: Tue 22nd 9.00-10.00 AU104-105
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Jeppe Høst, University of Copenhagen, Denmark The “new rural paradigm“, put forward by the OECD, recommends a shift from sector based management to cross-sector development based on local qualities as well as a change from subsidies to investments. Attached to this paradigm are different working methods, based on regional and local entities, and more or less following an ideology of bottom-up or joint-up approaches. The initiatives under the “new rural paradigm” is often praised and seen as best practice in rural development, but also bring about major social, economic, environmental and cultural changes. | ||||
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WG 4.2 Rural-urban interaction and rural proofing | ||||
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CANCELLED
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Toivo Muilu, University of Oulu, Finland Settlement and community structure has been polarizing during the last decades especially in the sparsely populated areas of the Nordic countries. This has resulted in the concentration of new settlements to the surroundings of growth centres, whilst many traditional rural villages have been faced with dispersal development. The present policies in Finland, for example, are in favour of further centralization of the settlement structure via densification of existing population centres, which seems to be in conflict with “rural” housing preferences of many families. Since rural areas have traditionally had less power in formulation of policies, a new tool called “rural proofing” has been developed in some countries. In UK, for example, rural proofing is a mandatory part of the policy process, which means that policy makers should (1) consider whether their policy is likely to have an impact in rural areas because of particular circumstances or needs; (2) make a proper assessment of those impacts; and (3) adjust the policy where appropriate, with solutions to meet rural needs and circumstances. Rural proofing tool has been developed also in Finland since 2008. This working group is searching for present studies on rural-urban interaction and especially examples of the use of rural proofing and adequate methodologies for rural proofing. | ||||
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WG 4.3 Communities in steep decline | ||||
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Working hours and places: Tue 22nd 15.30-17.30 AU209 Wed 23rd 10.15-12.00 cancelled
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Thoroddur Bjarnason, University of Akureyri, Iceland Many Nordic communities have suffered steep
population decline in recent years, in some cases the decline has
continued over an extended period of time. While many of these
communities suffer from a steady decline in traditional extraction
industries, others are dealing with the aftermath of a short-lived
economic boom and others have experienced major negative changes in the
natural or social environment. The proposed workshop will address
various aspects of the challenges facing such communities and especially
welcomes policy-oriented papers on: | ||||
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WG 4.4 Local practices of policy and political practices of rurality | ||||
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Working hours and places: Mon 21st 15.15-17.15 AU102 Tue 22nd 9.00-10.00 AU102 Wed 23rd 10.15-12.00 AU102
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Kjell Hansen, Swedish Agricultural University, Sweden | ||||
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Additional information: |
Working groups: Practical information (registration, accommodation, payments etc): | ||||
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