Politics and Policies of Rural Authenticity

This book explores the concept of rurality and its use in populist politics, promoting "rural authenticity" through images and projections. It examines how this authenticity is produced and serves various purposes, with international case studies from leading scholars in the field. Chapter 8 is available for free download as an Open Access PDF.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 31 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the multifaceted concept of rurality, examining its diverse applications and production across various contexts. It explores the role of rurality in populist politics, where it derives legitimacy from the rural-urban divide. The book observes a growing chasm between the "common people" and the "elites," as images of rurality are promoted as morally pure, unalienated, and antithetical to cultural and economic globalization. This exploration seeks to understand how specific representations and projections of rurality contribute to the creation of "rural authenticity," a concept embraced by various groups, including regional food producers, filmmakers, policymakers, and lobbyists. The book aims to answer critical questions such as: What exactly is the rurality that these groups refer to? How is it produced? What are the purposes it serves?

To address these inquiries, the research in this book draws from the fields of politics and policies related to the "authentic rural." The politics section examines polarizations, including politicians, social movements, and political events, that accentuate the rural-urban divide and bring it back to the center of societal conflict. The policies section focuses on rural tourism, heritage industry, popular art, and other areas where rurality is constantly produced and consumed.

The book features international case studies from esteemed scholars in the field of rural studies, making it appealing to geographers, sociologists, politicians, and anyone interested in the re-emergence of the rural-urban divide in politics and media. Additionally, Chapter 8 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367550455