New Ruralities: Contestations and Iterations on Rural Spatialities

In the Handbook of Rural Studies (2006), Paul Cloke argued that the shift from the functional and political-economic lenses in studying rural studies, to a more socially-constructed framing where the “importance of the ‘rural’ lies in the fascinating world of social, cultural and moral values that have become associated with rurality, rural spaces and rural life’ (2006, 21) opened the rural geographies to conceptual and methodological richness.

In recent decades, rural areas have undergone profound transformations influenced by factors such as globalization, technological advancements, climate change, migration, and shifting economic paradigms. These forces challenge traditional notions of rurality and spatial organization, compelling scholars, policymakers, and local communities to re-examine and redefine rural spaces. Additionally, rethinking established concepts and approaches in the study of the rural along with the recognition that, following Michael Woods (2009, 855), there is “uneven capacity of rural geography in different national contexts to engage appropriate conceptual tools”, rural spatialities can benefit from the blurring of boundaries, the recognition of multiple rural relationalities, and the connections that are forged from these complex entanglements.

The idea of “new ruralities” centers on the multiple meanings and dynamic character of rural systems, as tied to wider local, regional and international linkages and processes. New ruralities is about development trajectories that are created by new connections, opportunities, and innovations. It is about adaptation and resistance that facilitate the reproduction of rural identities and experiences. Lastly, new ruralities include new perspectives that illuminate unique spatialities of the rural across locations and contexts.