Rural Development Theory and Practice: 19 (Routledge Studies in Development and Society) - Hardcover

McAreavey, Ruth

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0415957648 ISBN 13: 9780415957649

Publisher: Routledge, 2009

Synopsis

Rural development is inherently viewed as a positive thing; it is seen as something that brings together groups of individuals with automatic positive implications and outcomes. Policy rhetoric frequently uses popular terms such as involvement, participation and power sharing to describe rural development activities. However, the reality of experience on the ground does not necessarily concur with these ideals. It is not always clear who ultimately benefits from rural development: the State, the community or rural development practitioners. This book critically analyses key concepts associated with rural development policy and practice, and using the concepts of power and micro-politics to analyze rhetoric and reality, reveals the intricacies of rural development. Challenging popular ideals associated with rural development, this book presents the notion of rural development less as a spontaneous, all-inclusive affair and more as a limited, controlled and exclusive process. Ultimately it contends that within structures of rural governance, a regeneration power elite predominates development and regeneration activities.

About this title

About the Author

Ruth McAreavey is a lecturer in Spatial Planning in Queen's University Belfast. She is involved in a voluntary capacity with rural development organisations and programmes.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0415957648
• ISBN 13: 9780415957649
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 174