Imagine There's No Rural

Abstract

One of the most relevant issues in the growing (social and institutional) identification of the environment, nature and rural regions is the creation of protected areas.This is held to be an important aspect in the conception of the countryside as an environmental reserve. As a consequence of the processes of industrialization and urbanization which have dominated modern societies in recent decades, as well as from global socio-economic transformation, considerable parts of European rural areas (mainly the southern ones and particularly the Portuguese ones) could essentially be considered as marginal spaces or agricultural areas of low income and productivity.This situation led the majority of Mediterranean countries and some peripheral areas of more central countries in the European Union (from the 1970s onwards) to respond to the pressures and recommendations of international agencies, scientific bodies and of society as a whole in order to convert remote rural areas into spaces for environmental and natural conservation and protection. Despite having some advantages, instituting rural spaces into environmental and natural conservation areas can also present important constraints. In this article we will discuss some problems in the conversion of Portuguese rural areas, as well as consequences for the future of rural regions in Portugal.

Abandonment landscapes: user attitudes, alternative futures and land management in Castro Laboreiro, Portugal

“…However, this hypothesis was not confirmed and differences between the locals and visitors of the area were relatively small. Possible explanations are the large percentage of the visitors with an agricultural background and the fundamental role of agricultural activity in the social construction of the rural landscape in Portugal (Figueiredo 2008). A third explanation was revealed through the in-depth answers of the tourists, which often included the elements “nostalgia”, “loss of traditions” and loss of heritage.…”

“…The second goal regarding conflict reduction is also important, as local inhabitants in Portugal are often excluded from the formation and management of rural policies and planning leading to management conflicts and disrespect of regulations (Figueiredo 2008). For Castro Laboreiro specifically, this means the reconciliation of the views of different user groups with the stipulations and regulations of the National Park, which currently has considerable planning power in the area.…”

Place-Based Policies for Sustainability and Rural Development: The Case of a Portuguese Village “Spun” in Traditional Linen

“…Today's rural areas are also the result of decades of well-documented transformations (e.g., Cloke 2006;Figueiredo 2008;Halfacree 2006;Jollivet 1997;Marsden 1995;Baptista 2006;Obe 2006; Soares da Silva et al 2016;and Eusébio et al 2017), mainly through top-down sectorial investments, usually in the agricultural sector. Such a focus mainly believes that, by improving agriculture, through economies of scale, specialization, and mechanization, the positive effects of a better competitive sector would spill over to the rest of the region, and improve communities and rural life.…”

“…The decrease in the centrality of agriculture in many rural areas is a major trend in many European countries, particularly in more peripheral or remote regions (Cloke 2006;Figueiredo 2008;Figueiredo and Raschi 2012;Halfacree 2006;Jollivet 1997;Baptista 2006;and Obe 2006). Furthermore, these regions have seen socio-economic decline and restructuring from densely populated space and predominantly agricultural-based activities (rural as a place of production) to sparsely populated and diversified consumption-oriented activities (rural as a place of consumption) (Almstedt et al 2014;Burton and Wilson 2006;Halfacree 2006;Silva and Figueiredo 2013; Soares da Silva et al 2016; Van der Ploeg et al 2008;Wilson and Burton 2015;and Woods 2007).…”

Conflict in Common: Heritage-making in Cape York

“…The backbone of the transformation and decline of rural areas is agriculture, according to Figueiredo (2008), which in Cape York takes the form of pastoralism. Of all rural people, Aboriginal Australians are the most marginalised by neoliberalism"s basis of universalism and individualism, which is inconsistent with many indigenous world views that are "based on a custodial ethic rather than an exploitative one…and are therefore not easily reconcilable with a market-based, capitalist, neoliberal ethic" (Howlett et al 2011: 315).…”