Political community resilience in declining rural areas in Finland

Abstract

In this article, we study how declining rural communities build political resilience in Finland. Community resilience is an adaptive process through which rural communities try to maintain their viability in changed circumstances. This process does not entail a submissive attitude, but rather active agency and an effort to influence matters concerning the community’s well-being. We focus on the political dimension of resilience by identifying different local tactics that rural communities adopt to promote their own development following municipal mergers. We classify these tactics into three categories: cooperation, conflict and community-led development. The significant differences between them lie in how the community relates to the new municipality and communicates with its officials and decision-makers. However, none of the three tactics identified in our study are sufficient to ensure the viability of rural communities in the context of municipal mergers.

Community resilience in Spanish depopulated rural areas: A systematic review

“…The interventions carried out in these areas, in addition to being creative, innovative, coordinated and participatory, must be comprehensive and diverse (Montes, 2020) and consider the decision-making and organisational capacities of rural communities. These communities are political entities and as such should be considered (Kumpulainen et al, 2021). Making certain modifications to the way we understand them is crucial and involves leaving behind the urban-rural dichotomy and understanding rural communities as centres themselves.…”

Community resilience and cultural sustainability in two Finnish urban neighbourhoods

“…We can talk about the resilience of society, social-ecological systems, communities, or individuals, based on definitions of resilience from different disciplines (Brand and Jax, 2007;Lekakis and Liddle, 2022). Community resilience theories have focused on the transformation communities face after crisis or change, for example natural or economic shock (Shaw, 2012;Skerratt, 2013;Freshwater, 2015;Kumpulainen et al, 2022). However, there are tensions associated with the concept of community resilience, such as continuity and change, resistance and adaptation (Mulligan et al, 2016).…”

“…According to Magis (2010), a resilient community means people having control over how to respond to the changes coming outside the community (Kumpulainen et al, 2022). Additionally, as Norris et al (2008, p. 128) note, "people in communities are resilient together, not merely in similar ways".…”

Resiliencia comunitaria en zonas rurales. Aliada para la sostenibilidad.

“…La paulatina cesión de competencias en materia comercial y agraria a las instituciones europeas ha acusado esta brecha entre las áreas rurales y los centros de decisión (Ambrosio, 2017). Así, las capacidades políticas de estos espacios geográficos han sido a veces negadas o minimizadas, relegándolos a posiciones pasivas en lo que refiere a sus propios intereses (Kumpulainen et al, 2022).…”

“…Ciertos autores han hecho énfasis en la dimensión política de la resiliencia comunitaria, como forma de profundizar en el empoderamiento de las comunidades rurales a través de su participación activa en los desacuerdos, debates y en las tomas de decisiones. Sobre todo, en ámbitos municipales pequeños de tipo rural (MacKinnon y Derickson, 2012; Kumpulainen et al, 2022). Así, las dificultades específicas de estos territorios y sus habitantes podrían verse como oportunidades de innovación en la forma de solucionarlas o al menos minimizarlas, incluso pasando por la reorganización del sistema de forma autónoma.…”