Rural population and global citizenship: information, media and opinions on world problems

Abstract

Support for global citizenship depends not only on the will of governments, but also on the opinions and feelings of their citizens. Success in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 depends to a great extent on the level of information and the awareness of the population. This qualitative study examined the main sources from which the inhabitants of rural areas receive information on global issues. It also sought their opinions on global citizenship. To this end, we held interviews with qualified informants and focus groups with residents of municipalities of different sizes in north-eastern Spain. The results highlight the importance of television and internet as the media most used by the rural population as sources of information. Physical proximity was also found to be a crucial factor in motivating rural citizens who often feel distanced from global issues. Many others do not support development cooperation policies, because they feel isolated and live in areas with dwindling populations.