ORA (Round 5) Staying in the Rural: Contemporary Life Course related Senses of Belonging, Mobility and Rural Community Participation
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen's University Belfast
Department Name: Sch of Natural and Built Environment
Abstract
To date population geography research has focused on migration. Especially in rural areas, those who do not move are seen as a residual category and their motivations for staying receive limited academic or policy attention. STAYin(g)Rural investigates why and how people stay in rural areas at different stages of their lives. It acknowledges that people elect to (selectively) belong to and participate in rural areas and that different types of mobilities influence their staying processes.
A mixed methods approach is employed which combines a questionnaire survey, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions in three peripheral and depopulating rural case study regions: east Groningen (Netherlands), south Tyrone (Northern Ireland) and south Lower Saxony (Germany). STAYin(g)Rural focuses on three life course stages which are known triggers for re-negotiating residential choices: young adulthood, family formation and post-retirement.
STAYin(g)Rural will yield significant new insights on: (i) contemporary types of rural stayers and staying processes; (ii) how rural belonging and mobility relate to processes of staying and active participation to maintain rural quality of life, and (iii) how these are performed in different geographical contexts and at different life stages. Preparation of, and outcomes from, each research phase will be shared and discussed with rural stakeholders via national Steering Groups, case study seminars and an international workshop.
A mixed methods approach is employed which combines a questionnaire survey, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions in three peripheral and depopulating rural case study regions: east Groningen (Netherlands), south Tyrone (Northern Ireland) and south Lower Saxony (Germany). STAYin(g)Rural focuses on three life course stages which are known triggers for re-negotiating residential choices: young adulthood, family formation and post-retirement.
STAYin(g)Rural will yield significant new insights on: (i) contemporary types of rural stayers and staying processes; (ii) how rural belonging and mobility relate to processes of staying and active participation to maintain rural quality of life, and (iii) how these are performed in different geographical contexts and at different life stages. Preparation of, and outcomes from, each research phase will be shared and discussed with rural stakeholders via national Steering Groups, case study seminars and an international workshop.
Planned Impact
Academic output/impact: STAYin(g)Rural is intended to contribute to the conceptual understandings of staying in a rural context and to acknowledge the contributions of stayers to rural community life. Academic output will include international (peer reviewed) journal publications (with a minimum of three (open ac-cess) planned per WP), conference presentations and conference working groups. Target journals include the Journal of Rural Studies; Population, Space and Place; Sociologia Ruralis; Progress in Human Geography. We have previously published in these journals. Target conferences include: European Society of Rural Sociology; European Rural Geographies (hosted by University of Groningen 2020) at which we intend to organise a Special STAYin(g)Rural Session; Royal Geographical Society; Nordic Ruralities; International Conference on Population Geographies. Again, we have previously presented and organised workshops at these. Prospects for a book will be discussed with leading publishers (such as, Routledge). From the start of the project, the PhDs/ PDRA will maintain a tri-lingual project website providing access to findings and project news. This will be presented in such a way that it is understood and used within and outside academia.
Non-academic output/impact: We anticipate that the main non-academic (public and policy) beneficiaries will be rural residents, local community representatives, and local and regional rural policy-makers. STAYin(g)Rural will have extensive contact with rural stakeholders in the Netherlands, UK and Germany via national Steering Groups. These Steering Groups (established at the start of the project) will include 8-10 case study-specific community and life course stage representatives, and local and regional policy makers. The following have confirmed their willingness to participate in a national Steering Group: (Netherlands) Province of Groningen, Knowledge Network of Population Decline and Province of Groningen, (UK) Rural Community Network and Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, and (Germany) Village Facilitator Network of south Lower Saxony and District Göttingen. National Steering Groups will formally meet six times and inform the development of the project, discuss preliminary findings, and explore/ disseminate potential policy impacts.
A number of non-academic and co-created dissemination activities are planned for Year 3: First, case study specific seminars will be arranged in each country (all attended by the three PIs and PhDs/ PDRA). These will present and discuss the project's findings with the local community (including participants in the project) and highlight similarities and differences between the three countries. Local community and policy representatives will be invited. Second, an international stakeholder workshop (hosted at the University of Groningen) is planned. All Steering Group representatives will be invited, and STAYin(g)Rural will financially support non-funded community representatives to attend. The international workshop will explore cross-national policy aspects of the project's results, share stakeholder experiences and practices, and develop policy recommendations. Third, and informed by the case study seminar and international workshop discussions, a Research Findings Summary (in Dutch, English and German), including policy recommendations, will be prepared, distributed to policy and community agencies/ organisations, and made available on the project web site.
Findings from the project will help inform rural policy decisions: too often policy-makers have focused on migration trends (in- & out-) and ignore those who stay. Understanding the processes by which residents stay can help policy-makers devise policies that enable greater numbers to stay and importantly draw on the considerable social capital such groups possess for the maximum benefit of rural communities.
Non-academic output/impact: We anticipate that the main non-academic (public and policy) beneficiaries will be rural residents, local community representatives, and local and regional rural policy-makers. STAYin(g)Rural will have extensive contact with rural stakeholders in the Netherlands, UK and Germany via national Steering Groups. These Steering Groups (established at the start of the project) will include 8-10 case study-specific community and life course stage representatives, and local and regional policy makers. The following have confirmed their willingness to participate in a national Steering Group: (Netherlands) Province of Groningen, Knowledge Network of Population Decline and Province of Groningen, (UK) Rural Community Network and Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, and (Germany) Village Facilitator Network of south Lower Saxony and District Göttingen. National Steering Groups will formally meet six times and inform the development of the project, discuss preliminary findings, and explore/ disseminate potential policy impacts.
A number of non-academic and co-created dissemination activities are planned for Year 3: First, case study specific seminars will be arranged in each country (all attended by the three PIs and PhDs/ PDRA). These will present and discuss the project's findings with the local community (including participants in the project) and highlight similarities and differences between the three countries. Local community and policy representatives will be invited. Second, an international stakeholder workshop (hosted at the University of Groningen) is planned. All Steering Group representatives will be invited, and STAYin(g)Rural will financially support non-funded community representatives to attend. The international workshop will explore cross-national policy aspects of the project's results, share stakeholder experiences and practices, and develop policy recommendations. Third, and informed by the case study seminar and international workshop discussions, a Research Findings Summary (in Dutch, English and German), including policy recommendations, will be prepared, distributed to policy and community agencies/ organisations, and made available on the project web site.
Findings from the project will help inform rural policy decisions: too often policy-makers have focused on migration trends (in- & out-) and ignore those who stay. Understanding the processes by which residents stay can help policy-makers devise policies that enable greater numbers to stay and importantly draw on the considerable social capital such groups possess for the maximum benefit of rural communities.
Organisations
Publications
Ferguson S
(2023)
'Love knows no (spatial) boundaries?': Investigating diversity in the residential location choices of rural-residing couples upon union formation
in Journal of Rural Studies
Hofstede H
(2022)
Beyond the (im)mobility and social-environmental dichotomy: Young adults' motives to reside in rural northwest Europe
in Population, Space and Place
Hofstede H
(2022)
The appreciation of rural areas and their contribution to young adults' staying expectations
in Journal of Rural Studies
Lengerer F
(2022)
To participate, or not to participate - That is the question. (Non-)participation of older residents in rural communities
in Journal of Rural Studies
| Title | Staying Rural Community Exhibition |
| Description | A series of professionally-designed posters disseminating the key findings from the Staying Rural project, focusing on the Northern Ireland case study area. Themes of poster exhibition: 1. Why do we want to stay in rural areas? 2. What enables people to stay in the rural? 3. What are the obstacles to staying rural? 4. Rural staying rural across the life course. The poster exhibition is mobile, and is touring community centres across the region throughout late 2022, to mid-2023. Following this, the poster exhibition will be put on permanent display at the COSTA (Community Organisations of South Tyrone & Areas) Rural Support Network headquarters within the case study area. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | Public engagement with visitors to the exhibition. It is anticipated that the dissemination of the findings will lead to a change in public perceptions about the desire to stay in rural areas - that this is a proactive decision. The exhibition also highlights the factors that enable people to stay in the community, but also the barriers faced (including housing and employment). |
| Description | 1. New knowledge generated: Our research findings have informed a more nuanced and differentiated picture of rural lives in contemporary Europe. Previous scholarship, particularly on rural areas, has largely focused on residential migration, with limited academic and policy attention directed towards those who stay. We enhanced academic understandings and acceptance of staying (evidencing the distinction between immobility and staying) and different levels of agency within decision making processes, advancing an inclusive approach to the definition of staying by incorporating past and future staying. The spatial and life stage geographies of contemporary rural stayers were explored, and we developed a detailed typology of nine different 'stayer types' (paper under review in Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers). 2. New knowledge generated: As part of our research into staying behaviours and processes, we furthered understandings of the wide and varied motivations for staying in rural areas (which have important rural sustainability policy implications), and how these differ between stayer types, life course stages, and geographical contexts. We found that it is difficult to pinpoint one particular 'motive', and that most motivations are inter-related. We highlighted that upon union formation, several common inter-related factors dominated the rural residential location choices made by couples, including economic, environmental, geographical and social factors, and that these spanned generations (published in Journal of Rural Studies). We identified that non-resident kin frequently influence past residential decision-making processes and future staying intentions in rural areas, even if they are discussed within the context of other economic, environmental, and social motivations (paper under review in Population, Space and Place). 3. New research questions opened up: We used as a foundation the generally accepted understanding that mobility and immobility (or moving and staying) are relational practices (e.g., daily life mobilities and commuting enable people to stay in the rural and work in urban centres), to generate new lines of enquiry. Our qualitative fieldwork was undertaken during the coronavirus pandemic when working from home became a requirement for many; we used this as a platform to explore the importance, challenges and opportunities of virtual mobility in rural areas in greater depth. By building on the concept of place elasticity (which suggests that having connections to people in the home region enables and incentivises moving), we explored the potential for the reverse of this to be considered in relation to staying: that is, does having connections elsewhere encourage/facilitate staying? We explored the appropriateness and applicability of reverse place elasticity in our case study areas, generating an evidence base for this concept to be analysed further (presented at 28th IGU-CSRS 2021 Colloquium). 4. New or improved research methods developed: The project was innovative within population geography through the adoption of a purposefully designed mixed methods approach (survey, interviews, intergenerational focus groups) within an internationally comparative case study framework. Our findings highlighted the value of this type of research design for developing an understanding of 'cultures of (rural) staying', revealing fundamental commonalities and differences between rural areas, particularly in relation to staying obstacles, which are often an important focus for policy makers. |
| Exploitation Route | Academic beneficiaries: international scholars in Rural Geography, Rural Studies, Rural Sociology, and mobility/migration research have, to date, largely neglected staying processes and stayer types. Our research (through academic articles, conference engagement, network development, etc.) is informing this research agenda, and opening up multiple opportunities for further research. User beneficiaries: our research findings are already proving to be a useful resource for rural policy-makers, in informing stakeholders of the nuanced motivations for staying in rural areas, and also of the barriers faced by residents, including in housing and employment. Members of the NI Steering Group have provided feedback on how the findings will be used for future research proposals (to aid the sustainability of this rural community), and it is anticipated that this will also be the case for the Steering Groups in the Netherlands and Germany. The NI Steering Group has representation from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and the research findings have the potential to inform the DAERA's policy decision-making on rural sustainability. Our findings will help inform local policies targeted at rural development. We disseminated our findings via our International Stakeholder Workshop, with representation from EU rural policy. This was used as a platform to discuss international commonalities in rural population loss or retention. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| URL | http://www.stayingrural.eu/ |
| Description | The findings from our Policy/Evidence briefing series are being used by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA; NI central government). Our findings are contributing to DAERA's evidence base on issues affecting the lives of rural residents, and rural sustainability. In particular, DAERA are interested in the housing and labour market barriers faced by long-term residents of rural areas, in realising their preferences to stay in their rural place of residence. The use of our briefings is still in the early stages (briefing series launched end of October 2022), but it is anticipated that these will be used to inform policy decision-making. Our International Stakeholder Workshop (December 2022) included senior representatives in rural policy from the governments of NI (UK), Netherlands and Germany, as well as from EU policy (EU Commission and the LEADER programme) and third sector organisations focused on rural communities/sustainability. The workshop was designed to disseminate and discuss the project findings in the context of their implications for rural policies, particularly on themes of rural communities and sustainability. Draft policy recommendations were co-created at the end of the event and subsequently shared with delegates. Participants commented on the usefulness of the findings, and the valuable opportunity for international discussions (sharing of practice, evidence, etc.). |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | PhD Studentship |
| Amount | £61,828 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2019 |
| End | 09/2022 |
| Title | STAYin(g)Rural Household Survey dataset |
| Description | This quantitative dataset was developed using SPSS software and includes the data obtained from a total of >3,200 respondents to the STAYin(g)Rural 'drop off and collect' household survey, which was conducted in Autumn 2019. This survey was distributed to adult respondents living in three rural case study areas: East Groningen (Netherlands), Sud Harz (Lower Saxony, Germany), and Clogher Valley (County Tyrone, Northern Ireland). A systematic random sampling technique was adopted, resulting in 2,000-2,500 addresses being targeted in each case study area with an assumed 40% response rate (based on similar door-to-door surveys). The survey and associated project materials were distributed to each selected address, and the adult (aged 18 or over) in the household whose birthday was most recent was asked to complete the survey. This method was deliberately chosen in a bid to capture respondents at different life stages. Consequently, this facilitated comparative analyses between both country and life-course stage. The survey was comprised of eight sections covering a diverse range of topics including: residential history and future, residential decision-making and motives, experiences of living in the area, social networks, daily and virtual mobility, and community involvement. Demographic and socio-economic questions were also included, and gathered data for both the survey respondent and up to three other adults living in the household. Closed and Likert-scale attitudinal questions were predominantly employed within the survey. An average response rate of 47% was obtained across the three case study areas. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | Analyses incorporating this quantitative dataset identified a number of diverse staying behaviours and processes in rural areas, which differ according to both life course stage, degree of rurality, and spatial context. Findings from these analyses have formed the foundation of a number of academic papers which are currently in progress, and the contents of a number of past and upcoming national and international conference presentations. The contents of this dataset were also fundamental in informing both the design and implementation of the qualitative data-collection components within the project. The findings are also informing the policy research briefings under development. |
| Title | STAYin(g)Rural Qualitative dataset - interviews |
| Description | This dataset, developed using ATLAS.ti software brings together transcripts generated following the completion of 45 semi-structured interviews with survey respondents who agreed to participate in follow-up research after completion of the STAYin(g)Rural household survey. To obtain a greater understanding of the complexity surrounding staying behaviours and processes in rural areas, interviewees were representative of the different stayer 'types' identified within the preceding quantitative element of the research. Furthermore, to build upon the life-course dimension of staying also identified within the survey, 15 interviewees were recruited from the following life course stages: young adult, family formation and retirement. Interview topics included: residential history (and associated motivations and decisions); roots, belonging and social networks in the area; links to other people and places; contributions to and participation in local economy and community; experiences of living in the area; future residential plans; and staying and the role of policy makers. To facilitate the cross-country comparative component of the research, this process was replicated in both the Netherlands and Germany, resulting in a total of 135 interviews. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This qualitative dataset has served to build upon the quantitative dataset and further enhance our understanding of rural staying behaviours and processes (and its multiple complexities). Moreover, analysis of this dataset is forming the foundation of a number of academic papers which are currently in progress, the contents of a number of upcoming national and international conference presentations, and briefing papers designed for user beneficiaries (including local government and the third sector). |
| Title | Stayin(g)Rural Qualitative Dataset - Focus Groups |
| Description | As part of the qualitative data collection phase, a number of intergenerational focus groups were conducted across the three case study areas (2 in each case study area and 6 in total), and the transcripts were then integrated into a dataset using ATLAS.ti software. These focus groups were unique in that they involved the engagement of multiple members from one family to discuss 'cultures of staying'. Each focus group was designed to include one grandparent, a child of the grandparent, and a grandchild of the grandparent. This enabled the research team to obtain a greater understanding of the complexity of staying behaviours and processes in rural areas, and specifically how these have changed, and proved to be influential across time. These focus groups also served to further build upon the life-course dimension of staying. Focus group topics included: residential history (and associated motivations and decisions); roots and belonging to the area; experiences of living in the area; cultural 'norms' related to staying; the specific influence of family members on staying decisions; and future residential plans. To facilitate the cross-country comparative component of the research, this process was replicated in both the Netherlands and Germany. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This qualitative dataset containing focus group material has served to build upon the quantitative dataset and the qualitative dataset containing individual interview material, and further enhance our understanding of rural staying behaviours and processes (and its multiple complexities). Moreover, planned analysis of this dataset will form the foundation of a cross-country comparative academic paper which will explore the topic of 'cultures of staying' in rural areas, which has received limited scholarly attention in this research field to date. |
| Description | Formation of a national Steering Group in the Clogher Valley, Northern Ireland |
| Organisation | Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The formation of the Steering Group (one within each case study area) involves a range of local and regional stakeholders including: Mid-Ulster District Council, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Community Organisations for South Tyrone Areas (COSTA), Surestart, Clogher Valley Young Farmers, Ballygawley and Aughnacloy History Group. The national Steering Group has met a number of times to date, both in-person and virtually (as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic). This group permits both academic and non-academic knowledge exchange and networking opportunities. The research team have discussed emerging findings with members of this group in order to formulate preliminary ideas and recommendations of how to improve staying conditions in rural Northern Ireland. The team have also discussed dissemination opportunities with the group and obtained insights into the various outputs (and designs) which would prove useful for each stakeholder member. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The local and regional stakeholders involved within the national Steering Group (including: Mid-Ulster District Council, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Community Organisations for South Tyrone Areas (COSTA), Surestart, Clogher Valley Young Farmers, Ballygawley and Aughnacloy History Group) facilitate non-academic knowledge exchange within the project, including the provision of insights into the potential policy impacts of the emerging findings. The group also serves to advise on appropriate knowledge exchange activities linked to the research. |
| Impact | Policy briefings and other dissemination outputs which are informed by the Steering Group are in the planning stages, and will be developed by the research team towards the end of the project, following collation of all findings. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Organised session within the RGS-IBG annual conference 2021 |
| Organisation | Royal Geographical Society |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | A session entitled 'Dismantling the borders between mobility and immobility in rural space' was organised and then facilitated by members of the research team at the Royal Geographical Society's (RGS-IBG) annual conference. This was hosted virtually in September 2021. A total of 13 international researchers were invited to present at and participate within the session. This was also attended by a number of conference attendees. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Through the presentation of findings emerging from their research, in addition to delivering feedback to the findings presented by the research team, this session provided a forum for fruitful discussion on the topic of 'staying' rural. As those engaged within the session were involved within similar research fields as those of the research team, and therefore this session provided a useful networking opportunity. |
| Impact | Networking opportunities. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Research visits and exchanges between international research partners |
| Organisation | Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The Queen's University research team hosted research partners from both the Thünen-Institut in Germany and the University of Groningen, in the case study area (Clogher Valley) during the project launch meeting (May 2019). As hosts, we provided the opportunity for these researchers from external institutes to engage with diverse rural environments. This has led to a better understanding of the stayer dynamics of the case study area in Northern Ireland, informing the project's research questions, fieldwork, and analysis, and shaping academic and user outputs. This was followed by an additional research visit from the research team (Dutch and German PIs and PhD researchers) in April 2022, in Queen's University Belfast and the case study site. The research visit was invaluable in progressing published outputs and impact activities. The research visit was followed by an extended research stay by PhD students from Netherlands and Germany within the case study region, which involved field visits and paper planning. |
| Collaborator Contribution | As with the research exchanges to NI (previous section), the German research partners have also hosted the Northern Ireland and Dutch team members in the German case study area (Südharz; November 2019 and September 2022). The Dutch research partners hosted the PDRA from Northern Ireland for a brief period in July 2022. Again, these exchanges provided the opportunity for researchers from external institutes to both engage with and experience diverse rural environments, and enhance the value and importance of this international research partnership, and strengthen the project's academic and policy contributions. These exchanges also placed a specific emphasis on developing collaborations between the project's early career researchers (PDRA and PhD researchers). |
| Impact | The development of this partnership and its associated networking opportunities have been of central importance to the implementation of the current research project. Co-written academic conference papers have arisen from the exchanges, as well as academic articles under review/ in advanced draft. The enhanced understanding of the commonalities and differences between study sites has informed subsequent fieldwork (data collection strategies, interview and focus group questions, etc.). The research visits allowed the team to plan dissemination activities and impact strategies. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Research visits and exchanges between international research partners |
| Organisation | University of Groningen |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The Queen's University research team hosted research partners from both the Thünen-Institut in Germany and the University of Groningen, in the case study area (Clogher Valley) during the project launch meeting (May 2019). As hosts, we provided the opportunity for these researchers from external institutes to engage with diverse rural environments. This has led to a better understanding of the stayer dynamics of the case study area in Northern Ireland, informing the project's research questions, fieldwork, and analysis, and shaping academic and user outputs. This was followed by an additional research visit from the research team (Dutch and German PIs and PhD researchers) in April 2022, in Queen's University Belfast and the case study site. The research visit was invaluable in progressing published outputs and impact activities. The research visit was followed by an extended research stay by PhD students from Netherlands and Germany within the case study region, which involved field visits and paper planning. |
| Collaborator Contribution | As with the research exchanges to NI (previous section), the German research partners have also hosted the Northern Ireland and Dutch team members in the German case study area (Südharz; November 2019 and September 2022). The Dutch research partners hosted the PDRA from Northern Ireland for a brief period in July 2022. Again, these exchanges provided the opportunity for researchers from external institutes to both engage with and experience diverse rural environments, and enhance the value and importance of this international research partnership, and strengthen the project's academic and policy contributions. These exchanges also placed a specific emphasis on developing collaborations between the project's early career researchers (PDRA and PhD researchers). |
| Impact | The development of this partnership and its associated networking opportunities have been of central importance to the implementation of the current research project. Co-written academic conference papers have arisen from the exchanges, as well as academic articles under review/ in advanced draft. The enhanced understanding of the commonalities and differences between study sites has informed subsequent fieldwork (data collection strategies, interview and focus group questions, etc.). The research visits allowed the team to plan dissemination activities and impact strategies. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | 'Geographies of Contemporary Rural Stayers' (28th IGU-CSRS 2021 Colloquium, online) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A presentation entitled 'Geographies of Contemporary Rural Stayers' was delivered virtually at the 28th Colloquium of the International Geographical Union Commission on the Sustainability of Rural Systems (IGU-CSRS) in August 2021 by S. Ferguson. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | 'Predicting the Intention to Stay Among Young Adults in Rural Northwestern Europe: the Role of Structural Factors and Place Attachment' (28th IGU-CSRS Colloquium, online) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation entitled 'Predicting the Intention to Stay Among Young Adults in Rural Northwestern Europe: the Role of Structural Factors and Place Attachment' was delivered virtually at the 28th Colloquium of the International Geographical Union Commission on the Sustainability of Rural Systems (IGU-CSRS) in August 2021 by H. Hofstede. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | 'Rural return migration: exploring agency and timing over the life course' (Presentation delivered at RGS-IBG Annual International Conference) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation entitled 'Rural return migration: exploring agency and timing over the life course' delivered at the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference by A. Steinführer in September 2021 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | 'Staying Connected: Rural Stayers and 'Reverse' Place Elasticity' (28th IGU-CSRS Colloquium, online) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A presentation entitled 'Staying Connected: Rural Stayers and 'Reverse' Place Elasticity' was delivered virtually at the 28th Colloquium of the International Geographical Union Commission on the Sustainability of Rural Systems (IGU-CSRS) in August 2021 by T. Haartsen. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | 'Will rural newcomers become stayers?' (Newcastle, UK) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation entitled 'Will rural newcomers become stayers?' was delivered by T. Haartsen at the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference, held at Newcastle University (UK) in September 2022. Co-authors of the presentation included: G.Catney, S.Ferguson and A. Steinfuhrer |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Dissemination and Planning event National Steering Group in Northern Ireland |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The national Steering Group, comprising members from Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Mid-Ulster District Council, Sure start, and Community Organisations in South Tyrone Area (COSTA), met for an online event aimed at disseminating the research findings generated to date. The event was also an opportunity to gather feedback from Steering Group members on plans for future dissemination activities, including the publication of research briefings and a summary report (to be hosted on the project website and disseminated via Steering Group networks). The dissemination activities involved presentations, a question and answer session, and a roundtable discussion. Steering Group members reported that the findings provided useful insights into the motivations for motivations for staying, and indeed returning to, the study site, and of the barriers to staying in the region. The members also commented that they intend to use the findings to inform future applications for funding (for example, for community support infrastructure/activities). The session aimed at gathering feedback on future plans was very useful for the research team, and has helped to shape our strategy for the preparation of accessibly-written materials for a diverse user audience of national and local policy-makers, councillors, and third sector researchers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Dissemination and Planning event with National Steering Group (Northern Ireland) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | See previous entry for description of steering group and its purpose. Update of progress and roundtable discussion on policy briefings: The workshop involved presentations, a question and answer session, roundtable feedback. Steering Group members benefitted from a project update (concentrating on research methodology and findings). They reported that they found the detailed discussions of the policy/evidence briefings very useful, particularly on themes of rural staying, and the barriers and opportunities facing rural residents. The focus of the discussion reflected the issues that representatives' organisations were concerned with, particularly housing, employment and transport. The evidence generated from the project will be of direct use in informing the work of the organisations represented. The PI and PDRF benefited from the feedback provided by the Steering Group, which helped finalise the structure of the policy/evidence briefing series. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Family Ties and Linked Lives in Rural Staying (Groningen, Netherlands) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A presentation entitled 'Family Ties and Linked Lives in Rural Staying.' was delivered by S. Ferguson at the European Population Conference at the University of Groningen in July 2022. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | International Stakeholder Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The team hosted an International Stakeholder Workshop in December 2022. This invitation-only event included senior representatives in rural policy from the governments of NI (UK), Netherlands and Germany, as well as from EU policy (EU Commission and the LEADER programme). There was also representation from third sector organisations focused on rural communities/sustainability, from all three case study countries. A small number of academics from each case study country were also invited to contribute. The event was held online in order to be as inclusive as possible. The purposes of the event were to: (i) disseminate the project findings (via a series of short presentations), (ii) to create a space for stakeholders to discuss the findings and reflect on their implications for rural policies (via roundtable/breakout room discussions), and to (iii) co-create draft policy recommendations. Participants commented on the usefulness of the findings, and the valuable opportunity for international discussions (sharing of practice, evidence, etc.). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Launch of Staying Rural Policy/Evidence Briefing Series and Community Exhibition |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Launch event for policy/evidence briefing series and community exhibition. The first part of the event included a roundtable discussion with steering group members (rural policy, third sector) and community representatives. Participants reported that the evidence generated will be extremely helpful in informing the work of their respective organisations (see impact section). The exhibition sparked questions and discussions, and yielded a sharing of evidence, experience and practice between organisations focusing on rural communities. The second part of the event marked the launch of the community exhibition, which is touring the region throughout late 2022 and until mid 2023. Members of the public can visit the exhibition in sites across County Tyrone. From mid-2023, the exhibition will move to a permanent display at the COSTA (Community Organisations of South Tyrone & Areas) Rural Support Network headquarters within the case study area. It is anticipated that the exhibition will raise awareness of the active decision-making process involved in rural staying, and the opportunities and challenges faced by rural residents. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
| Description | Local press releases in the Northern Ireland case study area (Clogher Valley) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A number of press releases were featured in local newspapers (n=3) to inform the Clogher Valley local community of the research project's aims, fieldwork and dissemination plans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019,2020 |
| Description | Meeting with National Steering Group in Northern Ireland |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The national Steering Group formed in the Clogher Valley was officially launched during a meeting held in the local area in November 2019. Attendees represented the third sector (e.g. Sure Start, Community Organisations for South Tyrone Areas (COSTA), Ballygawley and Aughnacloy Historical Group, Clogher Valley Young Farmers), national government (Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)), and local government (Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Mid-Ulster District Council). During this meeting, an overview of the research project and objectives, and ongoing progress was presented by the research team. Additionally, the remit of the Steering Group was discussed and initial feedback obtained from members concerning progress and emerging findings. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Moving beyond 'still' and 'stuck' immobility: Adopting a mobility lens to identify geographies of contemporary rural stayers (University of Leicester) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation entitled 'Moving Beyond 'Still' and 'Stuck' Immobility - adopting a mobility lens to identify geographies of rural stayers' was delivered to the Geography Research Seminar Series audience at the University of Leicester in December 2020 by A. Stockdale. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Putting Rural Stayers in the Spotlight (University of Vermont, USA) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A presentation entitled 'Putting Rural Stayers in the Spotlight' was delivered by A. Stockdale at the 2019 Quadrennial UK-US-Canadian Rural Geography Conference held at the University of Vermont, USA in July 2019. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Rural (im)mobility: social and spatial inequalities (Trondheim, Norway) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A presentation entitled 'Rural (im)mobility: social and spatial inequalities.' was delivered by A. Stockdale at the European Society of Rural Sociology Congress in June 2019. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Stayin(g)Rural: Contemporary Rural Stayer Types and Staying Processes (University of Groningen, Netherlands) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A presentation entitled 'Stayin(g)Rural: Contemporary Rural Stayer Types and Staying Processes' was delivered by T. Haartsen at the European Population Conference in July 2022. Co-authors of the presentation included: G.Catney, S.Ferguson and A. Steinfuhrer. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Still, stuck or embedded? The village as a place of multiple mobilities (17th IMISCOE Annual Conference) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A presentation entitled 'Still, stuck or embedded? The village as a place of multiple mobilities' was delivered at the 17th IMISCOE Annual Conference in Luxembourg in June 202 by A. Steinführer. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |