Transnational Theory Building for Researching the Global Countryside: Perspectives from Taiwan and the UK
Lead Research Organisation:
Aberystwyth University
Department Name: Inst of Geography and Earth Sciences
Abstract
This network will bring together rural social science researchers from Taiwan and the UK in an innovative project to explore the prospect of developing 'transnational theory' that can advance understanding of the global, national and regional dynamics that are reshaping rural societies and economies around the world. By 'transnational theory' we mean a framework of ideas for analysing and understanding contemporary rural society that is not biased towards any one cultural or territorial context, but is open to multiple contributions and influences grounded in diverse geographical settings. The proposal responds to an emerging critique of the prevalence of Anglophone concepts and western theoretical models in international rural social science, and to calls for the development of a more inclusive and cosmopolitan rural studies that is better equipped to engage with the inter-connected yet hybrid and heterogenous character of the contemporary global countryside.
The focus on Taiwan and the UK is envisaged as an experimental pilot that can explore the possibilities for 'transnational theory building' and establish principles for wider application; but is also an appropriate pairing for the initiative, reflecting the long-standing influence of British rural studies in shaping research approaches in the field as well as the growing rural research community in Taiwan that is increasingly engaged in international networks, but is moving to a more critical stance on the translation and application of western concepts. Significantly, therefore, the exchange of ideas in the project must be two-way, involving consideration of how theoretical perspectives and concepts rooted in Taiwanese culture and society might provide new insights into social and economic dynamics in the British countryside as well as vice versa. By seeking to expand capacity for academic analysis and understanding of contemporary rural society in this way, the project consequently also aims to contribute to informing new policy and practical applications to address societal challenges facing rural areas in both countries, especially around issues of migration, food systems and rural politics and governance. The network will achieve these aims through a programme of online and in-person activities focused on discussing and comparing the perspectives of British and Taiwanese participants on selected case studies informed by targeted fieldwork and leading to the formulation of 'transnational theory' and collaborative outputs.
The focus on Taiwan and the UK is envisaged as an experimental pilot that can explore the possibilities for 'transnational theory building' and establish principles for wider application; but is also an appropriate pairing for the initiative, reflecting the long-standing influence of British rural studies in shaping research approaches in the field as well as the growing rural research community in Taiwan that is increasingly engaged in international networks, but is moving to a more critical stance on the translation and application of western concepts. Significantly, therefore, the exchange of ideas in the project must be two-way, involving consideration of how theoretical perspectives and concepts rooted in Taiwanese culture and society might provide new insights into social and economic dynamics in the British countryside as well as vice versa. By seeking to expand capacity for academic analysis and understanding of contemporary rural society in this way, the project consequently also aims to contribute to informing new policy and practical applications to address societal challenges facing rural areas in both countries, especially around issues of migration, food systems and rural politics and governance. The network will achieve these aims through a programme of online and in-person activities focused on discussing and comparing the perspectives of British and Taiwanese participants on selected case studies informed by targeted fieldwork and leading to the formulation of 'transnational theory' and collaborative outputs.
Publications
Wang C
(2024)
Planetary rural geographies: Towards a research agenda
in Dialogues in Human Geography
Wang C
(2023)
Planetary rural geographies
in Dialogues in Human Geography
| Description | Activities in this on-going networking grant have to date produced the following key findings: 1) Rural areas in Taiwan and the UK are both affected by global trends and challenges, including for example, agricultural restructuring, migration, demographic ageing, soil health and climate change, and superficially parallel developments can be observed in both contexts, including for instance the expansion of organic farming, 'back-to-the-land' migration of 'new farmers', increasing reliance on community action, and resource conflicts. However, the mechanics of these processes, the contributions to rural place-making, and their societal and economic impacts, are shaped by cultural factors that are not adequately captured by transplanted 'western' concepts and theories. Examples include the importance of 'guanxi', or reciprocal kinship and community relations, to social action and the restructuring of rural communities; and the influence of Buddhist faith on the adoption of organic farming methods. Alternative concepts and perspectives need to be drawn from Chinese sociology and philosophy, and from empirical geographic research in Asia, for a fuller understanding. 2) Several concepts and perspectives developed in an Asian cultural and intellectual tradition have potential to provide insights for analysis of social and economic change in rural Britain. In particular, the concept of 'guanxi' has potential to illuminate dynamics of kinship, reciprocity, trust and knowledge in British rural community development, augmenting 'western' concepts such as social capital. 3) The asymmetrical influence of western and eastern philosophy and theoretical traditions in international rural studies is shaped by mis-assumptions around language and inequalities in access to publishing and other scientific networks and instruments. In particular, transnational theory-building in rural studies needs to engage with the non-congruent and pluralist meanings of 'rurality' in different languages and the insights that can be gained by exploring the linguistic faults in definitions and classifications. 4) A potential framework for transnational theory-building in rural studies may be afforded by focusing on planetary rural geographies, recognizing the 'more-than-human' and globally interconnected constitution of rural places and shared global social and environmental challenges including climate change and declining soil health, but also arguing for inclusive responses that embrace cultural pluralism. |
| Exploitation Route | The emerging outcomes of the networking grant have potential to support transnational theory-building within international rural studies, both by the network participants and by wider researchers, and to encourage and inform transnational theory-building in broader fields. The concept of planetary rural geographies in itself has potential for adoption in wider research addressing key societal and environmental challenges. Whilst initial uptake in both respects is anticipated to be by academic researchers, further research on these topics and the elaboration of transnational theories has potential to impact on strategies and practices for rural development and combatting environmental change. Ongoing actions in the network to facilitate these outcomes include (i) preparation of a themed section of an international journal on transnational theory-building in rural studies; (ii) submission of a position paper on planetary rural geographies, currently under review by an international journal; (iii) organization of a session on planetary rural geographies at the Royal Geographical Society Conference in August 2023, including papers from the beyond the network participants and covering wider geographical contexts, and a planned session on transnational theory-building in rural studies at an international conference in 2024. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Environment Government Democracy and Justice Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| Description | Global Agri-food Responses to Rising Temperatures |
| Organisation | National Taiwan University |
| Country | Taiwan, Province of China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Professor Michael Woods has contributed to this research grant application to the Taiwan National Science Council as an International Collaborator, providing advice on the research design. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Associate Professor Chi Mao Wang and colleagues at the National Taiwan University have led the design and submission of this application to the Taiwan National Science Council and will led the funded research. The proposal draws on outcomes from the Transitional Theory-Building for Researching the Global Countryside Networking Grant, especially the framing of planetary rural geographies. |
| Impact | None to date. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | New Farmers, Place-making and Civil Society: An International Study |
| Organisation | National Taiwan University |
| Country | Taiwan, Province of China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Professor Michael Woods has led this collaboration in developing a work package on 'New Farmers, Place-making, and Civil Society' involving comparative research in Taiwan and Wales, for the WISERD Civil Society 3 ESRC research centre proposal. Woods initiated the collaboration and was primarily responsible for drafting the outline and methodology. The research centre application was not successful, other avenues for advancing this collaboration are being pursued. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Keith Halfacree (Swansea University), Associate Professor Chi Mao Wang (National Taiwan University), and Dr Yi Ting Chung (Taipei Medical University) contributed to the formulation of the research design, including inputs on literature, context, methods and case studies. |
| Impact | None to date. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | New Farmers, Place-making and Civil Society: An International Study |
| Organisation | Swansea University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Professor Michael Woods has led this collaboration in developing a work package on 'New Farmers, Place-making, and Civil Society' involving comparative research in Taiwan and Wales, for the WISERD Civil Society 3 ESRC research centre proposal. Woods initiated the collaboration and was primarily responsible for drafting the outline and methodology. The research centre application was not successful, other avenues for advancing this collaboration are being pursued. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Keith Halfacree (Swansea University), Associate Professor Chi Mao Wang (National Taiwan University), and Dr Yi Ting Chung (Taipei Medical University) contributed to the formulation of the research design, including inputs on literature, context, methods and case studies. |
| Impact | None to date. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | New Farmers, Place-making and Civil Society: An International Study |
| Organisation | Taipei Medical University |
| Country | Taiwan, Province of China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Professor Michael Woods has led this collaboration in developing a work package on 'New Farmers, Place-making, and Civil Society' involving comparative research in Taiwan and Wales, for the WISERD Civil Society 3 ESRC research centre proposal. Woods initiated the collaboration and was primarily responsible for drafting the outline and methodology. The research centre application was not successful, other avenues for advancing this collaboration are being pursued. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Keith Halfacree (Swansea University), Associate Professor Chi Mao Wang (National Taiwan University), and Dr Yi Ting Chung (Taipei Medical University) contributed to the formulation of the research design, including inputs on literature, context, methods and case studies. |
| Impact | None to date. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Keynote address to Annual Conference of the Working Group on Agri-food Geographies, Stuttgart (Damian Maye) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The talk introduced the concept of planetary rural geographies thesis and the need to reframe food as 'more-than-human' given planetary permacrisis, and prompted discussion on the potential applications of the framework in relation to addressing planetary crises through research, policy and practice. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Organisation of Planetary Rural Geographies Panel, RGS Conference (Michael Woods, Damian Maye, Chi Mao Wang) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Organisation of a panel at the Royal Geographical Society by Michael Woods, Damian Maye and Chi Mao Wang with expert presenters outlining research on the concept of 'planetary rural geographies'. The session has prompted discussion with academic and non-academic research users on how the concept of 'planetary rural geographies' may be used to promote understanding of the global use in research and practice contexts. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Presentation to CCRI 35th Anniversary Celebration, University of Gloucestershire (Damian Maye) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | The talk presented the core arguments on planetary rural geographies developed in the Transnational Theory-building for Researching the Global Countryside as a way to contextualize and support a need for greater application of participatory and multi-actor research methods to support rural communities transition their economies and lifestyles in the future. The talk prompted questions and discussion from attendees, including academic and non-academic research users. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Presentation to Rural Services Network Online Seminar on Rural Net Zero (Damian Maye) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | The talk linked the climate crisis to wider planetary thinking through the framework of planetary rural geographies developed in the Transnational Theory-building for Researching the Global Countryside Networking Grant and the methodology of climathons developed through other research. It prompted discussion on linking rural challenges to wider planetary crises and the implications for rural policy and practice, including the need to find methodologies to engage rural communities and community voices in ways that are more deliberative and creative. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |