ABSTRACT

The notion of a differentiated countryside arises from a belief that the national rural space consolidated after the Second World War has now given way to a number of increasingly distinct rural spaces. In the early post-war period, dominant economic processes seemed to be orchestrating a homogenisation of the countryside. In contrast, the main processes currently operating appear to be producing divergent socio-economic formations in rural areas. These formations, we shall argue, are best seen as consolidating at the regional level. In later chapters, we examine a number of case studies from different regions and compare these cases in order to provide an overview of the differentiated countryside. In this chapter, we describe the shift from a national rural space to a differentiated set of regional formations, and we concentrate, in particular, on the changing role of public policy.