ABSTRACT
In this chapter we present some aspects of the relationships between identity and the environment, culture and the leadership of development in this book’s case study areas (see Chapter 1 for introductions). We maintain the overall contention that some areas appear to be adapting faster and more successfully than others to the challenges posed by the shift to a market economy, mobilising themselves to defend their position better in global markets. In paying attention to the nature of personal, collective and territorial identities, we explore how the variety of afliations that people may claim affects how they take part in rural development initiatives and in processes of rural restructuring more generally. This introduction outlines our interest in identity as a topic in rural development, and draws attention to the theorisation of identity and development as an important step in understanding case study situations.
