ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book concerns the issue of how academic researchers have implicitly or explicitly conceptualized power in studies of rural societies and communities. It considers the relevance of the notion of the cultural turn for studies of agriculture. The book examines the emergence of various forms of rural protest in the UK and France, concentrating on the formation of groups purporting to speak. It also considers the notion of community, and focuses on the specific context of the UK Labour government's rural agenda and its declared emphasis on the creation of 'vibrant communities' as an essential part of rural development. The book examines the different ways in which notions and experiences of 'closeness' between food producers, consumers and food itself, are constituted in four very different sets of 'alternative' food relationships.
