Rethinking ‘Rurality’

This chapter introduces the debates surrounding the issue of 'defining the rural'. It draws a contrast between attempts to maintain a largely 'material' understanding of the term, rooted in the presence or absence of a relatively distinct rural 'locality', and efforts to dematerialize the concept, through placing it within the realm of the imagination. The chapter shows the significance of recognizing the importance of imaginative understandings of the rural with respect to the United Kingdom and other European contexts. It builds on the idea that imaginative definitions of rurality are not just of significance at the level of ideas but also have clear material affiliations. The chapter presents the playing-out of the networks alternative models for the geography of the countryside. It suggests that imaginative dimensions of rurality incorporated within these networks embody deeper currents/emotions/intentions/anxieties concerning daily life. The chapter also draws out the importance of this rethinking of rurality for any new conceptualizations of human settlement systems.