Life in the small English village of ‘Allswell’

The notion of the ‘rural idyll’ will be brought into focus at an event being held at the University of Leicester today (Thursday November 26).

Dr Owain Jones, of the Countryside and Community Research Unit in Cheltenham will presenting a seminar in the Department of Geography at the University of Leicester, detailing his research of a small rural village in South West England.

Dr Jones will consider the ‘everyday life’ of people in the village in relation to recent debates – even controversies – about the vibrancy of contemporary rural communities where some argue that all ‘authenticity’ and ’sense of community’ have been lost, and that notions of a ‘rural idyll’ are an illusion.

Dr Jones states that his talk will “explore the proposal that this village, and others like it, might be considered to be more idyllic, more vibrant and more cohesive in community terms than their historic counterparts”.

Developing ideas of contemporary rural idyll, Dr Jones will explore questions of rural sustainability and how the idea of idyll should be approached through notions of performative practice.

Dr Jones will be presenting his research to the Department of Geography at Leicester which is itself well known for its research on rural change. Dr Katy Bennett, for example, has recently completed research examining the impact of regeneration activities on women’s identities in the former coalfields of rural East Durham. She has a long-standing interest on the impact of changing rural economies on the lives of women.

Dr Martin Phillips also conducts rural research, including examinations of situations of rural gentrification where in-migration of middle class residents may lead to social displacement, as well as the tensions and controversies that are the subject of Dr Jones’ seminar.

Dr Phillips also conducts research on media representations of the countryside, in both Britain and elsewhere, and has worked with other members of the Department of Geography at Leicester on the environmental impacts of rural gentrification. In January Dr Susanne Hjort, from Sweden, will also be joining the Department.

Dr Hjort has undertaken research on rural gentrification in Sweden, and also works on population change and migration in rural and urban areas.

Dr Jones’ seminar is being held on the 26th November at 4.00 pm in F75 in the Bennett Building, Department of Geography, University of Leicester.

For further information about the seminar or about rural research conducted in the Department of Geography, please contact Dr Martin Phillips by email on mpp2@le.ac.uk.

Anyone wishing to attend the seminar is advised to contact Vanessa Greasley (email: vg5@le.ac.uk; tel: 0116 223 1777)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•