Rural Poverty Today
Experiences of Social Exclusion in Rural Britain
Many people living in rural areas face hardship but the UK’s welfare system is poorly adapted to meet their needs, with the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit and cutbacks exacerbating pressures. This book combines person-based and place-based approaches to tackling rural poverty.
Poverty is perceived as an urban problem, yet many in rural Britain also experience hardship. This book explores how and why people in rural areas experience and negotiate poverty and social exclusion. It examines the role of societal processes, individual circumstances, sources of support (markets; state; voluntary organisations; family and friends) and the role of place.
It concludes that the UK’s welfare system is poorly adapted to rural areas, with the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit and cutbacks exacerbating pressures. Voluntary organisations increasingly fill gaps in support left by the state. Invaluable to those in policy and practice, the book recommends a combination of person-based and place-based approaches to tackle rural poverty.
Mark Shucksmith OBE is Professor of Planning at Newcastle University, Visiting Professor at Ruralis, Trondheim and a Trustee of ACRE and the Carnegie UK Trust.
Jayne Glass is a Research Fellow in the Rural Policy Centre at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and Honorary Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh.
Polly Chapman is CEO of HISEZ CIC, a social enterprise business consultancy which also operates Impact Hub Inverness, a co-working space that is part of the global Impact Hub network.
Jane Atterton manages the Rural Policy Centre at SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College). She undertakes policy-focused research and knowledge exchange activities relating to rural economies and communities.
Author/Editor details at time of book publication.
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