Lived Experiences & Perceptions of Rural Places (Edexcel A Level Geography)

• Rural places, like urban places, are viewed differently by different groups because of their lived experience and perceptions of these areas
• The perception will depend on:
• A person’s gender, ethnicity, age and life cycle stage
• How the person intends to use the rural space e.g. recreation and work
• The characteristics of the rural area based on their position on the rural-urban continuum e.g. commuter villages or isolated farms and hamlets

The rural idyll

• Rural places are often perceived as the ideal places to live by people living in urban areas due to:
• The scenic, natural landscapes of green fields, gently rolling hills and woodlands
• Old, traditional thatched cottages with white picket fences and flower gardens
• A relaxed, tranquil pace of life away from the hustle and bustle of urban living
• A strong sense of community, fostered through village activities e.g. cricket, socialising in the village pub and village fetes
• Rural places have low crime rates, which consist of minor and non-violent offences
• Some rural places have strong historical and cultural associations, such as Hardy’s Wessex and the Bronte country - made famous for being home to these popular British authors

• Hardy’s Wessex - the author Thomas Hardy wrote detailed descriptions of country life in the fictitious country of Wessex
• Idyllic depictions of thatched cottages set in peaceful surroundings, close to nature, were based on his home county of Dorset
• Hardy also portrayed the undesirable elements of rural life e.g. remoteness and limited opportunities

• Media representation can reinforce the rural idyll attitude
  • TV programmes, like Midsomer Murders and Emmerdale, are set in attractive countryside locations
  • Art and literature connections (e.g. Beatrix Potter and The Lake District) encourage tourists to visit and improve the economy of the area

• The reality of living in a rural area can differ from the rural idyll
• Some people can view rural regions unfavourably because of the:
  • Remoteness - very few people want to move to rural places that are isolated and difficult to access 
  • Limited social opportunities - ageing populations mean limited social opportunities for children and young people, causing a feeling of isolation
    • TV programmes, like This Country (a BBC comedy), highlight these limited opportunities
    • Young people feel they don’t have a space where they can meet with friends
    • Limited range of services - post offices, shops, petrol stations and banks are often limited or have closed down due to lack of profitability, isolating the elderly
    • One in five households in rural areas live more than 4 km from a doctor’s surgery
  • High transport costs - infrequent, expensive buses and long distances increase transport costs
    • Households in rural hamlets spend an average of £139 per week on transport, compared to £79 in urban areas
  • Population characteristics - an ageing population, with fewer young workers as some migrate to urban areas in search of work
  • Poor mobile and broadband infrastructure - isolated places are more expensive to deliver broadband to as installation costs are higher, reducing the commercial return for providers
  • High housing costs - the average sale price of residential properties in rural areas is higher than in urban areas, making housing harder to purchase for the bottom 25% of earners in these areas

• Shetland (located about 200 km north of the Scottish mainland) is an isolated area, with undesirable characteristics for its residents:
  • There is a sparse population density (16 people/km2), therefore inhabitants might not have a close connection with neighbours as they live so far apart
  • The only banks in Shetland are in Lerwick
  • Only 31 per cent of young people felt that the speed of their broadband connection was good enough
  • The average household income in Shetland is £33,934, lower than the Scottish (£34,619) and the UK average (£36,400)
  • The average property price in Shetland is £207,954, which is approximately 6 times the average income
    • In the UK, a person cannot borrow more than 4.5 times their salary
  • The number of second homes/long-term empty properties has nearly doubled in Shetland over the last 16 years to 723 homes 
    • This has made it harder for residents to secure affordable housing
  • More than 2,000 households in Shetland live in extreme poverty, defined as having an annual income of just £13,573 
  • The cost of living in Shetland is up to 40 per cent higher than on the UK mainland, meaning the living wage of £7,85 per hour is not enough
  • Work is not a guaranteed route out of poverty - working a 37-hour week on the minimum wage gives people an annual income of just over £12,000

• Rural places can be categorised according to their relative accessibility from urban areas:
  • Very remote areas
  • Retirement villages (accessible rural)
  • Commuter villages
• These types of rural areas are viewed differently by different groups due to their lived experience and perceptions of these places

Different types of rural space

Different Perceptions of Rural Space