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

Perception of Rural Places

• 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

Perception of Rural Places as Undesirable

• 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

View of Rural Areas

• 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 Perceptions of Rural Space