Citation

Little J, Jones O. Rural Sociol. (1936) 2000; 65(4): 621-639.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Rural Sociological Society, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1549-0831.2000.tb00047.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper explores the operation of gender relations in the context of rural policy. Framed by debates on new rural governance, it considers how both the content and the culture of recent rural regeneration policy reflect highly masculine values and the maintenance of traditional power relations. New forms of decision making in rural areas promote a style of policy making that values and grants priority to male networks in the construction of elite groups and styles of management, and devalues community participation. We use examples from the United Kingdom to demonstrate the implications of shifts in the mechanisms and practice of policy making and implementation for men's and women's differential involvement and experience with rural regeneration. We go on to show how gender relations are also reflected in the content of contemporary rural regeneration policy. Decisions concerning the most appropriate types of initiative are predicated on a male-oriented view of previous economic activity and local labor markets, and represent a highly masculinist approach to regeneration.

Language: en