ORA (Round 5) Staying in the Rural: Contemporary Life Course related Senses of Belonging, Mobility and Rural Community Participation

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To date population geography research has focused on migration. Especially in rural areas, those who do not move are seen as a residual category and their motivations for staying receive limited academic or policy attention. STAYin(g)Rural investigates why and how people stay in rural areas at different stages of their lives. It acknowledges that people elect to (selectively) belong to and participate in rural areas and that different types of mobilities influence their staying processes.A mixed methods approach is employed which combines a questionnaire survey, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions in three peripheral and depopulating rural case study regions: east Groningen (Netherlands), south Tyrone (Northern Ireland) and south Lower Saxony (Germany). STAYin(g)Rural focuses on three life course stages which are known triggers for re-negotiating residential choices: young adulthood, family formation and post-retirement.STAYin(g)Rural will yield significant new insights on: (i) contemporary types of rural stayers and staying processes; (ii) how rural belonging and mobility relate to processes of staying and active participation to maintain rural quality of life, and (iii) how these are performed in different geographical contexts and at different life stages. Preparation of, and outcomes from, each research phase will be shared and discussed with rural stakeholders via national Steering Groups, case study seminars and an international workshop.