The fourth EPRC webinar of the 2020-21 Autumn Series was held November 11th, 2020 (12:00 – 13:00 UK) over Zoom. Dr Diana Valero presented her research on ‘Narrative Policies about Rurality in Europe and the Populist Challenges for the Rural-Urban Divide’.
Valero’s presentation delved on the characterisation of the current populist narratives on rurality and potential new rural-urban cleavages. Using the ‘Narrative Policy Framework’ (Shanahan et al. 2018) she explored narratives on rurality across the European Union based on a qualitative analysis of media pieces. Her presentation provided an overview of how rural areas were depicted in policy narratives and the role and potential for discourses rooted in perceptions of ‘left-behind places’ across the European Union between 2015 and 2019. Furthermore, she explored how a radical-right party articulates its policy narrative on rurality, using the Spanish example of the party VOX.
Diana Valero is a social scientist on issues relating to territorial and social cohesion with a strong focus in rural areas. Keen to work across disciplines, Valero has a background in policy analysis and a particular interest in exploring issues of social sustainability and governance in rural areas. In particular, she studies the reconfiguration of social practices, policy narratives, and participatory processes as drivers of positive transformative change. Since April 2020, Valero has pursued her post-doctoral career at the University of Stirling, studying the factors shaping the land management choices of farmers through behavioural experimental games.
Dr Valero’s presentation can be accessed here, and the recording of the webinar can be viewed on the EPRC’s YouTube page here.
Our next webinar will take place on Wednesday November 18th, when Bryonny Goodwin-Hawkins from the University of Gloucestershire will present on Regional Spatial Justice. Future webinars this Autumn will delve on topics of regional policy and development.
If you would like to participate in future seminars, watch out for updates and registrations by following @eprc_eu on Twitter.
