Journal of Rural Studies最新文献

{"title":"Urban amenity and settlement intention of rural migrants in China: The mediating role of housing prices","authors":"Ziming Liu ,&nbsp;Boxiao Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhigang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104103","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104103","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper studied whether and how urban amenities influence the settlement intention of rural migrants. We develop a general equilibrium spatial model to clarify the relationship between urban amenities, housing prices, and settlement intention. The model leads to two main hypotheses. First, local amenities will be positively related to the urban settlement intention of rural migrants. Second, housing prices will mediate the association between urban amenities and the settlement intention of rural migrants, as housing prices will be negatively related to the urban settlement intention of rural migrants. Using the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) data in 2018, our results show the magnetic effect and crowding-out effect of urban amenities on settlement intention. First, urban amenities including children's education, public transport, air quality, and temperature in July all have a significant positive impact on the settlement intention of rural migrants. Second, an increase in urban amenity levels is associated with higher housing prices, which subsequently reduces rural migrants' willingness to settle in cities. With the magnetic effect being greater than the crowding-out effect, urban amenities still have positive impacts on settlement intention. Moreover, the positive effect of urban amenities on settlement intention is stronger for migrants with old-generation and migrant children.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104103"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147420722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Framing rural depopulation: A longitudinal analysis of media narratives in the Region of Valencia (Spain), 1996–2024","authors":"Jaume Pla-Bañuls,&nbsp;Javier Esparcia","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104038","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104038","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rural depopulation has become one of the most acute territorial and demographic challenges in Europe, particularly in regions affected by ageing populations, low fertility rates and structural imbalances in public service provision. This phenomenon has prompted renewed academic and political interest in understanding the dynamics of rural decline and the conditions necessary to address it, with growing attention to the role played by the media in shaping public awareness and framing institutional responses.</div><div>The study focuses on the Region of Valencia (officially known as the Valencia Community, in Spain) and examines how rural depopulation has been addressed in regional press coverage over time. Based on a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative content analysis and qualitative discourse analysis, we analyse more than 1000 news articles published between 1996 and 2024. The research aims to identify the evolution of thematic priorities in media narratives and to explore the discursive frameworks through which the rural world is portrayed.</div><div>The results reveal a clear shift in media coverage: from earlier focus areas such as tourism or demographic ageing, towards increased emphasis on public policy, basic services, and entrepreneurship. Contrary to some prior studies highlighting idealised or romanticised visions of rural life, our findings show a predominance of critical or even pessimistic narratives, often emphasising structural limitations and institutional inertia. This study highlights the strategic role of regional media in articulating both political agendas and social perceptions regarding depopulation. It contributes to communication geography by revealing how media discourse not only reflects rural decline but also helps define its public meaning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104038"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147420727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Results-based agri-environment schemes: A qualitative analysis of farmer and other key stakeholder attitudes","authors":"Catherine A. Glass,&nbsp;Diane E. Burgess,&nbsp;Graham Finney","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104044","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104044","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Results-based agri-environment schemes (RB-AES), which reward farmers for environmental performance, are attracting renewed interest as complements to traditional, action-based models. In a policy context shaped by performance orientation and growing emphasis on measurable outcomes, this study explores stakeholder attitudes toward RB-AES design and feasibility in Northern Ireland. We conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with farmers and other key stakeholders and analysed the data using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to identify cross-cutting barriers and facilitators across intervention, organisational, individual, and process levels. Overall, interviewees expressed support for payments linked to observable results, viewing simple, field-based indicators and transparent scoring as essential for trust, motivation, and skill development. Flexibility was valued and farmers emphasised that payment adequacy and fairness must reflect differing baselines and site potentials. Interviewees welcomed feedback and benchmarking. Implementation priorities included trusted moderation, local/group delivery to build peer learning and confidence, and verification that leverages digital tools (e.g., geo-tagged photo evidence, and remote sensing) to reduce transaction costs. Cultural factors, such as productivist norms and tidy-farm aesthetics, shaped perceived legitimacy, highlighting the need to work with existing identities (e.g., hedgerow management that aligns biodiversity, carbon, and production). The findings offer context-sensitive insights for RB-AES design in livestock-dominated systems, highlighting fair payments, simple indicators, calibrated training for self-assessment, and trusted facilitation as foundations for feasible delivery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104044"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147421280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Barriers to access to healthcare service in rural Ontario: Qualitative study through the lens of the right to development","authors":"Amal Jawad ,&nbsp;Bonny Ibhawoh ,&nbsp;Lisa Schwartz ,&nbsp;Andrew Kapoor","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104024","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104024","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Right to Development provides the central framework for this study, guiding an examination of barriers to healthcare access in Oxford County, a rural region of Ontario, Canada. The Right to Development emphasises that health is a collective entitlement shaped by structural conditions and shared social responsibilities. Using this perspective, the study argues that individual rights to healthcare are insufficient for understanding or addressing rural inequities. Drawing on twenty-five semi-structured interviews conducted between January and April 2025 and analysed through Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic approach, three themes were identified. Structural barriers include infrastructure gaps, physician shortages, limitations in walk-in clinics, and prolonged wait times. Second, systemic inefficiencies arise from centralised service organisation and administrative shortcomings that leave some residents temporarily uninsured. Third, the individual appraisal highlights the importance of provider diversity, participation and inclusion, and community engagement for meaningful access. The primary contribution of this study is the development of the Collective Right to Development policy, which applies and extends the Right to Development to rural health systems. The Collective Right to Development policy identifies three collective entitlements required for equitable healthcare: structural provision and service diversity; institutionalised participation and community governance; and conditions that support dignity and well-being. These entitlements translate the Right to Development principles into concrete obligations and reveal rural health inequities as collective deprivations embedded in structural design. The absence of Right to Development–based collective principles in Canadian health policy undermines accountability, neglects rural system strengthening, and perpetuates inequitable access for underserved populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104024"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Artificial Intelligence (AI) in rural business: The drivers and effects on AI adoption in rural SMEs","authors":"David Dowell ,&nbsp;Robert Bowen ,&nbsp;Wyn Morris","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper investigates drivers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption, specifically in rural small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Research on AI has gained traction in recent times, however, remains an area in need of further investigation, notably the adoption of AI by SMEs, and particularly among rural SMEs. The focus on SMEs is important as they account for the majority of businesses worldwide, playing an important role in job creation and economic development. The research uses secondary data from the Longitudinal Survey for Small Business (LSBS), a large UK panel survey of SMEs, which provides a broad range of variables on a range of SMEs. Probit regression, using a series of environment, firm and network engagement factors as predictive variables, identifies drivers of AI adoption for rural SMEs. Among the numerous drivers of AI adoption in rural SMEs, networking, is identified as a key variable associated with adoption. This research contributes to the limited knowledge on this subject and more broadly to technology adoption in organisations. This leads to policy recommendations in promoting AI adoption among rural SMEs through better communication of the advantages of adoption among SMEs and network development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104104"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147420721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tracing young people's entry and retention in the Australian agriculture sector: A longitudinal analysis of rural employment pathways","authors":"Esperanza Vera-Toscano ,&nbsp;Catherine Waite ,&nbsp;Hernan Cuervo ,&nbsp;Michael Santhanam-Martin ,&nbsp;Margaret Ayre ,&nbsp;Ruth Nettle","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The migration of rural youth to urban areas for employment opportunities has been a central scholarship focus on young people in rural and regional contexts. While leaving has often been characterised as a normative transition toward achieving socially accepted visions of adulthood, recent contributions to the rural mobilities literature challenge the assumption that leaving equates to success. These works call for renewed attention to the lived experiences of those who choose to stay. This paper presents a case study of the agriculture sector to examine the structures, influencing factors and available resources that shape young people's decisions to enter, remain in, or exit employment in a sector with a strong presence in rural and regional areas. It aims to highlight both the opportunities and the barriers that can either facilitate or hinder outward mobility from the sector.</div><div>Our analysis draws on the longitudinal, nationally representative <em>Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia</em> (HILDA) Survey to examine young people's pathways into and out of the agriculture sector. Leveraging the depth and breadth of HILDA, we are able to develop a robust understanding of the conditions that support sustained engagement in the sector, as well as the factors that drive young people to exit. Our findings reveal that a complex interplay of demographic characteristics, employment conditions, familial ties to agriculture, and geographic location shapes these trajectories. In doing so, the analysis highlights a broader set of structural and personal dynamics—both within and beyond young people's control—that influence their employment decisions and patterns of mobility.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104010"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145969348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Autonomy–Belonging Paradox: How local networks shape healthy ageing in rural Denmark","authors":"Hanne Peoples ,&nbsp;Mette Andresen ,&nbsp;Pernille Kjærgaard Christiansen ,&nbsp;Majbritt Møller Jakobsen ,&nbsp;Maria Kildehave Jeppesen ,&nbsp;Marianne Rasmussen ,&nbsp;Marianne Staal Stougaard","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104069","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104069","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104069"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147421279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What makes Farmer Producer Organizations work? A multi-level analysis of performance determinants in India","authors":"Swati Singh ,&nbsp;Akriti Sharma ,&nbsp;Alka Singh ,&nbsp;K.V. Praveen ,&nbsp;Harbir Singh ,&nbsp;Pavan Kumar Kumawat","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite significant institutional investment in Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) across India, questions remain about what drives their long-term performance. This study explores the determinants of performance in high-functioning FPOs by integrating Collective Action, Institutional, and Stakeholder theories into a multi-level analytical framework. Drawing on qualitative data from five high-performing FPOs—selected through participatory performance criteria and snowball sampling—the study employs in-depth interviews with CEOs, Board members, and three farmer members from each selected FPOs, supported by document analysis and field observations.</div><div>Findings identify six interlocking determinants of FPO performance: transparent communication, group cohesion and conflict resolution, institutional complementarity, capital diversification, embedded leadership, and inclusive stakeholder engagement. These are organized across micro-, meso-, and macro-levels, demonstrating how interpersonal trust, organizational alignment, and ecosystem responsiveness co-produce sustainable collective enterprise.</div><div>The study contributes theoretically by extending collective action theory to digital and relational infrastructures, refining Institutional theory through local adaptation strategies, and enriching Stakeholder theory by foregrounding legitimacy as a dynamic, participatory construct. A visual framework is proposed to represent this integrative perspective.</div><div>Policy recommendations emphasize the need for embedded leadership development, capital diversification incentives, community-responsive communication systems, and norm-rule alignment in program design. By offering a field-grounded and theory-informed account of FPO performance, the study advances scholarship on rural collective action and provides actionable insights for policymakers and promoting institutions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104014"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A comparative analysis of farmers' attitudes toward animal welfare in Ukraine and Azerbaijan","authors":"Oksana Kravchenko ,&nbsp;Elina Åsbjer ,&nbsp;Mykhailo Matvieiev ,&nbsp;Ayaz Mammadov ,&nbsp;Javid Ojaghi ,&nbsp;Simon Tobias Höxter ,&nbsp;Birgitta Staaf Larsson ,&nbsp;Irada Khalilova ,&nbsp;Andriy Getya ,&nbsp;Nataliia Hryshchenko ,&nbsp;Anders H. Karlsson ,&nbsp;Hallvard Wie ,&nbsp;David Richard Arney ,&nbsp;Ragnar Leming ,&nbsp;Francesca Carnovale ,&nbsp;Liene Ansone ,&nbsp;Vytautas Ribikauskas ,&nbsp;Galia Zamaratskaia","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104045","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104045","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this study was to understand farmers' views on animal welfare in Ukraine and Azerbaijan, and to identify key issues in general and in each country. A questionnaire with 14 questions was used to survey 58 farmers from Ukraine and 71 farmers from Azerbaijan. Data were collected regarding farm production characteristics, farmers' perception of animal welfare, and what farmers identified as the most important animal welfare issues. A mixed-effects model with restricted maximum likelihood estimation (REML) was used to assess the perceived importance of animal welfare. Least squares means with Tukey's correction were calculated to compare groups. Chi-squared tests of independence were used to assess (1) the relationship between farmers' country of origin and their level of agreement with a statement, and (2) the association between country and animal species in need of welfare improvements. Farmers in both countries considered it necessary (60.3 %) to improve animal welfare, were largely convinced (90 %) that financial compensation from the state was necessary and had the same main perceived welfare problems (lack of funds to improve animal welfare conditions). Ukrainian farmers (50.9 %) responded that animal welfare was not sufficiently taken into account in government policies while, Azerbaijani farmers (53.5 %) agreed that animal welfare was given the appropriate level of importance in the country's legislation. The study showed that 41.4 % of Ukrainian farmers considered the level of animal welfare in the country to be worse than in other countries, compared to 12.7 % in Azerbaijan. Ukrainian farmers were more interested in receiving more information on animal welfare (72.4 %) than Azerbaijani farmers (54.3 %). The study shows that the level of awareness among farmers in the two countries is quite different and in some cases contradictory.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104045"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental, economic, and social impacts of precision agricultural technology: Convergences and divergences between theory and practice","authors":"Annabel Oosterwijk ,&nbsp;Hatem Chouchane,&nbsp;Mark Ryan,&nbsp;Katrine Soma","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Precision agriculture (PA) technologies are widely promoted for their potential to enhance sustainability, efficiency, and resilience in agricultural systems. However, few studies critically assess whether these promises hold in practice, particularly in rural contexts facing infrastructure and resource constraints. The main aim of this paper is to identify environmental, economic, and social (E-E-S) impacts of PA technologies in crop farming, and convergences and divergences between theory and practice. A literature review of E-E-S impacts of PA technologies was combined with an empirical assessment of a multi-robot sensor-based irrigation system deployed on a smallholder farm in the Isles of Scilly, a remote rural island community in the UK. By comparing the expectations documented in the literature with modelled impacts from the case study, this paper identifies areas of convergence and divergence between technological promise and real-world potential in a rural setting. The results reveal several trade-offs between literature expectations and the case study outcomes: although sensor-based irrigation reduced water demand by 23 %, the system's electricity use significantly increased, amplifying carbon emissions; anticipated labour savings were offset by the need for specialized supervision, raising operational costs; and while the literature often highlights community benefits, in practice the social impact remained limited in the case study, with no major changes expected in areas such as worker health and safety or systematic issues like dependency on platforms or agritech providers. This study contributes critical insights for rural social science into the conditions under which PA can support more context-responsive, equitable, and sustainable adoption, highlighting that realizing its full value requires attention not only to technical performance but also to energy trade-offs, cost-effectiveness, and broader societal impacts for smallholder and remote rural communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104007"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}