Migration into Rural Areas: Theories and Issues

The popular dream of "escaping to the countryside" is a feature of most modern Western societies - so much so that "counterurbanisation" has long been the dominant factor in population redistribution in the developed world. This process of counterurbanisation is widely recognised but poorly understood. It involves much more than simple residential relocation and long distance commuting by affluent city workers. It has a wide-ranging impact on the economy, social structure, housing market, culture and lifestyles of everyone living in rural areas, frequently being associated with conflict between incomers and established rural residents. This book is the first to broadly cover theoretical approaches in migration, borrowing from the fields of geography, planning, sociology and psychology to disentangle this collective behaviour and uncover the character and motivations of the individuals involved. It integrates formal statistical analysis with a consideration of language, culture, social change and behavioural models to build a more complete picture of the process involved. With examples from Britain, mainland Europe, United States and Australia the book is a major contribution to the reconceptualisation of counterurbanisation.