Towards more resilient rural communities: the human dimension

Joint Teagasc-SRUC Conference: 13.03.18

Professor Sarah Skerratt Director, Rural Policy Centre Scotland’s Rural College

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1.Definitions of community resilience

5.Social justice implications

2.Community land ownership and

community resilience

3.Private land ownership and

community resilience

4.Complexities of resilience & empowerment

processes

7.Empowerment policies

6.“Recharging rural”

Research journey: 2010-2018

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Physical systems

Social-

ecological systems

Human agency systems

(individual & collective)

ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS:

Holling (1978, 1986, 1995):

“absorb & maintain…”

Adger, 2000: “social resilience”

Norris et al, 2008: “process &

adaptability; resource diversity”

MATHS & PHYSICS: Gordon

(1978): “recuperation, perseverance”

Bounce-back from external shock or disaster

Proactive agency in a context of constant change; mechanisms; resources &

vulnerabilities

Maguire & Cartwright, 2008:

“stocks and vulnerabilities”

Davidson, 2010: “human agency:

anticipate; unequal; individual & collective”

Magis, 2010: “constant change; planning; agency”

Sherrieb et al

(2010): “trajectory”

Kaplan, 1999: “normative”

Hegney et al, 2007: “positive life adaptations”

Adger et al, 2004: “adaptive capacity at

multiple scales”

1940s: SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL

RESEARCH

1. Definitions of community resilience

4 4

Physical systems

Social-

ecological systems

Human agency systems

(individual & collective)

ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS:

Holling (1978, 1986, 1995):

“absorb & maintain…”

Adger, 2000: “social resilience”

Norris et al, 2008: “process &

adaptability; resource diversity”

MATHS & PHYSICS: Gordon

(1978): “recuperation, perseverance”

Bounce-back from external shock or disaster

Proactive agency in a context of constant change; mechanisms; resources &

vulnerabilities

Maguire & Cartwright, 2008:

“stocks and vulnerabilities”

Davidson, 2010: “human agency:

anticipate; unequal; individual & collective”

Magis, 2010: “constant change; planning; agency”

Sherrieb et al

(2010): “trajectory”

Kaplan, 1999: “normative”

Hegney et al, 2007: “positive life adaptations”

Adger et al, 2004: “adaptive capacity at

multiple scales”

1940s: SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL

RESEARCH

1. Definitions of community resilience

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Human agency:

5 Magis, 2010

• “Community resilience is the existence, development and engagement of community

resources by community members to thrive in an environment characterised by change, uncertainty,

unpredictability, and surprise. • Members of communities intentionally develop

personal and collective capacity to respond to and influence change, to sustain and renew the

community, and to develop new trajectories for the communities’ future”

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2. Community land ownership and community resilience

Resilience can be built, is multi-scale, and is achieved through deliberate actions. In National Performance Framework: “We have strong, resilient and supportive communities where people take responsibility for their own actions and how they affect others.” Evidence from the research shows that community land trusts are delivering that brief.

Elements needed in rural community resilience:

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3. Private land ownership and community resilience

“A vibrant and strong family estate can contribute to the on-going vibrancy of rural communities, both on or near these estates.”

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4. Complexities of resilience and empowerment processes

Community empowerment and resilience processes are: non-linear, stop-start, often-exclusive, reinforce inequalities,

messy and take time.

5. Social justice implications

Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016

Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015

“Enabling frameworks”

5. Social justice implications

Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016

Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015

“Enabling frameworks”

Communities do not all start from same place

Promoting inclusion:

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• Aims: – find out what makes

communities in remote rural UK resilient and sustainable, in spite of the adversities and challenges they face;

– identify ways forward into 2030 and beyond; and

– assist the strategic approach of The Prince’s Countryside Fund to plan and deliver its future support to rural communities for years to come.

• 6-month, UK project • Stakeholder workshops

• Policy workshops • Call for Evidence (March)

• Report July 2018

6. “Recharging Rural” UK

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Call for Evidence:

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“Recharging Rural” includes a focus on new technologies and collaborative ways

of working…

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Infrastructure to enable new technologies

• Challenges: – Resilience of remote rural… – Differences in community capacity – Social justice and human rights issues – Technologies as “enablers”

• Achievements: – www.Cybermoor.org

• (UK 1st social enterprise town) – Lothian Broadband – Isle of Eigg BB

• Equity for the “last mile” – People “follow the bandwidth” – Business advantages (Dr Gary Bosworth, Lincoln) – Harness benefits for all

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Good “fit” to remote rural: • Energy:

– Renewable energy – Electric cars (Cybermoor

“Charge My Street”) – Smart Energy GB (in

partnership with ACRE) • Remote diagnostics in

healthcare: – e.g. Capsule endoscopy

• Integrated transport: – Demand responsive transport – Flexible Integrated Transport

(hospital)

ENRD “Smart Villages”:

ENRD “Smart Villages”:

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7. Empowerment policies

22 22 SOURCE: Rural Scotland in Focus Report 2016 (29/11/16)

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What have we learned?

1. “Enabling frameworks” are necessary but insufficient to ensure resilient communities across rural Scotland (and Ireland? and UK?)

2. Systematically recognise and record rural social justice implications, plus any approaches.

3. Create relationships and engage with policy colleagues across Directorates to ensure high-quality rural evidence makes its way into debates and has impact.

Towards more resilient rural communities: the human dimension

Joint Teagasc-SRUC Conference: 13.03.18

Professor Sarah Skerratt Director, Rural Policy Centre Scotland’s Rural College