Relational rurals: Some thoughts on relating things and theory in rural studies

摘要: Abstract This paper considers how shifts within the social sciences towards conceptualising spatiality in relational terms have unfolded rural studies particular ways over past decade or so. A period which networks, connections, flows and mobility all established themselves as compelling conceptual frames for research, has increasingly been recast a multi-authored multi-faceted space, constituted through local-global interconnections their place specific, sometimes contested, manifestations. In this way, multiple meanings of continues to be focus critical concern, are implications ‘of’ ‘in’ spaces some major issues currently being faced by governments citizens around world; including climate change food security. Apprehending complexity these terms, we argue, requires not only thinking space relationally, but at same time epistemologically theoretically pluralist. That is, recognising co-constituent production material discursive phenomenon, processes practices, thus value existing theoretical resources (social constructionism, political economic materialism) relation with rigorous appraisal ‘new’ concepts ideas better comprehend its multidimensional particularity. To end, identify Cindi Katz's notion ‘countertopography’ promising methodological addition scholar's toolkit insofar it attends politics location differentation global processes. We conclude our discussion sketching out possible objects countertopographical analysis understanding ongoing space(s).