This book examines the multiple ways in which rural regions in Europe are being restructuring through globalization and the regional development responses that they have adopted. It provides an understanding of the key challenges and opportunities for rural regions arising from the major economic, social, political and cultural changes associated with globalization, including trade liberalization and economic deregulation, increased international migration, and the rise of global consciousness about environmental issues. Drawing on examples and findings from a major European research project, DERREG, the book presents detailed case studies of ten regions in different parts of Europe, exploring the factors that lead to different experiences of globalization in each of the regions, and highlighting examples of good practice in regional development responses. The book concludes by proposing a typology of regional responses to globalization and considering the policy implications of the research findings. As such, a "Globalization and Europea (TM)s Rural Regionsa (TM) is important reading for geographers, sociologists, planners and economists interested in understanding the impact of globalization in rural regions, and for rural development professionals seeking to mobilize effective responses.
Contents: Globalization and Europe's rural regions - challenge and opportunity, John McDonagh, Michael Woods and Birte Nienaber; A spatial perspective on small firm networking from a rural periphery - the case of Swedish Norrland, Alexandre Dubois and Moa Hedstrom; Raising self-efficacy and resilience in the Westerkwartier: the spin-off from collaborative leadership, Dirk Roep, Wiebke Wellbrock and Lummina G. Horlings; Managing development with civil society in a globalizing rural, Marie Mahon, Maura Farrell and John McDonagh; Local cultures of the Ceredigion economy: practices of endogenous development in rural Mid Wales, Laura Jones, Jesse Heley and Suzie Watkin; Constituting connections and rural revitalization in 'The Comarca de Verin', Galicia (Spain), Maria D. Dominguez Garcia, Paul Swagemakers, Johannes S.C. Wiskerke and Xavier Simon Fernandez; Greater globalization challenges - lesser rural responses: the case of Alytus County, Lithuania, Emilija Kairyte; Transformation of rural Slovenia: the Pomurje region in search of new development paths, Barbara Lampic, Irena Mrak and Irma Potocnik Slavic; Towards a sustainable regional economy? The Oberlausitz region in transformation, Joachim Burdack, Michael Kriszan and Robert Nadler; The rural regions of the old-industrialized Saarland - between globalization and regionalization, Birte Nienaber and Violetta Frys; Globalization and sustainable development in South Moravia, Milada Stastna; Globalization processes and the restructuring of Europe's rural regions, Michael Woods, Birte Nienaber and John McDonagh; Index.