At a time when there is major reorientation of rural economies in the west and east of Europe, and the emergence of fresh possibilities both for governance and for conflict, this book brings together a group of European academics in the fields of geography, sociology and anthropology to examine how such changes take place.

Contents: Preface; Introduction, Arnar Árnaason, Andrea Nightingale, Mark Shucksmith and Jo Vergunst; Networks for local development: aiming for visibility, products and success, Esko Lehto and Jukka Oksa; Social capital in rural areas: public goods and public services, Claudio Cecchi; Gendered social capital : exploring the relations between civil society and the labour market, Susanne Stenbacka and Karin Tillberg Mattsson; Identity-building in regional initiatives for rural development: comparing Ireland's lake district and Norway's mountain region, Torill Meistad Frances Hannon and Chris Curtin; The role of identity in contemporary rural development processes, Frances Hannon and Chris Curtin; Using environmental resources: networks in food and landscape, Jo Vergunst, Arnar Árnason, Ronald Macintyre and Andrea Nightingale; Conclusions: comparing rural development, Jo Vergunst and Mark Shucksmith; References; Index.