Migration and the life course in rural settings

This chapter describes the main features of the new rural economy, particularly on the key processes of entrepreneurship and innovation and the resultant outcomes for rural areas. Certainly many rural areas have seen a decline in the importance of traditional primary sector activities and there have been changes within the sector, including a rise in the number of small family farms producing high quality local food, alongside ever-larger farms using advanced technologies. Entrepreneurship has been studied using a variety of points of departure, including explanations based on personality theories, economic theory and ethnic background and culture. As shortall and Warner note, local entrepreneurship perhaps more so in rural areas than urban is about more than just economic benefits; it also contributes to place-making and civic and that help reinforce local communities. Patents generated and expenditure on formal R&D has become the key measures of innovation outcomes and effort and these tend to underplay innovative activities in rural areas.