Rural Affective Economies

Beschreibung

“Rural Affective Economies is a sophisticated theoretical meditation on the role played by visions of the past and future in creating narratives meant to sustain and rebuild rural communities.”

David Sutton, Southern Illinois University

"Blending practical case studies with anthropological theory, Rural Affective Economy is a great contribution to the study of local rural development in Europe and one which reveals the crucial importance of food cultures within resilient economies."

Sabine Parrish, University of Aberdeen 

“Both theoretical and practical, Rural Affective Economies will be of interest to anthropologists, geographers, policy makers and others with an interest in using local foods to reinvigorate rural communities struggling with rapid depopulation and economic marginalisation, in Europe and beyond.” 

Jakob Klein, SOAS University of London 

This book delves into the development trajectories of rural Europe, with a specific focus on Italy. The book addresses the key challenges rural communities face and explores the potential for grassroots development. The concept of affective economy is central to the book, which is introduced and utilized to analyze these dynamics.

The book assesses local food heritage and agrifood chains to showcase how these elements can serve as pillars for sustainable local development. It provides tools and methodologies for identifying and documenting food heritage, offering practical insights for public and private stakeholders interested in fostering local economic growth, and shows how how emotional and social bonds within communities can drive sustainable growth. This book is a must-read for academics and practitioners passionate about sustainable development who want to envision concrete strategies for rural development.

Michele Filippo Fontefrancesco is an associate professor of cultural anthropology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Italy. Since 2022, he has been the convenor of the Network of Anthropology of Food in the European Association of Social Anthropology. His research focuses on economic anthropology and food anthropology, particularly on issues concerning local development in Europe and Eastern Africa. He is the author of Food Festivals and Local Development in Italy (Palgrave, 2020).

This book delves into the development trajectories of rural Europe, with a specific focus on Italy. The book addresses the key challenges rural communities face and explores the potential for grassroots development. The concept of affective economy is central to the book, which is introduced and utilized to analyze these dynamics.

The book assesses local food heritage and agrifood chains to showcase how these elements can serve as pillars for sustainable local development. It provides tools and methodologies for identifying and documenting food heritage, offering practical insights for public and private stakeholders interested in fostering local economic growth, and shows how emotional and social bonds within communities can drive sustainable growth. This book is a must-read for academics and practitioners passionate about sustainable development who want to envision concrete strategies for rural development.

Autor*in

Michele Filippo Fontefrancesco

Themen in »Rural Affective Economies«

The concept of affective economy Relationship between landscape and farmers Anthropological dimension of dwelling Marginalization of rural communities in Italy Strategies to revitalize marginal areas Alternative food networks Impact of depopulation Downturn of food commodity market Impact of European and national agricultural policies.

Stimmen zu »Rural Affective Economies«

“This is a timely intervention in debates on the future of rural Europe. Fontefrancesco grounds his critical yet hopeful assessment of marginalisation and development in northwest Italy in a careful ethnography of the webs of relationships of people and non-human entities that make up rural communities. Both theoretical and practical, Rural Affective Economies will be of interest to anthropologists, geographers, policy makers and others with an interest in using local foods to reinvigorate rural communities struggling with rapid depopulation and economic marginalisation, in Europe and beyond.” (Jakob Klein, SOAS Food Studies Centre, SOAS University of London)

“Across Europe, socioeconomic and demographic transformations are serving to depopulate rural villages; yet what future lies in store for those who remain in fragile and marginalised settlements? How might the state of play change from one of looming apocalypse to one of hope? Painting a vivid ethnographic picture of the Italian paese of San Giovanni, Michele Filippo Fontefrancesco places food products within their networks of relationships to show both the potentials and tensions of food and agriculture in rural development and revitalization. Blending practical case studies with anthropological theory, Rural Affective Economy is a great contribution to the study of local rural development in Europe and one which reveals the crucial importance of food cultures within resilient economies.” (Dr Sabine Parrish, Interdisciplinary Research Fellow in Anthropology at the University of Aberdeen and Convenor of the EASA Anthropology of Food Network)

“Not only an account of the role of food in rural development strategies in the town of San Giovanni, Rural Affective Economies is a sophisticated theoretical meditation on the role played by visions of the past and future in creating narratives meant to sustain and rebuild rural communities. It provides an excellent complement to Fontefrancesco’s previous work on food festivals in Italy. This book should be read by anyone interested in contemporary European anthropology and its potential contribution to the future of rural places and spaces in Southern Europe.” (David Sutton, Professor of Anthropology, Southern Illinois University)

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