Grassroots Rural Protest and Political Activity in Britain
Project Staff
Principle Investigator
Woods, Michael
Collaborators
Dr Suzie Watkin
Non IGES Collaborators
Dr Jon Anderson (Cardiff University)
Dr Stephen Guilbert (Sheffield University)
Brief Description
Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), 1 January 2006 - 31 December 2007
This research examined participation in rural protests and campaigning activities by grassroots activists in contemporary Britiain. In particular, it explored the extent and organization of such activities; the nature and motivation of participants; the selection of tactics and strategies at both individual and collective levels; and the positioning of protest activities vis-à-vis the role of established rural interest groups. The research involved empirical work at the national, regional and local scales, including a survey of Countryside Alliance members and ethnographic fieldwork in rural communities in Cheshire, Devon/Somerset, Powys and Suffolk. Two research associates, Steven Guilbert and Suzie Watkin, were employed on this project.
Details of the project outputs, including the final report, can be found on the ESRC Society Today website.