The resituated rural: exploring narratives beyond the empty Spain

Abstract

The controversies surrounding the rural have generated a lively discussion in Spain. Notions of “empty Spain” have gained momentum since the second half of the 2010s while the mainstream media have continued to replicate negative stereotypes and narratives about the countryside: the lack of opportunities, abandoned villages, economic depression and impoverished cultural life. These clichés, though grounded in the difficult realities of these spaces, come from a background of stigmatized depictions of the rural. However, these mainstream narratives may conceal alternative perspectives that allow new representations. The author proposes the notion of the resituated rural to refer to these new narratives and identifies three markers: the determination to leave behind victimization; the rejection of rural stereotyping; and the commitment to values rooted in cultural identities, sustainability concerns, social justice and gender equity. To illustrate this notion, the author reviews cultural works ranging from novels and feature films to documentaries about agriculture and nature, as well as magazines producing quality journalism on a variety of media platforms and social networks. The article argues that the resituated rural provides alternatives to hegemonic storytelling, avoids polarized apocalyptic or idyllic scenarios and explains the Spanish countryside as a “livable space”, thus offering critical insights for the construction of acceptable futures.