Pub Date : 2025-09-18DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103858
Xue Yang, Ruixiang Jia, Zhengzhou Ji, Jie Lu, Xiuli Wang, Ling Li
The behavioural choices of stakeholders play a critical role in utilisation of collective operational construction land (COCL) and sustainable development of rural industries. This study considers the effects of government support and mutually beneficial cooperation between villages and enterprises on COCL use. A three-party game model involving the government, enterprises, and village collectives is constructed to analyse the strategies and evolutionary behaviours of each party, ultimately identifying three equilibrium points. Based on a simulation analysis of COCL marketisation cases in China, the results indicate that government support is effective in the early stages of COCL use but gradually loses its positive impact over time. Key factors influencing efficient COCL use include the severity of government penalties for enterprises’ non-compliant behaviour and the synergistic innovation benefits of village-enterprise cooperation. Efficient utilisation of COCL is a continuous dynamic process. The government can effectively deter and regulate enterprise behaviour by increasing penalty amounts, thereby safeguarding the rights and interests of village collectives.
{"title":"A three-party dynamic evolutionary game for efficient use of rural collective operational construction land","authors":"Xue Yang, Ruixiang Jia, Zhengzhou Ji, Jie Lu, Xiuli Wang, Ling Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103858","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103858","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The behavioural choices of stakeholders play a critical role in utilisation of collective operational construction land (COCL) and sustainable development of rural industries. This study considers the effects of government support and mutually beneficial cooperation between villages and enterprises on COCL use. A three-party game model involving the government, enterprises, and village collectives is constructed to analyse the strategies and evolutionary behaviours of each party, ultimately identifying three equilibrium points. Based on a simulation analysis of COCL marketisation cases in China, the results indicate that government support is effective in the early stages of COCL use but gradually loses its positive impact over time. Key factors influencing efficient COCL use include the severity of government penalties for enterprises’ non-compliant behaviour and the synergistic innovation benefits of village-enterprise cooperation. Efficient utilisation of COCL is a continuous dynamic process. The government can effectively deter and regulate enterprise behaviour by increasing penalty amounts, thereby safeguarding the rights and interests of village collectives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103858"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145099675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-18DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103876
Omar Vicente Guadarrama Fuentes, José Maria Gil Roig
Geographical indications (GIs) aim to offer differentiated unique products associated with a specific geographical identity, the conservation of natural resources, and the safeguarding of cultural and culinary customs. The expansion of GIs has also generated an increasing literature aimed at examining them from various perspectives and using diverse methodological approaches. However, there is a paucity of research that prioritises the different viewpoints or explores the presence of consensus among these complementary perspectives. Addressing this lack is the objective of this study. The methodological framework is based on Q methodology, which integrates quantitative components through factor analysis and qualitative components through expert opinions. The experts involved in this research were asked to position themselves on a series of stimuli related to the topic being analysed. The stimuli chosen for this study were based on a comprehensive review of the literature, resulting in 44 statements for experts to evaluate. The results have allowed us to identify three primary discourses regarding GIs. The first aims to emphasise the institutional and governance aspects, the second focuses on the certified products and its intangible symbolic values while the third emphasises their role in promoting sustainability within the protected region and among GI region members.
{"title":"Sustainability, governance and symbolism in Spanish geographical indication: A discourse analysis through Q methodology","authors":"Omar Vicente Guadarrama Fuentes, José Maria Gil Roig","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103876","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103876","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Geographical indications (GIs) aim to offer differentiated unique products associated with a specific geographical identity, the conservation of natural resources, and the safeguarding of cultural and culinary customs. The expansion of GIs has also generated an increasing literature aimed at examining them from various perspectives and using diverse methodological approaches. However, there is a paucity of research that prioritises the different viewpoints or explores the presence of consensus among these complementary perspectives. Addressing this lack is the objective of this study. The methodological framework is based on Q methodology, which integrates quantitative components through factor analysis and qualitative components through expert opinions. The experts involved in this research were asked to position themselves on a series of stimuli related to the topic being analysed. The stimuli chosen for this study were based on a comprehensive review of the literature, resulting in 44 statements for experts to evaluate. The results have allowed us to identify three primary discourses regarding GIs. The first aims to emphasise the institutional and governance aspects, the second focuses on the certified products and its intangible symbolic values while the third emphasises their role in promoting sustainability within the protected region and among GI region members.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103876"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145099673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
It is widely recognized that national or global shocks can affect household food security in rural areas of low-income countries. However, there is still limited rigorous micro-level evidence regarding how such impacts manifest and are distributed. A primary reason for this gap is data limitations; many studies are unable to adequately control for the seasonal and inter-annual variations in production and consumption that can bias identification of the effects of large, covariate shocks. We use three years of monthly household panel data to characterize the food security effects of COVID-19 in Southern Malawi. These high frequency data begin two years before the pandemic, allowing us to control for seasonality and inter-annual variation in growing conditions and to demonstrate how these confounding factors can lead to spurious estimates. We find that a strong 2020 harvest coincided with the COVID-19 shock and buffered households on average from food insecurity. We show, however, that the strong harvest on average was insufficient to protect the poorest households: the majority (74 %) of the most food insecure households pre-pandemic were worse-off in 2020 than they would have been otherwise. We use qualitative methods to explore underlying mechanisms: the pandemic led better-off households to reduce their demand for local labor, resulting in declining earning opportunities for the poorest households. Our findings demonstrate the importance of controlling for concurrent dynamics to generate more accurate estimates about how large covariate shocks are associated with household food security, particularly among the most vulnerable rural households.
{"title":"Shocks and rural food insecurity: Insights from high frequency data during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi","authors":"Joanna Upton , Erin Lentz , Elizabeth Tennant , Hope Michelson","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103879","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103879","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>It is widely recognized that national or global shocks can affect household food security in rural areas of low-income countries. However, there is still limited rigorous micro-level evidence regarding how such impacts manifest and are distributed. A primary reason for this gap is data limitations; many studies are unable to adequately control for the seasonal and inter-annual variations in production and consumption that can bias identification of the effects of large, covariate shocks. We use three years of monthly household panel data to characterize the food security effects of COVID-19 in Southern Malawi. These high frequency data begin two years before the pandemic, allowing us to control for seasonality and inter-annual variation in growing conditions and to demonstrate how these confounding factors can lead to spurious estimates. We find that a strong 2020 harvest coincided with the COVID-19 shock and buffered households on average from food insecurity. We show, however, that the strong harvest on average was insufficient to protect the poorest households: the majority (74 %) of the most food insecure households pre-pandemic were worse-off in 2020 than they would have been otherwise. We use qualitative methods to explore underlying mechanisms: the pandemic led better-off households to reduce their demand for local labor, resulting in declining earning opportunities for the poorest households. Our findings demonstrate the importance of controlling for concurrent dynamics to generate more accurate estimates about how large covariate shocks are associated with household food security, particularly among the most vulnerable rural households.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103879"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145099674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-18DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103892
K.K. Zander , A. Bernard , S.T. Garnett
Many regional and rural areas of the Global North face declining populations and challenges in attracting and retaining long-term residents. Despite a well-established literature on the determinants of internal migration, it is still not clear why some regions fail to attract internal migrants despite employment opportunities and access to amenities. Here we explore the role of an under-researched factor, a hot and humid climate, using Darwin, acity in northern Australia, as a case study. Drawing on the aspiration-capability framework, we conducted a national online survey to examine willingness to live in, or to avoid, Darwin and the underlying reasons (n = 1653). Results from descriptive and regression analysis show that close to one in six Australians is willing to move to Darwin, particularly men, families with children, heat tolerant individuals and those with a good knowledge of the city's economy and climate. Using Principal Component Analysis, we identify three main barriers which together explain 69 % of the variation in not considering moving to Darwin. These include amenity deficiencies (46 %), geographical barriers, including the combined impact of heat and remoteness (13 %) and high costs of living (10 %). These demonstrate the presence of place-specific barriers, with heat one among several rather than being a single reason for avoidance. Notably, preconceptions about Darwin and peer influence are, besides age, the strongest determinants of perceived barriers to living in Darwin. As climate change is set to intensify, policies aimed at attracting individuals to non-metropolitan tropical cities should prioritise addressing and mitigating negative preconceptions, including those related to climate.
{"title":"Love or hate it: the role of heat and humidity in attracting residents to a regional tropical city","authors":"K.K. Zander , A. Bernard , S.T. Garnett","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103892","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103892","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many regional and rural areas of the Global North face declining populations and challenges in attracting and retaining long-term residents. Despite a well-established literature on the determinants of internal migration, it is still not clear why some regions fail to attract internal migrants despite employment opportunities and access to amenities. Here we explore the role of an under-researched factor, a hot and humid climate, using Darwin, acity in northern Australia, as a case study. Drawing on the aspiration-capability framework, we conducted a national online survey to examine willingness to live in, or to avoid, Darwin and the underlying reasons (n = 1653). Results from descriptive and regression analysis show that close to one in six Australians is willing to move to Darwin, particularly men, families with children, heat tolerant individuals and those with a good knowledge of the city's economy and climate. Using Principal Component Analysis, we identify three main barriers which together explain 69 % of the variation in not considering moving to Darwin. These include amenity deficiencies (46 %), geographical barriers, including the combined impact of heat and remoteness (13 %) and high costs of living (10 %). These demonstrate the presence of place-specific barriers, with heat one among several rather than being a single reason for avoidance. Notably, preconceptions about Darwin and peer influence are, besides age, the strongest determinants of perceived barriers to living in Darwin. As climate change is set to intensify, policies aimed at attracting individuals to non-metropolitan tropical cities should prioritise addressing and mitigating negative preconceptions, including those related to climate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103892"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145099676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-16DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103870
Chen Liang , Yang Zhou
Land consolidation (LC) has increasingly been recognized as a key policy instrument for advancing rural revitalization in post-poverty China. However, its multidimensional impacts on rural development have not been fully investigated. We develop an analytical framework of the land consolidation-social ecological system (LC-SES). Drawing on remote sensing data and village-level panel data from 2014 to 2023, we employ a continuous difference-in-differences model and an event study method to examine the multidimensional impacts of LC. The results show that the average rural comprehensive development capacity (RCDC) of the study area has more than doubled over the past decade. Regression estimates suggest that each additional RMB 1 billion invested in LC projects is associated with an increase of about 12 percent in RCDC. Moreover, dynamic effects observed in the economic and ecological subsystems of LC project villages demonstrate a strong temporal synergy, suggesting that LC holds long-term potential for balancing production and ecological sustainability. Mechanism analysis reveals that farmland expansion, land transfer, and organizational governance are the primary pathways through which LC contributes to income growth among village collectives and rural households. Heterogeneity analysis further indicates that the effects of LC are more pronounced in poor, non-mountainous, and large-scale villages, highlighting its potential for poverty alleviation, ecological adaptability, and scale economies. This study contributes to the theoretical advancement of the SES framework in land use policy research and offers empirical insights into the systematic role of LC in driving rural transformation.
{"title":"Unlocking rural vitality: Assessing the multidimensional impacts of land consolidation on rural comprehensive development capacity in post-poverty China","authors":"Chen Liang , Yang Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103870","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103870","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Land consolidation (LC) has increasingly been recognized as a key policy instrument for advancing rural revitalization in post-poverty China. However, its multidimensional impacts on rural development have not been fully investigated. We develop an analytical framework of the land consolidation-social ecological system (LC-SES). Drawing on remote sensing data and village-level panel data from 2014 to 2023, we employ a continuous difference-in-differences model and an event study method to examine the multidimensional impacts of LC. The results show that the average rural comprehensive development capacity (RCDC) of the study area has more than doubled over the past decade. Regression estimates suggest that each additional RMB 1 billion invested in LC projects is associated with an increase of about 12 percent in RCDC. Moreover, dynamic effects observed in the economic and ecological subsystems of LC project villages demonstrate a strong temporal synergy, suggesting that LC holds long-term potential for balancing production and ecological sustainability. Mechanism analysis reveals that farmland expansion, land transfer, and organizational governance are the primary pathways through which LC contributes to income growth among village collectives and rural households. Heterogeneity analysis further indicates that the effects of LC are more pronounced in poor, non-mountainous, and large-scale villages, highlighting its potential for poverty alleviation, ecological adaptability, and scale economies. This study contributes to the theoretical advancement of the SES framework in land use policy research and offers empirical insights into the systematic role of LC in driving rural transformation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103870"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145099672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-15DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103887
Zuzana Macuchova, Daniel Brandt
Like in several other European countries, rural areas in Sweden face significant challenges related to public transport accessibility that are driven by demographic and economic shifts, including population decline and urbanization. This study adopts a supply-side perspective, focusing on whether services are available and accessible in the vicinity of people's place of residence, and evaluates inequalities in public transport provision through the lenses of horizontal equity (distribution across the general population) and vertical equity (provision for marginalised groups). Using high-resolution grid-level population data and General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data, we construct four indicators—service frequency, proximity to stops, number of routes, and accessibility—that are synthesised into a Public Transport Supply Index (PTSI). Horizontal equity is assessed through Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients, while vertical equity is analysed by comparing PTSI values across ranges of socio-economic groups. Results reveal pronounced disparities between more densely populated and rural areas, where more densely populated areas exhibit higher PTSI values. Nonetheless, despite these disparities, the study identifies relatively high equity in transport provision, particularly for groups such as low-income households and young adults.
{"title":"Public transport supply in rural Sweden: Examining distribution through the lens of equity","authors":"Zuzana Macuchova, Daniel Brandt","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103887","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103887","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Like in several other European countries, rural areas in Sweden face significant challenges related to public transport accessibility that are driven by demographic and economic shifts, including population decline and urbanization. This study adopts a supply-side perspective, focusing on whether services are available and accessible in the vicinity of people's place of residence, and evaluates inequalities in public transport provision through the lenses of horizontal equity (distribution across the general population) and vertical equity (provision for marginalised groups). Using high-resolution grid-level population data and General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data, we construct four indicators—service frequency, proximity to stops, number of routes, and accessibility—that are synthesised into a Public Transport Supply Index (PTSI). Horizontal equity is assessed through Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients, while vertical equity is analysed by comparing PTSI values across ranges of socio-economic groups. Results reveal pronounced disparities between more densely populated and rural areas, where more densely populated areas exhibit higher PTSI values. Nonetheless, despite these disparities, the study identifies relatively high equity in transport provision, particularly for groups such as low-income households and young adults.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103887"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145060234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-15DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103880
Maria Bednarek-Szczepańska , Krzysztof Janc
This study explores the consequences of knowledge transfer between urban newcomers and long-term rural residents (“oldtimers”) through their interactions in peripheral rural villages in Poland. Employing qualitative methods—including in-depth interviews conducted in 18 villages experiencing either seasonal or permanent migration—the research addresses a gap regarding the socio-economic and cultural implications of these migration types on rural communities. The originality of the study lies in the comparative analysis of knowledge transfer dynamics across diverse migration contexts. Findings reveal that, despite differing migration modalities, participants perceive similar effects of knowledge exchange, notably improvements in local economic activities, employment opportunities, and demand for local products. Socio-cultural outcomes include enhanced mutual understanding and community cohesion, alongside occasional cultural tensions. The study underscores the central role of reciprocal knowledge sharing in supporting rural development and resilience, while highlighting challenges related to engagement and integration. These findings advance the understanding of rural–urban interaction dynamics and their potential to enhance rural resilience and sustainability.
{"title":"Neighborhood with benefits? Consequences of the urban-rural knowledge transfer in the perspective of interactions between newcomers and oldtimers","authors":"Maria Bednarek-Szczepańska , Krzysztof Janc","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103880","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103880","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores the consequences of knowledge transfer between urban newcomers and long-term rural residents (“oldtimers”) through their interactions in peripheral rural villages in Poland. Employing qualitative methods—including in-depth interviews conducted in 18 villages experiencing either seasonal or permanent migration—the research addresses a gap regarding the socio-economic and cultural implications of these migration types on rural communities. The originality of the study lies in the comparative analysis of knowledge transfer dynamics across diverse migration contexts. Findings reveal that, despite differing migration modalities, participants perceive similar effects of knowledge exchange, notably improvements in local economic activities, employment opportunities, and demand for local products. Socio-cultural outcomes include enhanced mutual understanding and community cohesion, alongside occasional cultural tensions. The study underscores the central role of reciprocal knowledge sharing in supporting rural development and resilience, while highlighting challenges related to engagement and integration. These findings advance the understanding of rural–urban interaction dynamics and their potential to enhance rural resilience and sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103880"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145060233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-12DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103882
Wenhao Liu, Zhineng Hu
Nonfarm employment is an important livelihood strategy for rural residents. How to improve the quality of nonfarm employment is currently an urgent problem to be solved, which is not only related to the well-being of individuals but also linked to the healthy development of the economy. Data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) are used to analyze the role of Internet usage in promoting nonfarm employment participation and quality. The inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment is employed as the baseline model, while the Heckman selection model is utilized to address sample selection bias, and the control function approach is applied to tackle endogeneity. The results indicate that Internet usage has a positive effect on rural workforce’s participation in nonfarm employment, particularly in nonfarm wage employment and local nonfarm employment. From a dimensional perspective, Internet usage can enhance the quality of nonfarm wage employment in terms of wages, cash benefits, employment stability, and the socioeconomic status of occupations. The positive effect of Internet usage on the index of nonfarm wage employment quality constructed by the principal component analysis is insignificant. Subgroup analysis reveals that the effect of Internet usage on the quality of nonfarm wage employment differs across age groups, educational levels, regional topographies, and employment types. The research conclusions support the necessity of popularizing the Internet in rural areas. Furthermore, it must be noted that enhancing nonfarm employment quality requires efforts directed at digital skills.
{"title":"Effect of Internet usage on nonfarm employment participation and quality: Evidence from China","authors":"Wenhao Liu, Zhineng Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103882","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103882","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nonfarm employment is an important livelihood strategy for rural residents. How to improve the quality of nonfarm employment is currently an urgent problem to be solved, which is not only related to the well-being of individuals but also linked to the healthy development of the economy. Data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) are used to analyze the role of Internet usage in promoting nonfarm employment participation and quality. The inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment is employed as the baseline model, while the Heckman selection model is utilized to address sample selection bias, and the control function approach is applied to tackle endogeneity. The results indicate that Internet usage has a positive effect on rural workforce’s participation in nonfarm employment, particularly in nonfarm wage employment and local nonfarm employment. From a dimensional perspective, Internet usage can enhance the quality of nonfarm wage employment in terms of wages, cash benefits, employment stability, and the socioeconomic status of occupations. The positive effect of Internet usage on the index of nonfarm wage employment quality constructed by the principal component analysis is insignificant. Subgroup analysis reveals that the effect of Internet usage on the quality of nonfarm wage employment differs across age groups, educational levels, regional topographies, and employment types. The research conclusions support the necessity of popularizing the Internet in rural areas. Furthermore, it must be noted that enhancing nonfarm employment quality requires efforts directed at digital skills.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103882"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145043940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-12DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103873
Ann O'Brien, Eoin Whelan, Yixin Qiu, Jonathan Levie
Coworking spaces have long been recognised as places where a sense of community can be fostered, particularly within urban settings. Recent shifts in work practices, particularly the increased adoption of remote and hybrid work, coupled with government incentives for relocating away from cities, have sparked interest in rural hubs. Using qualitative data from 32 interviews of rural hub users, this research investigates how rural hubs can contribute to a sense of community among remote workers in rural regions. Our findings show that the four interdependent dimensions of sense of community (sense of belonging, shared emotional connection, influence, and needs fulfilment) can be identified in many, though not all, rural hubs. The analysis explores the process of how the four dimensions can interact to develop a sense of community in rural hubs. These findings add to the literature on the potential contribution of coworking spaces to the socio-economic development of rural regions. Furthermore, this study contributes to scholarly discussion on sense of community by providing a processual view.
{"title":"You'll never work alone: Assessing user value in remote working hubs","authors":"Ann O'Brien, Eoin Whelan, Yixin Qiu, Jonathan Levie","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103873","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103873","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coworking spaces have long been recognised as places where a sense of community can be fostered, particularly within urban settings. Recent shifts in work practices, particularly the increased adoption of remote and hybrid work, coupled with government incentives for relocating away from cities, have sparked interest in rural hubs. Using qualitative data from 32 interviews of rural hub users, this research investigates how rural hubs can contribute to a sense of community among remote workers in rural regions. Our findings show that the four interdependent dimensions of sense of community (sense of belonging, shared emotional connection, influence, and needs fulfilment) can be identified in many, though not all, rural hubs. The analysis explores the process of how the four dimensions can interact to develop a sense of community in rural hubs. These findings add to the literature on the potential contribution of coworking spaces to the socio-economic development of rural regions. Furthermore, this study contributes to scholarly discussion on sense of community by providing a processual view.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103873"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145043941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-12DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103885
Hanjin Li , Hu Tian , Xiaoyan Yang , Tao Liu
The growth of rural e-commerce is considered as a crucial for driving rural economic growth, and its external effects on agricultural production deserve close attention. This paper is to empirically investigates the impact of rural e-commerce on the conversion of arable land to non-grainization (ALNG) by analyzing macro-level county panel data and micro-level data from the China Land Economic Survey. The research findings show that rural e-commerce development significantly contributes to the conversion of ALNG, highlighting its adverse externality on food production. This conclusion remains consistent through various robustness tests. Further analysis indicates that non-agricultural training enhances the influence of e-commerce on ALNG, while an increase in agricultural labor input reduces this effect. Heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that rural e-commerce significantly increased the conversion of ALNG in regions with underdeveloped agricultural economies, whereas no significant impact is observed in more developed agricultural areas. Additionally, the development of rural e-commerce has a positive influence on ALNG among small-scale farmers, but shows no effect on the large-scale farmers. This study not only presents the academic discourse on the impact of the growth of rural e-commerce in food production but also provides new insights into balancing rural economic development and food security, particularly for countries that rely on e-commerce to drive rural economies.
{"title":"Rural E-commerce diffusion and arable land Non-grainization: Evidence from 1145 counties in China","authors":"Hanjin Li , Hu Tian , Xiaoyan Yang , Tao Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103885","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103885","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growth of rural e-commerce is considered as a crucial for driving rural economic growth, and its external effects on agricultural production deserve close attention. This paper is to empirically investigates the impact of rural e-commerce on the conversion of arable land to non-grainization (ALNG) by analyzing macro-level county panel data and micro-level data from the China Land Economic Survey. The research findings show that rural e-commerce development significantly contributes to the conversion of ALNG, highlighting its adverse externality on food production. This conclusion remains consistent through various robustness tests. Further analysis indicates that non-agricultural training enhances the influence of e-commerce on ALNG, while an increase in agricultural labor input reduces this effect. Heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that rural e-commerce significantly increased the conversion of ALNG in regions with underdeveloped agricultural economies, whereas no significant impact is observed in more developed agricultural areas. Additionally, the development of rural e-commerce has a positive influence on ALNG among small-scale farmers, but shows no effect on the large-scale farmers. This study not only presents the academic discourse on the impact of the growth of rural e-commerce in food production but also provides new insights into balancing rural economic development and food security, particularly for countries that rely on e-commerce to drive rural economies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103885"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145043939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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