Unequal rural areas: Critical perspectives on rural development in Hesse

Speaker: Andreas Kallert

There is no such thing as a single rural area in Hesse: while rural regions in southern Hesse are generally prospering, the north and east of Hesse are often poorly positioned in terms of infrastructure and economy. The lecture will shed light on this spatially unequal development and the associated unequal living conditions based on the classification in the neoliberal processes of austerity and (inter-municipal) competition. The role of current Hessian structural and regional policy is then discussed.
Finally, some elements of a "progressive ruralism" are outlined, which point the way to a good life in the countryside. The extent to which such a policy of solidarity could also weaken right-wing populist forces in rural regions will be the subject of the subsequent joint discussion.

Overview of the event series and Zoom link:
http://www.uni-kassel.de/go/veranstaltungsreihe_critical_agrarian_studies