From rural citizenship to the rural citizen: Farming, dementia and networks of care

Abstract

Citizenship is gaining increased attention in the social sciences but has been under-utilised in rural studies. In this paper we argue that greater attention should be paid to social aspects of citizenship in order to understand participation in daily life and society. In doing so, emphasis needs to be placed on the rural citizen and how he or she engages with different communities across different scales. To explore these ideas we draw upon a case study of farmers living with dementia in Devon, UK. We use concepts of citizenship to explore their rights to services, the effectiveness of active citizenship policies and how the illness impacts on their life-worlds as farmers. We conclude by offering recommendations on the care of farmers with dementia and highlight the significance of citizenship to rural studies.