Alienation, Authenticity, and Populism in Rural Areas

This book captures the complex relationships between rurality and populism with a focus on the processes of alienation and on the contemporary search for authenticity. It explores these relationships using case studies from different national and cultural contexts. Populist movements are growing stronger around the world. While their tactics and their rhetoric vary, there are also common themes – notably, the promise to speak on behalf of those “left behind” in the contemporary developments. This book helps readers understand how rurality, peripherality and lives of rural people are used and exploited by populist movements around the world. Ten years after the “left behind” populations became a hot topic in academia, the book reviews the current state of affairs, and links its strong empirical focus with the concepts of alienation and authenticity to provide an understanding of the new populist zeitgeist. This is important reading for anyone interested in the current rise of populist movements across the world, as well as for students of contemporary rural societies. It is a useful resource for scholars and lecturers, as well as students in sociology, politics and human and social geography.