Environmental policy and the differentiation of rural space: an actor-network perspective

Abstract

This paper examines the linkages between actor-networks, the evolution of environmental policy and the differentiation of rural space in the United Kingdom. It is argued that when environmental policies are applied to designated areas of countryside, social actors attempt to ensure their legitimacy to represent the area by striving to build networks and alliances designed to enrol others to their interests. This paper analyses how social actors construct networks around environmental policy to manage change in the countryside. A case study is presented in which actor-network theory (ANT) is used to analyse the impact of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) environmental policy instruments on the Blackdown Hills, a rural area of southwest England. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.