Rural Denmark Research Articles

Mad without comics: How my life was saved by reading comics

Abstract This article is about surviving life with help of comic books, with an abusive mother in the middle of a rural Denmark in the 1980s.

Drivers and barriers to the development of local food networks in rural Denmark

This article examines the growing interest in local food by focusing on local food networks. The objective is to explore what factors drive or hinder the development of local food networks in rural Denmark. For this purpose, we have combined three bodies of theory: local food networks; entrepreneur networks; and the experience economy. This provides a valuable contribution to the current discourse on local food networks, as it introduces a novel framework to investigate the localisation of food dynamics. The article presents an explorative, case-based investigation of three Danish local food networks. The findings demonstrate that the main drivers of the development of local food networks are the pursuance of transparency and knowledge of origin, the existence of entrepreneurship potential, the coordination of networks by means of joint strategies, and the overcoming of conflict patterns. However, these factors can also be barriers to further development of local food networks. Hence, strategies for developing local food networks must be sensitive to their individual needs and conditions.

Artist Intervention: <em>The Controlled Ruin</em>: Preserving Collective Memories through Building Transformation

Since the 1950s, social migration from rural Denmark toward its urban areas has resulted in abandoned villages. This project outlines the transformation of an abandoned building prototyped at full scale in a rural village setting. This particular transformation was implemented as an attempt to catalyze an exchange of memories of the building and the place as an alternative to demolition.

Experience the difference: the competitive strategies of food‐related entrepreneurs in rural denmark

As food production becomes increasingly integrated, globalized and competitive, small‐scale food‐related enterprises in many European countries are struggling to market and monetize their products. Although these struggles have been well documented, few studies have considered the ways in which food‐related entrepreneurs in rural contexts are adapting to and overcoming these challenges. In particular, little is known about how they differentiate and add value to their products. This article focuses on the development and implementation of new and hybrid commercial strategies by food‐related entrepreneurs in three rural communities in Denmark. These strategies add experiential elements to the longstanding practice of commodifying myths associated with rural settings and identities. Although harnessing culture and experiences to sell things is nothing new, we demonstrate that some Danish entrepreneurs are responding to market competition by tweaking and extending these concepts. In particular, it is argued that entrepreneurs use different experiences with varying levels of intensity and consumer engagement for different purposes. Whereas passive experiences such as storytelling are used to educate consumers about the specific qualities of products, more active and participatory experiences are sold as add‐ons and standalone products. The findings contribute to our understanding of food‐related entrepreneurship in rural contexts, consumption, value creation and the experience of economy more broadly.

Social Capital or Waste of Time ? Social Networks, Social Capital and ‘Unconventional Alliances’ among Danish Rural Entrepreneurs

Social networks are often expected to easily transform into social capital in the form of network resources that can be converted into monetary income. Also many private entrepreneurs participate in a multitude of network activities in the hope of increasing their incomes. They should however be aware of the opportunity costs of these activities, which in the long run may turn out to be sheer waste of time. Drawing on interviews with the owners of three small enterprises in rural Denmark 2008-2012 and within the theoretical framework of a Bourdieu’s theory of the convertibility of tangible and intangible forms of capital, we want to question the widespread belief that networking per se leads to economic gains. Our inductive findings suggest that successful entrepreneurs with what Bourdieu has termed a ‘feel for the game’ – including the ability to ‘effectuate’ their networks – draw on a pool of bonding and bridging social capital. From this reservoir, they select and capitalize their networks at the right time and place. Our data shows that one particular variant of bridging social capital – innovative cooperation between entrepreneurs and partners unlike each other and with complementary skills and roles, termed ‘unconventional alliances’ – can be successfully capitalized, not least in rural areas where SME clusters are scarce. Hence, private entrepreneurs, business development planners and politicians should have in mind that ‘networking’ may involve exceedingly high opportunity costs. Only when networking is needs driven and carefully conceived and orchestrated, it may lead to positive economic outcomes.

Public Libraries as Breeding Grounds for Bonding, Bridging and Institutional Social Capital: The Case of Branch Libraries in Rural Denmark

AbstractPublic libraries are eminent providers of human and social capital, not least in small rural communities where such meeting places are becoming scarce in many areas of the world. Drawing on data from a questionnaire survey, this article reports on social capital creation at branch libraries in 62 rural municipalities in Denmark, as reported by the municipal library managers. A main empirical result is the extensive collaboration between the branch libraries and other public institutions in the local area, which often also involves volunteers from the civic society. Hence, it is shown that, besides micro‐level social capital, valuable social capital is created among public and voluntary institutions collaborating on local core and noncore library services. In this way, public libraries are not only breeding grounds for two well‐known types of social capital – bonding and bridging – but also for a highly valuable third type, institutional social capital. It is argued that the closing down of more than half of branch libraries in rural Denmark since 1988, is partly due to politicians being ignorant of the great socioeconomic value of these ‘gracious spaces’, which has a strong capacity to foster ‘full‐scale’ community social capital consisting of all three types of social capital.

Ammonia chemistry within Danish churches

The increase of agricultural intensity over the last century in rural Denmark has meant that ammonia has been regarded as a significant environmental problem. The deterioration of murals in rural churches is also a matter of concern and focused attention on the potential for ammonia to accelerate damage. Ammonia concentrations measured over 12months inside and outside nine churches often show a spring maximum outdoors, hinting at the importance of farming activities. The ammonia concentrations are on average some three times greater indoors than outdoors and mass balance calculations suggest that this arises from the decomposition of ammonium nitrate aerosols. The emissions may result from reactions of aerosols deposited at the alkaline walls, which also leads to calcium nitrate becoming the major soluble salt at the very surface layer. The quantities remain small enough, that they probably do not participate in salt damage to the murals.

Drawing Back the Curtains: The Role of Domestic Space in the Social Inclusion and Exclusion of Refugees in Rural Denmark

Drawing Back the Curtains: The Role of Domestic Space in the Social Inclusion and Exclusion of Refugees in Rural Denmark

How do private entrepreneurs transform local social capital into economic capital? Four case studies from rural Denmark

Bourdieu's (1986) General Theory of the Economy of Practices assumes that people perpetually transform tangible and intangible forms of capital according to certain ‘laws of conversion’. On this background, and combining sociology and micro-economics, we analyze specific strings of capital conversion in time and space. More specifically, we raise the question: How do private entrepreneurs transform local social capital into economic capital? We combine in-depth interviews with four private entrepreneurs in rural Denmark with Prisoner's Dilemma game theory. Thus each of our cases illustrates one of the outcomes in the PD matrix. In this way we explain why only one of the four entrepreneurs succeeds in capitalizing social capital.

The presence of the dead

In academic literature, death and the dead are often treated conceptually and with little regard for the aesthetic and tactile experience of the materiality of the corpse. In this way the agency of the dead body is ignored, and the reciprocity between the deceased and the bereaved remains obscured. In effect, the corpse assumes the role of a neutral object, which blurs the particular potency of the dead body's materiality. This article proposes an alternative to this inadequacy, and discusses the changes in cemetery culture in rural Denmark within the past 50 years, addressing identity, emotions and attitudes to the materiality of the dead body. It is argued that an immaterial and subjectified recollection of the dead has, in part, replaced the previous externalized and collective commemoration due to an altered recognition of the corpse's materiality. In this way the adoption of urn burials, unmarked communal graves and lawn cemetery sections may be seen as ways of creating paradoxical yet tangible non-places, where the forging of identities and meanings of dead individuals are relieved of their material presence and proximity.

There's more to the picture than meets the eye: Measuring tangible and intangible capital in two marginal communities in rural Denmark

A missing link in economics has been what Veblen in 1908 termed intangible capital. This includes common norms, trust and high levels of cooperative performance. Intangibles are invisible to the eye and not easily measured in quantitative terms. They nevertheless involve visible, socioeconomic outcomes and should therefore rightly be seen as productive, like tangibles. Thus, uneven levels of intangible capital would explain Differential Economic Performance (DEP) between, say, two firms containing exactly the same stock of physical, economic and human capital. Despite this common sense observation, most economists have failed to see that ‘there's more to the picture than meets the eye’, as Neil Young once sang. We use statistical, historical and fieldwork data from two Danish, marginal rural communities both rich on intangible capital. This to show how intangible capital in the form of social, organisational and cultural capital is accumulated and utilised in situ, at the microlevel. We suggest that the difference between these two, very similar communities should be explained in their varying ability to utilise local stocks of tangible and intangible capital. Drawing on seminal ideas from Bourdieu [The forms of capital. In: Richardson, J.G. (Ed.) Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education. Greenwood Press, New York, Westport, CT and London, 1986, pp. 241–58] and the DORA project [Bryden, Differential economic performance in rural areas. In: International Conference on Rural Communities and Identities in the Global Millennium. Malpasino University College, Nainamo, BC, Canada, 2000], we want to develop a ‘total capital’ assessment tool for mapping and measuring socioeconomic development in marginal rural communities. In this way, we hope to count in ‘all’ capital as Schultz [Investment in human capital. In: Kiker, B.F. (Ed.) Investment in Human Capital. Columbia, 1971, pp. 3–21] prophesised. This in order to explain what we term Differential Local Development (DLD), where ‘good’, sustainable development is associated with high economic performance and increase in population.

Invasion of Bullfinches Pyrrhula pyrrhula in western Europe in 2004: a mix of local, ‘trumpeting’ birds and others of unknown origin

Capsule In east Jutland, Denmark, the invasion included individuals of a small-sized local race P. p. coccinea, as well as numbers of two larger forms, which consistently gave either ‘normal’ or ‘trumpeting’ calls on release and whose origins are unknown. Aim To determine the measurements, morphology, phenology of occurrence and abundance of the different forms of Bullfinch occurring during an invasion year in rural Denmark. Methods Seven years of ringing (including three years of colour-marking), recapture and resighting at a baited site provided information on voice, body size and mass dynamics of Bullfinches throughout the annual cycle. Results P. p. coccinea was most common during February and March, slightly less so in October and November, with fewer still at other times of year. Large P. p. pyrrhula were 30% heavier than coccinea and were rare winter visitors (mostly one to five individuals caught during November to March) in four years during 1998–2005. Exceptionally, 30 were captured during November 2004 to April 2005 and two autumn-caught birds wintered at the study site. Female: male sex ratio was higher amongst captured pyrrhula than coccinea. Proportions of first-winter birds amongst both races were not abnormally high. Most notable was the trumpet call (not reported from Denmark before) given by some large individuals in 2004/05, but never by coccinea, although some large birds gave normal calls, suggesting two origins for the large forms. Conclusion Unusually large numbers of three different forms of the Bullfinch in east Jutland from autumn 2004 suggested a general food shortage in their normal wintering areas. Rapid increases in body mass from about 30 g to over 40 g amongst the large Bullfinches immediately prior to their departure suggested an extended migration (potentially >1000 km) back to unknown breeding areas. By contrast, local coccinea birds showed modest declines in body mass at the same time. More research is needed to establish the origins of these birds and the precise cause of their exceptional appearance in that year.

The socioeconomic power of social capital

Purpose – According to Putnam, civic engagement fosters a cooperative structure and generalized trust. This leads to accumulation of social capital, in the form of inclusive, cooperative networks that are economically productive. The aim of this paper is to evaluate critically this thesis.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing upon data from rural Denmark, this paper double tests Putnam's somewhat simplistic model of social capital leading to higher levels of economic performance.Findings – In test one, which is based on statistical data, it is found that social capital measured as the density of voluntary associations does not in any way influence levels of economic performance. Test two, based on qualitative fieldwork, points at the socioeconomic power of social capital, implying many positive and negative outcomes other than the sheer economic.Research limitations/implications – Data are only from Denmark.Practical implications – This paper reframes the social capital research agenda, displaying to poli...

Sustainable leisure life modes and rural welfare economy. The case of the Randers Fjord area, Denmark

AbstractAs increasing attention has been paid to rural tourism as a specific form of tourism development, so too has the scope of research into tourism in rural areas become more diverse. Typically, studies focus primarily upon the economic developmental contribution of rural tourism, although a significant amount of work has been undertaken on the consequences of rural tourism development and attitudes/motivations on the part of visitors and/or local communities. However, no attempt has yet been made to integrate studies of both visitors and local communities within the framework of rural tourism development policy.The purpose of this paper is to address this gap in the literature. Drawing on a study of tourism in the Randers Fjord, a relatively underdeveloped area of rural Denmark, it identifies and analyses three groups of tourists characterised by life modes: (i) traditionalists, (ii) peace seekers and (iii) adventurers. In each case, expectations, behaviour and future needs are revealed through qualitative interviews. The predominant (traditionalist) life mode of tourists, it is argued, closely matches that of the area's residents. This, the paper suggests, presents significant barriers to the development and enhancement of tourism, as do the prevailing economic structures and employment patterns. Thus, tourism development policy should take into account both tourists' and locals' life modes in order to progress towards sustainable rural tourism development. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The right to development: construction of a non-agriculturalist discourse of rurality in Denmark

The paper argues for the existence of two powerful discourses of rurality in Denmark after World War II. The first one is termed the modernist-agriculturalist discourse. Although still influential in the current public debate, in Denmark as well as in other Western European countries, this discourse of rurality had its heyday in the 1960s. It is based on key words, such as structural changes, development and vertical integration. Since the 1950s, it has belonged to groups of Danish farmers who use a productionist terminology in the public debate. However, the paper mainly focuses on a second discourse of rurality, established during the 1970s. Based on key words, such as community, culture, environment and active citizenship, this terminology was applied and promoted by new non-agricultural elites in the villages and can therefore be termed the non-agriculturalist discourse of rurality. The paper shows how this new ‘family’ of powerful words was developed and promoted by The National Confederation of Village Communities in rural Denmark ( Landssammenslutningen af Landsbysamfund or L.A.L.), established in 1976. Thus, from the late 1970s, members of this organization contributed to build and apply a peculiar L.A.L. vocabulary in their journal Landsbyen (“The village”)—a vocabulary which later was to be disseminated among the population and, finally, to have a significant impact on state politics.

Alleviating poverty: entrepreneurship and social capital in rural Denmark 1800-19001

Why do we find entrepreneurship within larger groups? This question has challenged the social sciences since Olson (1965) showed that it does not pay an individual to provide collective goods voluntarily, if the individual economic gain from doing this is negative. However, the fact that larger groups actually do organize in local areas cannot be explained in strict economic terms. In an attempt to fill this gap in literature, we offer another solution, namely the presence of social incentives called “social capital”. Social capital is derived from regular face-to-face, co-operative relations among larger groups in local areas. Such relations, we argue, are initiated by writing down formal “rules of the game”, which are sanctioned effectively. This suggestion seems to be confirmed by empirical evidence from rural Denmark 1800-1900. During this period, written rules in the form of the formal founding statutes of co-operative associations enhanced informal peasant co-operation and stocks of beneficial social capital of an inclusive nature. As an outcome of this process, entrepreneurs voluntarily organized larger groups which provided collective goods locally, thus contributing to economic growth in former poor, rural areas.

The reliability of questionnaire-derived historical dietary information and temporal stability of food habits in individuals.

Thirty-four males and 45 females who participated in household surveys 15 or 25 years earlier in rural Denmark were interviewed in 1982 about present and past food habits. Comparison of the information from the survey and the two interviews indicates that recall of past diet is strongly influenced by present dietary habits. As the relative classification of individuals according to their food habits appears to have changed little over time, information on current diet, perhaps supplemented by information on particular changes, can provide useful classification of individuals for epidemiologic purposes.

The epiphytic lichen zones in rural Denmark and Schleswig–Holstein

The epiphytic lichen flora of 332 trees standing at roadsides or in churchyards in non–urban areas of Denmark and Schleswig–Holstein, Federal Republic of Germany, was investigated. The condition of the lichen vegetation in each of 107 subareas was evaluated by means of a nine–point scale largely based upon presence, fertility and vitality of Anaptychia ciliaris and Physconia pulverulacea.A marked depauperation of the lichen communities of the alliance Xanthorion parietinae is demonstrated in Schleswig–Holstein and is attributed to long–range SO2 air pollution. No significant pattern of adverse effects on the corresponding communities can be seen in Danish rural areas, but the reduction in frequency and size of Ramalina species in recent times is believed to be the result of background air pollution.A list of 111 recorded taxa is given and selected species are commented on. Candelariella reflexa (Nyl.) Lettau is reported as new to Denmark. The effects of agricultural spraying and the decrease in the numbers of phorophytes in recent decades are discussed.

Diet, bowel function, fecal characteristics, and large bowel cancer in Denmark and Finland.

Some 30 randomly selected men, aged 50-59 years, were investigated in each of 4 areas--Copenhagen, Them (rural Denmark), Helsinki, and Parikkala (rural Finland)--to determine the relationship of diet, gut transit time, fecal bulk, fecal bacteriology, bile acid concentration, and urinary volatile phenol production to large bowel cancer risk. Average daily fat intake was found to be high in all 4 areas, and no differences emerged between areas. Saturated fatty acid consumption was higher in low-incidence areas than in high-incidence areas. Intakes of nonstarch polysaccharides (the main component of dietary fiber), carbohydrate, and protein (mainly milk) were higher in the low-incidence area of Parikkala than in the high-incidence area of Copenhagen. The fecal bile acid concentration was higher in the high-incidence area than in the low-incidence area, with the other 2 areas having intermediate values. Fecal bulk showed an inverse association with colorectal cancer incidence. No differences were observed with regard to fecal bacteriology or mutagenic activity of the foods. These results indicate that a population can have a low risk of colorectal cancer despite a high intake of dietary fat, protein, and meat. Dietary carbohydrate and fiber may be considered protective. One mechanism limiting colorectal cancer risk could be the increase in fecal bulk resulting from such intakes, since increased fecal bulk dilutes the increased colonic bile acid concentrations of subjects on high-fat diets.

Colon cancer and large bowel function in Denmark and Finland.

Stool weight and transit time through the gut were measured in 4 groups of 30 men, aged 50-59 years, randomly selected from populations in urban (Copenhagen) and rural (Them) Denmark and urban (Helsinki) and rural (Parikkala) Finland. These populations exhibited a 3-4 fold difference in risk for large bowel cancer. Mean transit time (37 +/- 1 hours, Copenhagen; 43 +/- 1 hours, Helsinki; 40 +/- 1 hours, Them; 37 +/- 1 hours, Parikkala) was not significantly different among populations, but average 24-hour stool weights (136 +/- 13 g, Copenhagen; 176 +/- 17 g, Helsinki; 169 +/- 16 g, Them; 196 +/- 15 g, Parikkala) were different and had a significant inverse relationship to total large bowel cancer incidence, with larger stool weights being found in the low-risk population. A high proportion of study subjects, especially in Finland, were found to be taking medication or to have a history of gastrointestinal illness, but neither of these variables related to bowel habit.