Living in the countryside can be complex and is often a matter of daily movements in order to make all activities fit into one’s life. The structure of everyday life is also about the interplay between political decisions and physical structures. This thesis shows the consequences of change to the rural landscape for daily life. In this case, the change was brought about by the closure of two rural schools in Ydre, Sweden. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the meaning of rural schools in the development of local society and identity, and how such meaning is based on people’s time-spatial everyday stories. The study focuses on how households interpret change and the problems that arise from the closure of rural schools. Studying this is accomplished through interviews with twelve households with schoolchildren of varying ages and is based on a time-geographical perspec-tive. In the spring of 2009, qualitative interviews were carried out concerning rural life and the possible effect of closure-threatened schools on their daily lives. In the autumn of 2009, the schools were closed, and the same families were visited and the household studies fol-lowed up with further interviews. Thus, the study investigates local circumstances, how householders adapt to structural changes, how this creates patterns in their everyday lives and activities, and how schools and private life are connected.  One conclusion here is that the householders are concerned about their local community. They highlight the importance of the rural school, which they consider exclusive and not just a resource for the children but the community as a whole. Thereby, they highlight their hope that their area is seen as attractive by visitors; by people looking for somewhere to settle down; and also by themselves, the inhabitants. A school is not just a place for teaching; it is also an important place where parents can meet; it is a part of social life; and it is a place where social networks are created and decisions about everyday life are made. Through stud-ies of the school closures and people’s everyday experiences, some of the complexities of countryside life and problems appear in a more human-centred and everyday perspective.

Many rural village schools have closed over the years, both in Sweden and internationally, because of urbanisation, centralisation and the quest for efficiency. This study shows the impact of two school closures in the rural area of Ydre, south-east Sweden, and describes the reactions of children and families concerned. The aim is to analyse what rural village schools mean for everyday life and how such meaning is based on time-spatial everyday stories. How the children and families view the school closures emerges in the time-geographic perspective, on their own terms, given their opportunity to demonstrate how they use different time-space components. This was studied by interviewing and sketching mental maps with 28 pupils of various ages, and by interviewing and drawing up weekly time schedules with 12 families. This also enabled the analyses to be extended, using the time-geographic conceptual framework, and in particular the interplay between structural changes and individuals’ day-to-day lives, and the interconnections between school and private life, to be clarified. One conclusion is that a school is no mere teaching venue. It is also a key meeting place for children, part of community life and a space for social networking and daily decision-making: a local community hub for the children and their parents alike. When a local school closes and the pupils need to travel further for schooling elsewhere, it affects their travel and activity patterns and social networks. Children’s drawings express their perceptions of place, time and distance. This study shows that the locations where children spend time and have their social networks, as well as how and how often they travel on particular routes, are crucial for their assessment of distance, both temporal and spatial. Describing the value of the closure-threatened school, parents express concern about their local village. They stress the importance of the village school, which they regard as excellent, unique and a resource for the family, but also for the community as a whole. Thereby, they highlight their hope that their community will be attractive to visitors, and also to themselves, the residents. The threats of closure upset them and provoke discussions on how to sustain a living countryside. Studies of children’s and families’ experience of school closures pinpoint the complexity of rural life and show it in a more human-centred, everyday light. Since children are absent from the municipal closure procedure, views of children’s participation are also discussed.

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The term socken – comparable to the English term parish – refers to a historical geographical entity found in rural areas of Scandinavia. This entity presents a multi-layered understanding of the local rural area and is in this essay conceptualized as a place. The concept of place is central to geographic work but it is also a contested term – discourses within the field of geography present different perspectives on place as a geographical concept and our understanding of it. The history of parishes goes centuries back. The parish has throughout this period of time become an essential part of the local rural geography, in the 20th century however, the parish – as an autonomous rural entity – has been abandoned for larger administrative areas resulting in changes in the local geography in rural spaces. The concept of the parish is however not easily made rid of: it is still viewed as a relevant part of the conceptualization of the local and the man-land relationship. The understanding of what makes out the local area and its significance is a relevant inquiry. This essay explores the parish as a geographical place considering the multi-layered aspects of the concept and the different understandings of place represented by diverse geographical discourses. A field study carried out in the rural municipality of Ydre in east Sweden explores the construction of the local area by understanding the parish as place.

<p>Mitt syfte är att studera Leonard Rääfs nedskrivna sägner och kyrkliga kommentarer. Med detta arbete vill jag visa att många av sägner och seder har en kyrklig anknytning. Till hjälp har jag ställt några frågor som jag ska försöka att besvara:</p><p>* Vad säger sägnerna om frierier, fästning och bröllop?</p><p>* Hur förhåller sig kyrkan till sägnerna angående frierier, fästning och bröllop?</p><p>* Vad säger sägnerna om dop?</p><p>* Hur förhåller sig kyrkan till sägnerna angående dopet?</p><p>Tack vare Leonard Rääfs framsynthet att bevara de gamla sägnerna till eftervälden kan man få en inblick i den gamla svenska kulturen. Det är viktigt att veta sin historia för att få förståelse för sin egen tid. Många seder och bruk, men också många sägner lever kvar i dag, vissa av dem har förändrats till en modern och förändrad form. Skrocken om ringen finns kvar t ex genom att man trär upp en ring på ett hårstrå för att utröna när man ska gifta sig. Dessutom får man inte sätta någon annans vigselring på sitt finger för då blir det olycka. Sägnen förr i tiden upprätthöll en ordning i samhället. Genom sägnerna kunde folket komma ihåg regler för dop och bröllop.</p><p>Kyrkan har försökt att påverka folks vardag, detta har ibland lett till motsättningar och strider. En del av de folkliga sederna har kyrkan förbjudit t ex kakaltaret. Ibland har folkets riter förts in i kyrkan exempelvis ringen. Kyrkans heliga ritualer gjordes mystiska, vilket ledde till att sägnerna kom att få en magisk aura.</p>

Mitt syfte är att studera Leonard Rääfs nedskrivna sägner och kyrkliga kommentarer. Med detta arbete vill jag visa att många av sägner och seder har en kyrklig anknytning. Till hjälp har jag ställt några frågor som jag ska försöka att besvara: * Vad säger sägnerna om frierier, fästning och bröllop? * Hur förhåller sig kyrkan till sägnerna angående frierier, fästning och bröllop? * Vad säger sägnerna om dop? * Hur förhåller sig kyrkan till sägnerna angående dopet? Tack vare Leonard Rääfs framsynthet att bevara de gamla sägnerna till eftervälden kan man få en inblick i den gamla svenska kulturen. Det är viktigt att veta sin historia för att få förståelse för sin egen tid. Många seder och bruk, men också många sägner lever kvar i dag, vissa av dem har förändrats till en modern och förändrad form. Skrocken om ringen finns kvar t ex genom att man trär upp en ring på ett hårstrå för att utröna när man ska gifta sig. Dessutom får man inte sätta någon annans vigselring på sitt finger för då blir det olycka. Sägnen förr i tiden upprätthöll en ordning i samhället. Genom sägnerna kunde folket komma ihåg regler för dop och bröllop. Kyrkan har försökt att påverka folks vardag, detta har ibland lett till motsättningar och strider. En del av de folkliga sederna har kyrkan förbjudit t ex kakaltaret. Ibland har folkets riter förts in i kyrkan exempelvis ringen. Kyrkans heliga ritualer gjordes mystiska, vilket ledde till att sägnerna kom att få en magisk aura.