This thesis draws upon contemporary research in economic geography and the social sciences to examine the reconfiguration of rural service space. In particular, the thesis explores the changing nature of mainstream retail financial service provision in rural England and the associated development, structure and use of alternative and diverse economic networks amongst rural communities and households. The thesis critically examines concepts of financial exclusion, and proposes the adoption ·of a more spatially sensitive approach to examine the variegated connectivity of finance to everyday places, through a financial ecologies approach. The thesis is based upon empirical research collected through statistical analysis and mapping of bank and building society branch closures between 1989-2009; ethnographic research with alternative and diverse economic institutions; semi-structured interviews with policy stakeholders, project coordinators and households; and secondary analysis of policy documents. I adopt a case study approach to examine the processes and impacts of service provision within three rural areas. In particular, the thesis explores three aspects of rural financial service change; in order to understand the spatial outcomes and impacts of processes of money and finance on the local financial landscape and everyday practices of financial engagement. First, the research explores the scale, geography and socio-economic variation of bank and building societies in England, and examines the specific local impacts of these broader institutional changes within three rural districts. Second, the thesis draws upon institutionalist perspectives to examine the development and use of alternative and diverse economic institutions in the context of broader social, political, and cultural factors. Third, the research considers the local impacts of financial service change, and examines the everyday engagement practices of rural households in relation to the financial subjectivities that are called forth and assembled in place. The thesis indicates the importance of space and place in determining and shaping the nature of rural service change, the impacts of which depend on the diverse institutional fabric of an area, and the local attitudes, social norms and economic practices of individuals, households and communities in rural England.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:664267 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Coppock, Stacey |
| Publisher | University of Nottingham |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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