1 Collaborative, Comparative, Comprehensive Research in Rural Canada: observations and implications Bill Reimer and Ray Bollman with the NRE 2 Team Tom Beckley David Bruce Omer Chouinard Ivan Emke Greg Halseth Bruno Jean Patrice LeBlanc Dianne Looker Diane Martz Solange Nadeau John Parkins Steve Plante Doug Ramsey Richard Stedman Ellen Wall Derek Wilkinson Anna Woodrow

2 Observations - 1 Rural Canada is diverse Rural Canada is diverse Primary industries are shedding labour Primary industries are shedding labour Manufacturing and services competitive Manufacturing and services competitive Social capital is critical Social capital is critical Environment more important Environment more important Knowledge-intensive employment growing Knowledge-intensive employment growing Communication and transportation price falling Communication and transportation price falling

3 Observations - 2 Youth leaving, families returning Youth leaving, families returning Industry has concentrated Industry has concentrated Government services more centralized Government services more centralized Rural aging fastest Rural aging fastest Rural perceived as safe Rural perceived as safe Immigration strong Immigration strong Rural and urban Canada are interdependent Rural and urban Canada are interdependent

4 Rural Canada is diverse

5 A Preliminary Typology of Canada Western Canada

6 A Preliminary Typology of Canada Eastern Canada

7 The NRE Sample Frame Low CapacityHigh Capacity LagLead LagLead Distant Adjac. Distant Adjac. Distant Adjac. Distant Adjac. Local Exposed Stable Fluctu- ating Stable Fluctu- ating Global Exposed

8 NRE…The Rural Observatory …an International Network

9 Global exposure means low population growth Constant boundary CSDs

10 Policy Implications - 1 Manage tradeoffs: commodity economies and community vitality Manage tradeoffs: commodity economies and community vitality Regional collaboration strategic Regional collaboration strategic Local adaptation to policies critical Local adaptation to policies critical Local learning and power critical Local learning and power critical

11 Social capital is critical

12 ASSETS Economic Capital Human Skills and Abilities Social Capital Natural Resources OUTCOMES Economic wealth Social and political inclusion Social Cohesion Environmental security Social and self- worth Health Personal security Common Focus RELATIONS & CHOICES Market Bureaucratic Associative Communal outcomes can become new assets and liabilities

13 Market Associative Communal Bureaucratic High Capacity = Agility with all systems The Type of Social Relation Matters

14

15 Social capital is changing From Associative and Communal to Market and Bureaucratic From Associative and Communal to Market and Bureaucratic From local to regional From local to regional These changes stress local voluntary groups These changes stress local voluntary groups Market and associative support economic performance Market and associative support economic performance Stresses and impacts vary by context Stresses and impacts vary by context

16 Context Matters for Capacity HH Income by Associative Social Capital and Global Exposure The use of social capital increases HH incomes …but not if exposure to the global economy is low Public expenditure on associative social capital will have higher impact in globally exposed sites NRE HH Survey 2001 (N=1698) Adj. R 2 =.04

17 Policy Implications - 2 Available social capital is not always used Available social capital is not always used Social capital is not always positive Social capital is not always positive Social capital norms can undermine alliances Social capital norms can undermine alliances Context affects social capital impacts Context affects social capital impacts

18 Rural and Urban are Interdependent

19 Trade and commerce Trade and commerce  Goods, Finance, Services, People, Information Functional integration Functional integration  Carbon sequestration, water protection, recreation Institutional integration Institutional integration  Health, education, social economy, NGOs, family Common environments Common environments  Water, air, climate Common identities Common identities  Local, regional, national, international Rural and Urban Interdependence

20 Policy Implications - 3 Rural largely on their own Rural largely on their own Look to urban interests Look to urban interests Strategic interdependence Strategic interdependence  Food, water, environment Develop common forums Develop common forums Research interdependence Research interdependence

21 Conclusions Social dynamics require depth of analysis Social dynamics require depth of analysis Contextual conditions require comparison Contextual conditions require comparison Distance and complexity require collaboration Distance and complexity require collaboration Marginalization requires initiative Marginalization requires initiative Collaborative, comparative, comprehensive research produces useful results Collaborative, comparative, comprehensive research produces useful results

22 Collaborative, Comparative, Comprehensive Research in Rural Canada: observations and implications The New Rural Economy Project