What follows is the first draft copy+paste of what I had intended to be a simple outline of my project. What it actually is is a load of meandering thought-trails, lists, non-sensical grammar and some probably quite rubbish ideas. But who cares? This is where I'm at right now:
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So I've been a bit stuck this week.
I've managed to produce a few bits and pieces, but the 'flow' has all but left me. I'm sure that this is more a reflection on me than on my subject matter.
Last night I sat down and tried to form some cohesion of my interests and themes that have manifested themselves in my little endeavours so far. I don't think that I'm analysing my motives hard enough.
The most important themes present in my work so far have been:
- -Nostalgia
- -Village Environment Aesthetics
- -Symbolism
- -Naivity/ Childishness
and my key points of research have been:
- -Projection and manifestation of Stereotypes (miniature villages etc)
- -Model and utopian Villages (Thorpeness)
- -Happiness and environment
- -Community identity
- -Personal Geographies and escapism
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My most recent and more specific statistical findings include:
- -People who have lived in the same place for more than 5 years are more likely to be happier. Thus, familiarity = happiness. (not just because you live in a village) (Source: The Happiness Formula, BBC 2008)
GFKNOP.com Consumer Trends: Nostalgia Report:
Recession provoking nostalgia: 62% consumers experienced a negative monetary experience in past year, 23% positive one. When things are crap in the now, we escape by looking forward to when times will be better, or by looking back to when times were better. Because nobody knows what the future holds, it is easier to look back. Evidence:
- Resurgence of nostalgic brands: Arctic Rolls, Wispa bars (hurrah!), Birds Custard
- Revival of bands and musical styles: Take That, 80s Synth: The Killers La Roux
- Movies and TV: Dr Who, Life on Mars, A-Team etc.
- 'Retro Styling, Modern Function': Beatle, Mini, Fiat
- Emphasis on heritage (trustworthiness): Persil "Tough but gentle for 100 years"; Hovis "As good today as it's ever been"; M&S "125 years since the penny bazaar"
*NOSTALGIA 2.0: Like the first time, but better!
(Reviving nostalgic images of Britain and evolving them for the modern one)
'Rusource', Commission for Rural Communities
- -The rural population of Britain is growing at a much faster rate than the urban due to in-migration. Perticularly in ages 0-9, 30-44 and 60+ age ranges. People still want to raise their kids and retire in the country.
- -The 15-29 age ranges are leaving rurality for urban environments at a much faster rate too, mostly through higher education.
- -The average age of the rural citizen is 5 years older than that of the city.
- -Current government development schemes discourage development in rural areas with emphasis on urban and town fringe areas.
State of the Countryside Summary Report 2010
- -23.5% of people in rural areas are over state retirement age, compared with 18.1% in the city. The South-West and East-Anglia have the highest 60+ populations in the country, at 121,900 and 92,600 respectively.
- -You are more likely to have a greater sense of well-being in your environment if you live in a rural community. 87% in rural compared with 76% in urban.
- -It is significantly more costly to live in a rural environment than in an urban one.
- -Greenhouse gas emissions are higher in rural areas for all sectors. Significantly more by transport because of greater distances travelled.
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This presents me with a few obvious points and dilemmas to focus on:
The population in rural areas is growing due to pensioners and families inmigrating from cities.
- -small, familiar communities are saturated with strangers, diluting community bonds and trust.
- -There aren't enough public services or housing to support this influx
- -Growth of non-independent and corporate commercial development in response to demand for more efficient amenities. Undermining independent business.
- -Age segregation: the older in villages, the younger in cities. Loss of integrated communities.
So basically, the problem is this: people would rather grow old or raise a family in the countryside, and this is messing quite a few things up. What i need to determine is:
- -WHY people want to in-migrate to rural areas.
- -WHAT are the benefits and qualities of the village environment.
- -HOW these perceived qualities are manifest; how they are visualised, enacted and reinforced.
I need to look at the perception of the chocolate-box Britain and its advantages, then somehow project this onto urban environments in order to tempt people to raise families and grow old there:
- -Prevent over-development in rural areas
- -Attract rural levels of contentment to urban areas
- -Promote a more evenly balanced mean age of population in both.