Deprivation and lifestyles in rural Wales. — I. Towards a cultural dimension

This paper reports on the preliminary findings of research into deprivation in mid-Wales. It argues that the current debate on rural deprivation has left many important questions unanswered. In particular, we still know relatively little about the extent of deprivation, the specific social groups affected by it, the particular experiences of these groups, and the importance of cultural dimensions to that experience. Indeed, the very term deprivation has become somewhat chaotic, and may subsume a number of different ways in which individuals and groups can become marginalised in rural areas. The two case studies in rural Wales discussed here give some indication of the extent and anatomy of marginalisation within particular communities. Perhaps more importantly they highlight the need to consider the importance of cultural marginalisation within a wider understanding of the problems of living in rural areas.