There have long been suspicions of an urban/rural divide across Western societies, with urban communities backing liberal and metropolitan parties, with their rural peers plumping for conservative alternatives. It’s a notion supported by recent research from the University of Cambridge, which examined survey data collected between 2002 and 2018 to understand the differing attitudes between cities, towns, and rural areas in 30 different European countries.
The study suggests that disenchantment with democracy grows as you head further out from urban centers, with those in rural parts of Europe typically having the lowest level of trust in their politicians and their political systems. Despite this, they are also more likely than their urban peers to vote in elections.
This trend also follows similar patterns in terms of the views one has, with people more likely to be politically conservative, anti-immigration, and anti-EU the further out from cities you travel.
Geographical fracturing
The researchers believe their findings illustrate the “geographical fracturing” of European societies that could see us return to the much starker divides between rural and urban communities seen at the start of the 20th century.
“Those living outside of Europe’s major urban centres have much less faith in politics,” the researchers say. “The growth of disenchantment in more rural areas has provided fertile soil for nationalist and populist parties and causes – a trend that looks set to continue.”
“Mainstream politicians seeking to re-engage residents of small towns and villages must provide economic opportunities, but they also need to address feelings of disconnection from mainstream politics and the changes associated with a more globalized economy.”
Political engagement
Despite the apparent discontent with politics, the study found that people from rural areas were around 33% more likely to vote than their peers in the inner city. This was despite being equally as likely to say they distrust political parties and are less likely to engage in other political acts, such as join protests.
People are also far more likely to be conservative the further into the countryside they head, with rural dwellers 57% more likely to be on the right of the political spectrum than a city dweller. This is reflected in greater opposition towards migration among rural folk, and also a general disillusionment with democracy.
“We find that there is a geography to current patterns of political disillusion,” the researchers say. “As disenchantment rises in European hinterlands, democratic politics risks being eroded from within by people who engage with elections yet distrust the system and are drawn to populist, anti-system parties.”
Growing divide
The research was conducted across all 27 EU nations plus Norway, Switzerland, and the UK. Across each of the countries, France had the starkest urban-rural split.
“Large cities such as Paris and Lyon are seen to be highly globalized and full of bohemians nicknamed the ‘bobos’, while small towns and rural areas are primarily inhabited by long-term immigrants and the indigenous working classes,” the researchers say.
It’s a trend the researchers believe is even evident in Cambridge itself, with the city center hyper-globalized and the market towns that surround it largely disconnected from the center.
“Ageing populations in small towns and villages combined with years of austerity have put pressure on public services in rural areas – services that are often central to the social connections needed for a community to thrive,” the researchers conclude. “Reviving these services may be key to reducing the political divides emerging between urban and rural populations across Europe.”
