Between Insideness and Outsideness — Studying Locals’ Perceptions of Landscape

In European countries, the environmental and landscape management of rural areas has faced several new challenges along with the changing role of agriculture. the quality of food, landscape values, and the vitality of rural areas have increasingly been emphasised in the latest agricultural and rural policies. At the same time, the consumers are increasingly taking part in food production and in rural — especially landscape — development; for example, demanding the preservation of landscapes and maintenance of biodiversity (Marsden 1995; Pierce 1996; Macnaghten & Urry 1998). Society is thus reasserting its hold on rural nature, land and culture.