Local community dynamics in an ageing rural region
In many rural regions in Germany, self-organisation and participation of residents within associations, local politics and informal community activities are essential for maintaining the quality of life in villages. However, the confluence of a long-term ageing trend and the increasing centralisation of public and private services in larger settlements threatens the liveability of the villages and exerts pressure on local communities. Older residents, in particular, are frequently addressed as a population group with the potential for more active engagement in their local communities, as mirrored in the use of concepts such as ‘active’ or ‘productive’ aging.Against this backdrop, this dissertation investigates local community dynamics in villages within the Südharz, a rural region that exhibits one of the highest average ages in Germany. More specifically, the thesis studies who participates how, in what kinds of activities, and which meanings are assigned to local community participation. Additionally, the ways in which residents shape social infrastructure and participative practices in their villages are investigated as well as normative understandings of justice within the context of a participatory process for the regional LEADER development strategy. This mixed-methods study thus offers a comprehensive and theoretically grounded analysis of local community dynamics in villages within an ageing rural region in Germany, and emphasises the broader societal significance of these processes.