The Scottish Government commissions a range of social research into agriculture and rural affairs.
The Rural Social Research Team is part of the multi-disciplinary Rural Analytical Unit in the Scottish Government Rural and Environment Research and Analysis Directorate. It provides advice and intelligence to support the development, delivery and evaluation of rural and agricultural policy, in collaboration with economists, statisticians and scientific advisors. Team activities include the management of commissioned research, in-house literature reviews and analyses, and knowledge exchange work. Recent published reports include research on rural community facilities, the social impacts of land reform, and work to inform the development and implementation of SEARS.
The Team's current priorities include: a cross cutting programme of research designed to develop an integrated evidence base on the potential contribution of Scotland's rural land to delivering sustainable economic growth; tackling rural inequality and deprivation; community empowerment; improved information on rural issues to support the National Performance Framework; work to support Scotland's national food and drink policy; the impacts of demographic change in rural areas; the operation of agri-environment measures; and the delivery of the Scotland Rural Development Programme.
The Scottish Government and the ESRC jointly sponsored a seminar entitled; 'Change and Continuity in Scotland's Fishing Communities' in March 2008. This report gives a brief summary of the work of the four academics who contributed to the joint ESRC/Scottish Government brochure. It also highlights the main points which emerged from facilitated group discussions held at the seminar.
Link to Report:
Change and Continuity in Scotland's Fishing Communities