32nd International Geographical Union-Commission on the Sustainability of Rural Systems (IGU-CSRS Colloquium)
New Ruralities: Contestations and Iterations on Rural Spatialities
University of the Philippines Diliman & University of the Philippines Baguio
1-6 December 2025
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
In the Handbook of Rural Studies (2006), Paul Cloke argued that the shift from the functional and political-economic lenses in studying rural studies, to a more socially-constructed framing where the “importance of the ‘rural’ lies in the fascinating world of social, cultural and moral values that have become associated with rurality, rural spaces and rural life” (2006, 21) opened the rural geographies to conceptual and methodological richness.
In recent decades, rural areas have undergone profound transformations influenced by factors such as globalization, technological advancements, climate change, migration, and shifting economic paradigms. These forces challenge traditional notions of rurality and spatial organization, compelling scholars, policymakers, and local communities to re-examine and redefine rural spaces. Additionally, rethinking established concepts and approaches in the study of the rural along with the recognition that, following Michael Woods (2009, 855), there is an “uneven capacity of rural geography in different national contexts to engage appropriate conceptual tools”. Rural spatialities, therefore, can benefit from the blurring of boundaries, the recognition of multiple rural relationalities, and the connections that are forged from these complex entanglements.
The idea of 'new ruralities' centers on the multiple meanings and dynamic character of rural systems, as tied to wider local, regional and international linkages and processes. New ruralities are about development trajectories that are created by new connections, opportunities, and innovations. They are about adaptation and resistance that facilitate the reproduction of rural identities and experiences. Lastly, new ruralities include new perspectives that illuminate unique spatialities of the rural across locations and contexts.
The 32nd IGU-CSRS Colloquium provides a valuable platform for scholars, practitioners and policy makers to exchange ideas, share knowledge, and develop a deeper understanding of rural spaces to contribute to more informed and effective rural development strategies geared toward sustainability.
The four (4) sub-themes cover a broad range of topics that reflect the complexities of rural spaces and their evolving nature in the context of local and global challenges:
1. ITERATIONS: recurring patterns, practices, and historical continuities
2. TRANSITIONS: structural, socio-cultural, economic, and environmental shifts
3. NEGOTIATIONS: navigation of policies, markets, and socio-environmental changes
4. CONTESTATIONS: conflicts over land, resources, identities, and power
We invite scholars, researchers, and practitioners to submit their panel, paper, or poster abstracts of not more than 300 words through this link: http://bit.ly/3CzPvzN. The deadline for submission is 21 April 2025.
32nd IGU-CSRS Organizing Committee
E-mail: igu.csrs.ph@gmail.com
Microsite: https://sites.google.com/up.edu.ph/igu-csrs2025
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Texts Consulted
Cloke, P. 2006: Conceptualizing rurality. In Cloke, P., Marsden, T. and Mooney, P.H., (eds.), Handbook of rural studies, London: Sage, 18–28.
Woods, M. 2009. Rural geography: Blurring boundaries and making connections, Progress in human geography, 36(1), 125–134.
Woods, M. 2011. Rural geography III: Rural futures and the future of rural geography, Progress in human geography, 33(6), 849–858.
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