AbstractThe tourism industry has evolved to a vital factor for destination development in Rural areas. This study aims to see how the tourism industry can be seen as an opportunity for development in Rural areas. To be able to develop, Rural areas have to be restructured and this study presents the restructuring problems that Rural areas usually face and how developing tourism can be seen as a solution to these problems. Five destinations of Rural character have been investigated in this study in order to see how these restructuring problems are expressed and addressed through tourism. A key example has been used to provide a clearer image of how these problems and tourism are related to each other and how their interaction can create a positive development for Rural areas in Sweden..

Rural development in Southeast Sweden- three different views and their consequences for the agrarian landscapeThis paper deals with the future for the Rural areas of the southeast province of Östergötland, Sweden. The aim is to unveil, analyse and compare different views on Rural development and their consequences for the agrarian landscape. Three views are considered, namely that of the different levels of Governments and their departments, that of the farmers and landowners and, finaly, that of the inhabitants of the Rural areas.Differences in the views upon Rural development is reflected in differences in the ways of thinking of landscapes. Is the open, and actively cultivated, landscape the ideal for all? Who is to decide what needs or ought to be done to achieve certain desired values and/or goals ? and who pays for it? The one thing that is, and should be, clear from the beginning is that all development, whether positive or negative in an area, bears consequences for the landscape.

Rural development in Southeast Sweden- three different views and their consequences for the agrarian landscapeThis paper deals with the future for the Rural areas of the southeast province of Östergötland, Sweden. The aim is to unveil, analyse and compare different views on Rural development and their consequences for the agrarian landscape. Three views are considered, namely that of the different levels of Governments and their departments, that of the farmers and landowners and, finaly, that of the inhabitants of the Rural areas.Differences in the views upon Rural development is reflected in differences in the ways of thinking of landscapes. Is the open, and actively cultivated, landscape the ideal for all? Who is to decide what needs or ought to be done to achieve certain desired values and/or goals ? and who pays for it? The one thing that is, and should be, clear from the beginning is that all development, whether positive or negative in an area, bears consequences for the landscape.

The interest in businesses active on the countryside and their funding situation has increased in recent years. In a survey, conducted by Leif Berndtsson (2003), it was reported that there is a lack of external capital in Rural areas. According to Berndtsson (2003) the lack of external capital inhibits the Rural firm?s growth. The essay attempts to answer whether the shortage of external capital is a factor that inhibits development for Rural businesses.

The essay on ?The revival of the countryside ? a multitalent in landproduction.? focuses on local and regional development within agriculture, foodprocessing and tourism.Due to great changes in society, the inhabitants in Rural areas are forced to find alternative occupations. Using history as a tool to build up the future is a main factor in Rural development. Apart from this it involves cooperation, resources, cultural heritage and values, entrepreneurship and innovation, economic vitality, and an understanding of markets and marketing. They all contribute to a region`s ability to benefit from Rural development..

This thesis in social anthropology is based on interviews with four hunters from the middle of Sweden. It is about how the hunters get their traditional knowledge and how important it is to grow up and live in Rural areas for the knowledge and understanding of hunting. The essay is also about the difference between the hunters from Rural areas and the hunters from urban areas. It also examines how the Rural hunters speak about the true and real hunter..

The structural rationalization of Rural firms in Sweden has led to many new creative ways of developing companies. The agriculture sector is characterized by the need of capital in form of buildings, labor and inventory. The rationalization process has led to free capacity in Rural firms when new technology make buildings and inventory not longer necessary for the production process. To get a better cost coverage this free capacity can be used to start-up new business areas that help the Rural firm to growth.The study aims to identify factors that motives entrepreneurs in Rural firms to develop new business areas. The purpose is also to analyze driving forces that lies behind development of Rural firms and the forces that support or not support development in Rural firms.The study is built upon five cases that all can be categorized as firms with different size and orientation.

This study examines the connection between social capital and urban and Rural areas. The study divides the environments into two categories; metropolises and Rural areas. Metropolises are defined as any of Swedens largest cities Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmö. The study also examines if there is a difference between these groups in how high social trust they have to people living in the same areas as themselves versus people who live in other areas. The studie also focuses on the urbanization that the world is going through, where people move from Rural areas into the cities for work and education.

This study examines the connection between social capital and urban and Rural areas. The study divides the environments into two categories; metropolises and Rural areas. Metropolises are defined as any of Swedens largest cities Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmö. The study also examines if there is a difference between these groups in how high social trust they have to people living in the same areas as themselves versus people who live in other areas. The studie also focuses on the urbanization that the world is going through, where people move from Rural areas into the cities for work and education.

The term socken ? comparable to the English term parish ? refers to a historical geographical entity found in Rural areas of Scandinavia. This entity presents a multi-layered understanding of the local Rural area and is in this essay conceptualized as a place. The concept of place is central to geographic work but it is also a contested term ? discourses within the field of geography present different perspectives on place as a geographical concept and our understanding of it.The history of parishes goes centuries back.

The structural rationalization of Rural firms in Sweden has led to many new creative ways of developing companies. The agriculture sector is characterized by the need of capital in form of buildings, labor and inventory. The rationalization process has led to free capacity in Rural firms when new technology make buildings and inventory not longer necessary for the production process. To get a better cost coverage this free capacity can be used to start-up new business areas that help the Rural firm to growth.The study aims to identify factors that motives entrepreneurs in Rural firms to develop new business areas. The purpose is also to analyze driving forces that lies behind development of Rural firms and the forces that support or not support development in Rural firms.The study is built upon five cases that all can be categorized as firms with different size and orientation.

This paper examines family owned tourism businesses with a special focus on succession. In Nordic countries tourism has been widely promoted and used in Rural development as a replacement economy for ?traditional? livelihoods based on Rural production. Because the tourism and hospitality industry, especially in Rural areas, is dominated by family enterprises, the topic of succession is of great relevance for tourism and tourism destinations. This paper looks at family businesses? special characteristics, challenges and advantages in terms of ownership structure, lifestyle, motivations, employees and destination impact.

Outdoor recreation habits in metropolis and Rural areasThis study aims to examine the perception of nature and outdoor recreation habits from an urban-Rural prospective. The urbanization process continues in Sweden and the populations of the cities are growing continuously. Trends to build more compact and ?climate smart? reigns and with this a risk that green areas and areas where outdoor recreation can be practiced are situated further and further away from the urban population. Analyzing the responses from a survey made by the research program Friluftsliv i förändring 2007 we have examined if and which differences exists between urban and Rural areas regarding their perception of nature, outdoor recreation habits and factors influencing the practice of outdoor recreation.

The purpose of this master?s thesis is to examine whether the role of a public library in a Rural community is different from that of a town library. To answer this, a case studie of two public libraries has been made. Interviews, collection of documents and observations were carried out on location in one public library located in a Rural area, and one public library, situated in a town. A modified version of an analysis model, originally developed by Andersson and Skot-Hansen, was used to analyse the data.

The Rural development programme is a tool for promoting sustainable development in the Swedish countryside. The master plan should, for example, give directions for the national interest and describe how it will follow up national and regional targets such as the EU's environmental quality standards. Because the municipality has considerable freedom to formulate the plan in its sole discretion, and that it contains the municipality's political vision, it is also feasible to make a discourse analysis of the plan text.In discourse analysis, including articles and documents written by Rural Network Working Group on land use planning to be included. The purpose of discourse analysis is to see if there are differences in the way Rural areas are described and if there are any flaws in how the designer interprets the Rural development programme. Furthermore, the analysis result in tools that are adapted to the standards we create and choose.The standards we have are being designed based on our values, which differ.