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Life in our villages

Original title: Overgebleven dorpsleven.

Village communities have changed almost beyond recognition. Virtually everyone who lives in the countryside now has a car, and many leave the confines of the village for work, shopping and entertainment. Most village-dwellers were not born and raised in the village in which they live, which means those villages contain people from a variety of backgrounds. This has inevitable consequences for village social life. Despite this, many village residents still praise the sense of community and willingness to help neighbours. The dominant picture still seems to be one where people in the countryside look out for each other.
This publication looks at what today's rural dwellers mean for each other and for their environment. Based on quantitative data, it paints a picture of the local social cohesion and explores the relationship between that social cohesion and the quality of life and social vitality of rural communities. Village-dwellers feel a stronger sense of community with their neighbours than town-dwellers, and as a result have a more positive view of their lives. On the other hand, that close-knit village community is almost entirely absent from social networks.