"Går det inte här så går det ingenstans" : Ideellt driven utveckling i stadsnära landsbygd

Sammanfattning: Rural development in western Europe has seen a policy change since the 1990's, heading towards a focus on local and regional identity, with increasing emphasis on locally led development. This study focuses on a rural area in commuting distance to the city of Umeå, Sweden. The aim of this thesis is to explore the experiences of local actors in non-profit associations devoted to local development, sports and local heritage. To do this, a case study was conducted where local actors as well as the municipality's rural strategist were interviewed. The results of the study show that the local actors take on large responsibilities and find that recruiting new actors can be problematic. This thesis also discusses inclusion and exclusion in rural development, both on the local scale and the municipality's policies and guidelines.