Village pubs as a social propellant in rural areas: an econometric study

Abstract

There is no place like England to witness the role of pubs as a social networking hotspot. Social networks lie at the foundations of most of the social and economic interactions of individuals. The aim of this paper is to assess the importance of pubs as natural locations for the development of social networks and how their presence affects the socio-economic activity of a given area or region. The econometric analysis conducted on rural parishes in Cumbria, a peripheral county in Northern England, reveals that village pubs have a positive influence on the socio-economic activity of local communities.village pubs, rural communities, socio-economic activity,

Community Cohesion and Village Pubs in Northern England: An Econometric Study

“…Evidence suggests that the presence of pubs in rural and remote regions plays an important role in stimulating and maintaining the social fabric of the area (CABRAS and REGGIANI, 2010). Thus, the disappearance of a pub within these communities generates more than the loss of a mere business.…”

“…Community cohesion in this context refers to the extent citizens feel a sense of social belonging to the wider entity of the rural area in which they reside. A sense of belonging leads to increased participation in community engagement, leisure and voluntary activities (CABRAS and REGGIANI, 2010). A number of studies document the importance of community cohesion, social engagement and involvement for promoting economic activity, including marketing and lending relationships (MOORMAN et al, 1992;PODOLNY, 1994), which can be further extended to the potential role of pubs.…”

“…Despite the documented importance of these places for providing vital services in rural communities, the rural pub is highly endangered and under threat of extinction. Once these places are gone, the impact of their disappearance has a huge effect on the levels of community cohesion and social well-being among individuals in the area (CABRAS and REGGIANI, 2010;CABRAS, 2011).…”

“…However, these studies remain limited in scale, and focus on individual or a small number of rural cases. CABRAS and REGGIANI (2010), for example, examine the impact of pubs on a subset of community cohesion dimensions using a single quantitative case study of Cumbria, a rural English county. In contrast, CALLOIS and AUBERT (2007) use the presence of pubs and bars as an indicator of social ties in a wider conceptualization of community cohesion to examine four rural areas of France.…”

Community Pubs

“…Pubs are places for people to socialize and hence sites which help foster community cohesion and social capital. The pub is also seen as an important locus for nurturing business opportunities and volunteer activities, as well as a vital source of jobs and economic vitality (Cabras & Reggiani, 2010;Maye, Ilbery & Kneafsey, 2005;Muir, 2012). Yet, the pub, and its associated social and economic benefi ts, are cast as under threat with the increasing level of pub closures, especially in rural areas.…”