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Social & Cultural Geography<br />
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>bricolage</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>here</strong>: <strong>young</strong> <strong>people's</strong> <strong>narratives</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>identity</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside<br />
Michael Leyshon a & Jacob Bull b<br />
a<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Life and Environmental Sciences, University <strong>of</strong> Exeter, Cornwall Campus,<br />
Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK<br />
b<br />
Centrum för Genusvetenskap, Box 634, 751 26, Uppsala, Sweden<br />
Available onl<strong>in</strong>e: 13 Feb 2011<br />
To cite this article: Michael Leyshon & Jacob Bull (2011): <strong>The</strong> <strong>bricolage</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>here</strong>: <strong>young</strong> <strong>people's</strong> <strong>narratives</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> countryside, Social & Cultural Geography, 12:02, 159-180<br />
To l<strong>in</strong>k to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14649365.2011.545141<br />
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Downloaded by [University <strong>of</strong> Bath] at 07:01 24 November 2011<br />
Social & Cultural Geography, Vol. 12, No. 2, March 2011<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>bricolage</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>here</strong>: <strong>young</strong> people’s <strong>narratives</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>identity</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside<br />
Michael Leyshon 1 & Jacob Bull 2<br />
1 College <strong>of</strong> Life and Environmental Sciences, University <strong>of</strong> Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn,<br />
Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK, mleyshon@exeter.ac.uk and 2 Centrum för Genusvetenskap, Box 634,<br />
751 26, Uppsala, Sweden<br />
Introduction<br />
Memories are crucial to our construction <strong>of</strong> place. <strong>The</strong>y simultaneously <strong>of</strong>fer an anchor<br />
for <strong>identity</strong> and different temporalities to encounters with landscapes. Memory allows<br />
different spaces, pasts, and futures to become embedded <strong>in</strong> particular locales. Yet <strong>the</strong><br />
spontaneous assemblages <strong>of</strong> mean<strong>in</strong>g that memory enables are not apolitical. Thus <strong>the</strong><br />
mechanisms and processes by which mean<strong>in</strong>g is articulated <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>se encounters are<br />
fundamental to our understand<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> place. This paper, <strong>the</strong>refore, br<strong>in</strong>gs toge<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong><br />
work <strong>of</strong> Henri Bergson on memory and Paul Ricoeur on narrative, to exam<strong>in</strong>e <strong>the</strong> stories<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividuals produce which def<strong>in</strong>e <strong>the</strong> self. By draw<strong>in</strong>g on research <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> lives <strong>of</strong> <strong>young</strong><br />
people <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside, <strong>the</strong> paper does three th<strong>in</strong>gs: it discusses <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> memory <strong>in</strong><br />
creat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>identity</strong>; it exam<strong>in</strong>es <strong>the</strong> political process <strong>of</strong> narrative by which memories become<br />
woven <strong>in</strong>to understand<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> place and create a <strong>bricolage</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>here</strong>; and f<strong>in</strong>ally, it <strong>of</strong>fers<br />
<strong>the</strong> ‘storied-self’ as a resolution <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> compet<strong>in</strong>g constructions and experiences <strong>of</strong><br />
personal cont<strong>in</strong>uity and <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>consistencies and constant change <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> project <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>dividual.<br />
Key words: youth, <strong>identity</strong>, memory, narrative, storied-self.<br />
It’s just like ... you don’t even realise <strong>the</strong>y are <strong>the</strong>re<br />
half <strong>the</strong> time, until you see <strong>the</strong>m and th<strong>in</strong>k who <strong>the</strong><br />
hell is that? [laughter]. Um, you know, you just<br />
don’t realise ... (Joe, 14, personal <strong>in</strong>terview)<br />
To forget, to not ‘realise’ <strong>the</strong>y are <strong>the</strong>re half<br />
<strong>the</strong> time. To question. To realise. Joe is talk<strong>in</strong>g<br />
about <strong>the</strong> people with whom he shares his<br />
village. People he does not know. People he<br />
knows are <strong>the</strong>re and <strong>of</strong> whom he is occasionally<br />
rem<strong>in</strong>ded. <strong>The</strong>se tensions between <strong>here</strong><br />
ISSN 1464-9365 pr<strong>in</strong>t/ISSN 1470-1197 onl<strong>in</strong>e/11/020159-22 q 2011 Taylor & Francis<br />
DOI: 10.1080/14649365.2011.545141<br />
and <strong>the</strong>re, presence and absence, known and<br />
unknown, centres on a series <strong>of</strong> personal,<br />
social, cultural processes. Ord<strong>in</strong>arily <strong>the</strong>se<br />
processes are unobtrusive, and Joe is not<br />
forced to confront <strong>the</strong> issues around not<br />
know<strong>in</strong>g with whom he shares his village; his<br />
life operates on a level which accepts and uses<br />
this absence. On occasion he is forced to reevaluate<br />
<strong>the</strong> stranger before him and fit this<br />
stranger <strong>in</strong>to his wider understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
village. This stranger is accommodated; placed<br />
with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> unknown spaces beh<strong>in</strong>d a front door<br />
and <strong>the</strong> co<strong>here</strong>nt story <strong>of</strong> village life can
Downloaded by [University <strong>of</strong> Bath] at 07:01 24 November 2011<br />
160 Michael Leyshon & Jacob Bull<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ue. Caught up <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>se stories are<br />
rhythms and temporalities which simultaneously<br />
<strong>in</strong>stil cont<strong>in</strong>uity and disrupt <strong>the</strong><br />
stability. <strong>The</strong>se rhythms/disruptions are based<br />
on memory—<strong>the</strong> repeat <strong>of</strong> daily life filled with<br />
<strong>the</strong> practicalities and mundane happen<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong><br />
existence contrasted with <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terjections<br />
which cause unfamiliar faces to re-emerge<br />
from ‘deeper’ memories and re-spatialise <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>here</strong> and now. Joe’s story, to which we return<br />
later <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> paper, demonstrates how we are<br />
occasionally forced to realise <strong>the</strong> significance<br />
<strong>of</strong> memories <strong>in</strong> our lives—when we recognise<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>consistencies <strong>in</strong> our understand<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>here</strong> and now and realise <strong>the</strong> ‘depth’ <strong>of</strong><br />
personal and social memories which have<br />
built up <strong>in</strong> particular places. By attend<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
<strong>the</strong> agency <strong>of</strong> memory and <strong>the</strong> process by<br />
which memories are <strong>in</strong>corporated <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong><br />
sense <strong>of</strong> self, <strong>the</strong> paper will extend our<br />
understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ways <strong>in</strong> which <strong>young</strong><br />
people <strong>in</strong> rural areas experience <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>identity</strong>.<br />
We beg<strong>in</strong> by discuss<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> position <strong>of</strong> rural<br />
youth, memory and <strong>identity</strong>, before outl<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
our methodology and <strong>the</strong>n discuss<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>oretical work <strong>of</strong> Bergson and Ricoeur, 1<br />
followed by our empirical data.<br />
Position<strong>in</strong>g (rural) youth, memory and<br />
<strong>identity</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> contested formation <strong>of</strong> <strong>young</strong> people’s<br />
<strong>identity</strong>, <strong>the</strong>ir memories <strong>of</strong> place and <strong>the</strong> extent<br />
to which <strong>the</strong>y are <strong>in</strong>cluded or excluded with<strong>in</strong><br />
rural communities rema<strong>in</strong>s little understood<br />
(notable exceptions be<strong>in</strong>g F<strong>in</strong>dlay and Boyle<br />
2007; Leyshon 2008; Panelli 2002; Vanderbeck<br />
and Dunkley 2003). Contemporary research on<br />
rural youth has entrenched <strong>the</strong> idea that <strong>young</strong><br />
people <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside are only able to take on<br />
‘bit part roles’ <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> social fabric <strong>of</strong> rural<br />
communities because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir exclusion from<br />
social, communal and political services (Hubbard<br />
2000; Jones 1999; Mat<strong>the</strong>ws et al. 2000;<br />
Pavis, Platt and Hubbard 2000; Tucker and<br />
Mat<strong>the</strong>ws 2001). Similarly, studies on rural<br />
restructur<strong>in</strong>g, lifestyles, poverty and social<br />
exclusion (e.g. Jentsch and Shucksmith 2004)<br />
have shown <strong>the</strong> extent <strong>of</strong> social differentiation<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside. In <strong>the</strong>se accounts (only<br />
briefly outl<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>here</strong>, but for more detail see<br />
Geldens and Bourke 2008; Sibley 1998), <strong>young</strong><br />
people seem not to exist except as <strong>the</strong> clients <strong>of</strong><br />
services and <strong>in</strong>stitutions and are only visible to<br />
<strong>the</strong> researcher <strong>in</strong> terms <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir relative neglect<br />
by <strong>the</strong>se services. In contrast to <strong>the</strong>se ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />
determ<strong>in</strong>istic views <strong>of</strong> <strong>young</strong> people, some<br />
recent research has begun to <strong>of</strong>fer an alternative<br />
view <strong>of</strong> rural youth as active agents <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
production <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir lives (cf. Leyshon 2008;<br />
Riley 2009). In this paper, we draw on this<br />
perspective and conjo<strong>in</strong> it to that <strong>of</strong> memory and<br />
narrative (Jones 2005) to call attention to <strong>the</strong><br />
creative processes <strong>of</strong> produc<strong>in</strong>g memories <strong>of</strong><br />
place, <strong>in</strong> which <strong>young</strong> people learn to feel both<br />
<strong>in</strong>cluded and excluded from <strong>the</strong> countryside. In<br />
so do<strong>in</strong>g, this paper responds to recent calls by<br />
Philo (2003), Jones (2005), Leyshon (2008) and<br />
Riley (2009) for a greater understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
memory <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> lives <strong>of</strong> <strong>young</strong> people and to<br />
recognise that it is not only adults who have<br />
powerful memories <strong>of</strong> place(s) (Degnen 2007).<br />
Young people also create memories through an<br />
emotional engagement that is ‘acted out’ <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
landscape (Jones 2005: 215).<br />
Young people employ a variety <strong>of</strong> strategies<br />
to create a sense <strong>of</strong> self that is <strong>in</strong>timately<br />
bound <strong>in</strong>to rural space(s). <strong>The</strong>se relationships<br />
to <strong>the</strong> countryside are characterised by<br />
conflict<strong>in</strong>g feel<strong>in</strong>gs produced through memories<br />
<strong>of</strong> belong<strong>in</strong>g, long<strong>in</strong>g, ambivalence and<br />
abhorrence (Leyshon 2008). We argue that<br />
rural youth produce <strong>the</strong>ir identities through a<br />
narrative process <strong>of</strong> story-tell<strong>in</strong>g founded on<br />
fleet<strong>in</strong>g as well as deeper attachments to, and
Downloaded by [University <strong>of</strong> Bath] at 07:01 24 November 2011<br />
memories <strong>of</strong>, (rural) places. <strong>The</strong>se stories are<br />
<strong>the</strong> co-production <strong>of</strong> multiple experiences<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g def<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g o<strong>the</strong>rs and <strong>the</strong>ir cultures<br />
as different or abject, sensory responses to<br />
place, or mak<strong>in</strong>g sense <strong>of</strong> relationships with<br />
adults and peers (cf. Leyshon 2010).<br />
While this paper draws on research conducted<br />
with <strong>young</strong> people <strong>in</strong> rural areas, we<br />
suggest that memory, memories and narrative<br />
processes are significant beyond this particular<br />
group. Indeed, <strong>the</strong> production <strong>of</strong> a narrative<br />
storied-self, we argue, is <strong>in</strong>tr<strong>in</strong>sic to <strong>identity</strong><br />
formation. As Leyshon (2008) and Reay and<br />
Lucey (2000) have suggested, tell<strong>in</strong>g stories to<br />
<strong>the</strong> self is a central part <strong>of</strong> this process and is<br />
predicated on <strong>the</strong> iterative production <strong>of</strong><br />
def<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> self <strong>in</strong> opposition to o<strong>the</strong>rs. This<br />
is not to challenge Jones’ (2008) concept that<br />
children are always o<strong>the</strong>r to adults experiences,<br />
but ra<strong>the</strong>r to extend this notion by<br />
suggest<strong>in</strong>g that children are always already <strong>in</strong> a<br />
process <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<strong>in</strong>g, not only <strong>in</strong> relation to<br />
adults but to each o<strong>the</strong>r and to space(s). ‘Storytell<strong>in</strong>g’<br />
should not be considered as ‘frivolous’<br />
or a ‘childish <strong>in</strong>dulgence’ but is crucial to<br />
understand<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> self at any age (McNay<br />
2008). As Price (2010: 207) has noted ‘stories<br />
can perform pedagogical, emotional and<br />
taxonomic work’. But ra<strong>the</strong>r than attend to<br />
<strong>the</strong> wider social <strong>narratives</strong> to which Price<br />
alludes, this paper focuses on <strong>the</strong> personal<br />
accounts <strong>of</strong> <strong>young</strong> people <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside.<br />
For us, <strong>the</strong>se are not <strong>the</strong> spatialities <strong>of</strong> returns<br />
to childhood as seen through adult lenses (and<br />
<strong>in</strong>deed Philo 2003 questions whe<strong>the</strong>r we can<br />
truly relive past remembered experiences).<br />
Ra<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>the</strong>se are memories that help coconstitute<br />
present moments (Game 2001) by<br />
warp<strong>in</strong>g time to draw close-<strong>in</strong> pasts that<br />
produce (re)emergent knowledges and<br />
<strong>in</strong>terpretations <strong>of</strong> self and place (Probyn 1996).<br />
As Hopk<strong>in</strong>s and Pa<strong>in</strong> (2007) have<br />
observed, researchers work<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>young</strong><br />
Identity <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside 161<br />
people frequently treat <strong>the</strong>m as a group apart<br />
and hermetically sealed <strong>of</strong>f from o<strong>the</strong>rs, such<br />
as adults. Whilst such work draws attention<br />
to <strong>young</strong> peoples’ issues, it presents <strong>the</strong>m as<br />
static actors amongst flows <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>teractions<br />
ra<strong>the</strong>r than position<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m as reflexive<br />
agents capable <strong>of</strong> produc<strong>in</strong>g a sense <strong>of</strong> self.<br />
However, research by Leyshon (2008) has<br />
begun to tease out how <strong>young</strong> people make<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir own identities, sense <strong>of</strong> belong<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
histories <strong>of</strong> life through a process <strong>of</strong> produc<strong>in</strong>g<br />
memories <strong>of</strong> place via repeated contacts<br />
and experiences. <strong>The</strong>se contacts and experiences<br />
are <strong>the</strong>n narrated back to create a<br />
logical sense <strong>of</strong> self. This understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
youth h<strong>in</strong>ges on <strong>the</strong> idea that <strong>the</strong><br />
relationship between <strong>identity</strong>, memory and<br />
place is dependent upon <strong>the</strong> accumulation <strong>of</strong><br />
experiences, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g complex social <strong>in</strong>teractions,<br />
both with and with<strong>in</strong> places (Travlou<br />
2007; Valent<strong>in</strong>e and Skelton 2007).<br />
<strong>The</strong> focus on memory is not to suggest that<br />
everyth<strong>in</strong>g is remembered or that <strong>the</strong>re is no<br />
scope for ‘<strong>the</strong> new’; we suggest quite <strong>the</strong><br />
opposite. This paper seeks an understand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>of</strong> memories as active <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> assemblage <strong>of</strong><br />
space, place and <strong>identity</strong>. It looks to unpack<br />
<strong>the</strong> significance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> constant redef<strong>in</strong>ition <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> self <strong>in</strong> l<strong>in</strong>e with <strong>the</strong> ongo<strong>in</strong>g agglomeration<br />
<strong>of</strong> memories, and seeks to unpack <strong>the</strong><br />
process <strong>of</strong> narrative, <strong>of</strong> story-tell<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
creation <strong>of</strong> a cogent sense <strong>of</strong> self-<strong>in</strong>-situ. In<br />
particular, by deploy<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong> Henri<br />
Bergson and Paul Ricoeur, this paper fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
develops our knowledges <strong>of</strong> how memory is<br />
patch-worked <strong>in</strong>to space, place and <strong>identity</strong><br />
to create ‘hybrid landscapes with o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
places’ (Jones 2005: 217). By focus<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
<strong>the</strong>ories <strong>of</strong> memory and narrative we exam<strong>in</strong>e<br />
how <strong>the</strong> self, representation, places and<br />
emotion get appropriated <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> articulation<br />
<strong>of</strong> events.
Downloaded by [University <strong>of</strong> Bath] at 07:01 24 November 2011<br />
162 Michael Leyshon & Jacob Bull<br />
Image, method, mean<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Methodologically, <strong>the</strong> research draws on contemporary<br />
debates <strong>in</strong> children’s geographies<br />
regard<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> power <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> researcher over those<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g researched (see <strong>the</strong> special issue <strong>of</strong><br />
Children’s Geographies Volume 6, Number 2,<br />
2008), with a particular focus be<strong>in</strong>g paid to<br />
issues <strong>of</strong> work<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>young</strong> people (cf. Holt<br />
2004; Leyshon 2002) when explor<strong>in</strong>g why place<br />
matters (Anderson and Jones 2009). Build<strong>in</strong>g<br />
upon this work, this research exam<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>the</strong><br />
memories <strong>of</strong> <strong>young</strong> people by explor<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
personal subjectivities <strong>in</strong> ways <strong>in</strong> which were<br />
deliberately open-ended and emergent, <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>the</strong> researcher, youth workers, adults and<br />
<strong>young</strong> people <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> co-production <strong>of</strong> knowledge<br />
(Jones 2008). Through recognis<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
valu<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>tergenerational relationships <strong>the</strong><br />
research is an attempt to expose <strong>the</strong> extent to<br />
which <strong>the</strong> underly<strong>in</strong>g material consequences <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>clusion/exclusion affects <strong>the</strong> memories and<br />
identities <strong>of</strong> rural youth.<br />
In conduct<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> research for this project<br />
we worked alongside rural youth service<br />
agencies (both state and voluntary organisations)<br />
<strong>in</strong> three counties <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> south-west <strong>of</strong><br />
England that work with <strong>young</strong> people aged<br />
13–19. <strong>The</strong>se youth agencies helped to locate<br />
<strong>young</strong> people <strong>in</strong> sparsely populated areas and<br />
to legitimate our presence <strong>in</strong> communities to<br />
both <strong>the</strong> <strong>young</strong> people and <strong>the</strong>ir parents. 2 In<br />
total we recruited thirty-three <strong>young</strong> people,<br />
eighteen <strong>of</strong> whom were <strong>in</strong>terviewed fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
over a three-year period, and who were <strong>in</strong><br />
regular contact with a rural youth service. All<br />
<strong>the</strong> participants volunteered to be part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
research and described <strong>the</strong>mselves as be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
‘rural’. For <strong>the</strong> purposes <strong>of</strong> anonymity, but to<br />
reflect that <strong>the</strong>se <strong>in</strong>terviews are personal<br />
accounts, all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> respondents have been<br />
given pseudonyms.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>young</strong> people were engaged us<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> auto-ethnographic techniques,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g self-directed photography (both stills<br />
and video), personal diaries, one-to-one <strong>in</strong>terviews<br />
(repeated over a two/three-year period)<br />
and walk<strong>in</strong>g tours around <strong>the</strong>ir villages. We<br />
conducted <strong>in</strong>terviews on street corners, <strong>in</strong><br />
pubs, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> back <strong>of</strong> youth service m<strong>in</strong>i-buses,<br />
and <strong>in</strong> fields and woodland. Cameras, ei<strong>the</strong>r<br />
disposable stills or video cameras, were sent to<br />
<strong>the</strong> participants with <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>struction to photograph<br />
or film <strong>the</strong>ir experiences <strong>of</strong> rural life.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se images were <strong>the</strong>n used as part <strong>of</strong> an<br />
<strong>in</strong>terview through which <strong>the</strong>y were discussed,<br />
commented on and annotated.<br />
<strong>The</strong> images result<strong>in</strong>g from this ethnography<br />
depict rout<strong>in</strong>es and repeat<strong>in</strong>g moments <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>dividual’s life history (Chapl<strong>in</strong> 2004), giv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>sight <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> lived realities <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> experiences<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividuals <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> ‘rural’space. Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore,<br />
<strong>the</strong> artefacts pictured with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> photographs<br />
are loaded with sentiments that are more than<br />
visual (Wh<strong>in</strong>cup 2004). Images produced <strong>in</strong><br />
this way cannot be considered as simple<br />
illustrations. <strong>The</strong> process <strong>of</strong> illustration<br />
suggests a l<strong>in</strong>ear and logical progression <strong>of</strong><br />
knowledge transfer, <strong>in</strong> an almost tautological<br />
re-iteration <strong>of</strong> accompany<strong>in</strong>g words. Berger<br />
(1997: 46) suggests that private images are<br />
used <strong>in</strong> a more-than-illustrative manner. <strong>The</strong><br />
role <strong>of</strong> image <strong>the</strong>refore is a dynamic and fluid<br />
process which creates temporary and fluid axes<br />
along which memories can connect, <strong>in</strong>fuse and<br />
be reiterated <strong>in</strong> different, multiple and sometimes<br />
antagonistic <strong>narratives</strong>. <strong>The</strong>y can be<br />
considered as moments <strong>in</strong> a narrative and<br />
hence ‘departure po<strong>in</strong>ts’ from which stories <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> self can be (re)built (Bar<strong>the</strong>s 1977). This<br />
‘storytell<strong>in</strong>g’ (Fish 2004) is crucial to <strong>the</strong><br />
methodology but also reflects how experiences<br />
<strong>of</strong> landscape are remembered and given<br />
cogency to create a <strong>bricolage</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>here</strong>.<br />
Develop<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> politics <strong>of</strong> creat<strong>in</strong>g stories <strong>of</strong>
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<strong>identity</strong>, <strong>the</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g sections discuss <strong>the</strong><br />
formation <strong>of</strong> such a <strong>bricolage</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>here</strong>. <strong>The</strong><br />
first section underl<strong>in</strong>es <strong>the</strong> relevancy <strong>of</strong><br />
memory to understand<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> self-<strong>in</strong>-situ<br />
and how such a <strong>bricolage</strong> might be formed.<br />
<strong>The</strong> second section discusses <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong><strong>here</strong>nt<br />
politics <strong>of</strong> creat<strong>in</strong>g a <strong>bricolage</strong> through <strong>the</strong><br />
narrative process, while <strong>the</strong> third section<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegrates both <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se concepts to discuss<br />
<strong>the</strong> implications for <strong>identity</strong>.<br />
A <strong>bricolage</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>here</strong>: memory<br />
It is <strong>in</strong> many ways axiomatic to state that<br />
memory is a crucial factor <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> affective and<br />
emotional response to place (see also Wylie<br />
2009), yet <strong>the</strong> significance <strong>of</strong> memory <strong>in</strong><br />
geographical academic accounts <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong> is<br />
largely under-represented (see Bull and Leyshon<br />
2010; Cloke and Pawson 2008). Work<strong>in</strong>g with<br />
Bergson’s <strong>the</strong>oretical approach to memory<br />
(notably Matter and Memory 2005 [1908]),<br />
three aspects <strong>of</strong> memory can be identified—<br />
reflex, cognitive and narrative. Reflex memory<br />
is a comb<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> evolutionary memory<br />
embedded <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> body which susta<strong>in</strong>s life,<br />
comb<strong>in</strong>ed with <strong>the</strong> habitual responses to certa<strong>in</strong><br />
stimuli. In contrast, cognitive memory is <strong>the</strong><br />
temporally anchored memories <strong>of</strong> particular<br />
events (Bull and Leyshon 2010). <strong>The</strong> reflex and<br />
cognitive memory feed <strong>in</strong>to what Bergson<br />
termed <strong>the</strong> ‘memory-image’. <strong>The</strong> memoryimage<br />
is a spontaneous re-emergence <strong>of</strong> reflex<br />
and cognitive memories. However, this spontaneity<br />
and <strong>the</strong> resultant assembly are not<br />
apolitical. Memory is an active process,<br />
constantly reach<strong>in</strong>g out along <strong>the</strong> various l<strong>in</strong>es<br />
<strong>of</strong> experience. It is to <strong>the</strong> narrative <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong><br />
and <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> memory-image which<br />
this paper attends as it re-spatialises cognitive<br />
and reflex memory.<br />
<strong>The</strong> reflex and ‘pure’ cognitive aspects to<br />
memory may <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>mselves confound represen-<br />
Identity <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside 163<br />
tation and <strong>in</strong> this regard we may, as Thrift<br />
suggests, consider ‘<strong>the</strong> human’ to be an unstable<br />
project (2009: 82). However, <strong>the</strong> pluri-temporal<br />
landscapes that memory creates are articulated<br />
and performed. Such performances require<br />
some level <strong>of</strong> co<strong>here</strong>nce <strong>in</strong> order to be<br />
communicable. This co<strong>here</strong>nce draws on memory<br />
<strong>in</strong> a temporal dynamics <strong>of</strong> place. As such,<br />
memory is an actor <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> def<strong>in</strong>ition <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong>,<br />
with different memory-images which can be<br />
used, shaped and <strong>in</strong>teracted with to create a<br />
logical and co<strong>here</strong>nt sense <strong>of</strong> self through an<br />
evolv<strong>in</strong>g and fluid encounter with <strong>the</strong> world.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se memory-images are to a certa<strong>in</strong> extent<br />
spontaneous, <strong>in</strong> essence, found; however, <strong>the</strong><br />
way that <strong>the</strong>y are put toge<strong>the</strong>r is an articulation<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir mean<strong>in</strong>g. Thus <strong>the</strong> manner <strong>in</strong> which <strong>the</strong><br />
spontaneously emerg<strong>in</strong>g reflex and cognitive<br />
aspects <strong>of</strong> memory are assembled <strong>in</strong>to a<br />
co<strong>here</strong>nt memory-image is crucial. In this<br />
regard, <strong>the</strong> assembly <strong>of</strong> found memories with<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir emergent mean<strong>in</strong>g can be best described as<br />
a <strong>bricolage</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>here</strong> (or memory as it<br />
happens)—a narrative <strong>of</strong> what is at hand. This<br />
memory-based approach becomes a useful<br />
geographical tool as it beg<strong>in</strong>s to access <strong>the</strong><br />
hermeneutics <strong>of</strong> place.<br />
An <strong>in</strong>dividual’s sense <strong>of</strong> self is a tenacious<br />
attempt to conta<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> dynamics <strong>of</strong> temporal<br />
life, whilst provid<strong>in</strong>g a framework for her- or<br />
himself to navigate through <strong>the</strong> complexities<br />
<strong>of</strong> his or her existence. This fluid concept <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>identity</strong> provides an <strong>in</strong>trigu<strong>in</strong>g addition to a<br />
phenomenologically sensitive geography, <strong>in</strong><br />
that it allows for a type <strong>of</strong> self that can shape<br />
and be moulded to <strong>the</strong> various transitions or<br />
open<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> life. Specifically, memory can<br />
br<strong>in</strong>g mean<strong>in</strong>g to periods <strong>of</strong> radical transformation,<br />
and allow for an <strong>in</strong>dividual to<br />
<strong>in</strong>terpret her or his life through a range <strong>of</strong><br />
multifarious discourses <strong>of</strong> place. Here, memory<br />
has <strong>the</strong> potential to provide a w<strong>in</strong>dow on<br />
exist<strong>in</strong>g concepts <strong>of</strong> human <strong>identity</strong> <strong>in</strong> relation
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164 Michael Leyshon & Jacob Bull<br />
to reflexively lived lives. As discussed earlier,<br />
this paper engages with <strong>the</strong> political process <strong>of</strong><br />
assembly, so crucial to <strong>the</strong> <strong>bricolage</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>identity</strong>. This process <strong>of</strong> assembly we recognise<br />
as be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> formation <strong>of</strong> a narrative <strong>of</strong> self<br />
(storied-self); <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> logical stories<br />
about our emotional response to place.<br />
A <strong>bricolage</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>here</strong>: narrative<br />
In this paper we are <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> how lived<br />
memory is remembered, and shaped, by visual<br />
references which <strong>in</strong> turn reconfigure our notions<br />
<strong>of</strong> self and <strong>identity</strong>. By consider<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> politics <strong>of</strong><br />
how <strong>in</strong>dividuals mobilise memories <strong>in</strong> understand<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
<strong>of</strong> space, <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> challenge <strong>of</strong> this<br />
paper is to question how <strong>in</strong>dividuals are able to<br />
reconcile <strong>the</strong>ir notion <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong> with <strong>the</strong><br />
undeniable reality <strong>of</strong> personal change. To<br />
answer this dialectic <strong>of</strong> selfhood as sameness,<br />
and selfhood as temporal difference, we will<br />
explore <strong>the</strong> approach <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ‘storied-self’ found<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> writ<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> Paul Ricoeur (for an excellent<br />
review see Venema 2000). Ricoeur’s writ<strong>in</strong>g<br />
attempted to understand <strong>the</strong> relationship<br />
between <strong>in</strong>dividuals’ sense <strong>of</strong> place <strong>in</strong><br />
society/nature coupled to notions <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong>,<br />
memory and know<strong>in</strong>g (Simms 2002; Vanhoozer<br />
1991). In his essays Time and Narrative (1988)<br />
and Oneself as Ano<strong>the</strong>r (1992), Ricoeur tackles<br />
<strong>the</strong>se problems <strong>of</strong> self-constancy <strong>in</strong> time through<br />
what he calls ‘narrative <strong>identity</strong>’. Ricoeur<br />
constructs a notion <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong> which is situated<br />
with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> temporal and physical cont<strong>in</strong>uum <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> narrative life. His aim was to reconcile <strong>the</strong><br />
‘tension between <strong>the</strong> objective-self (socially and<br />
physically embodied) and <strong>the</strong> subjective-self<br />
(psychologically and spiritually constituted)’<br />
(Delashmutt 2009: 592), through a hermeneutics<br />
<strong>of</strong> selfhood <strong>in</strong> which human agency is<br />
understood by <strong>the</strong> self through processes <strong>of</strong><br />
mean<strong>in</strong>g-rich narrative reflection. Ricoeur<br />
argued that <strong>the</strong> lived-self is given mean<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
structure through self-narration and is an<br />
attempt at unify<strong>in</strong>g human action itself with<br />
<strong>the</strong> causation <strong>of</strong> those actions. Hence <strong>the</strong> textual<br />
encounter is not simply an <strong>in</strong>terpretive mechanism,<br />
or <strong>in</strong>deed a post hoc (re)imag<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> an<br />
encounter but ra<strong>the</strong>r an <strong>in</strong>tr<strong>in</strong>sic process<br />
essential to our personal <strong>narratives</strong> around<br />
selfhood. Thus a politics <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong> can be<br />
understood through an engagement with various<br />
sensory modes <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g as well as <strong>the</strong><br />
textual understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se affectations.<br />
Geographers have engaged with <strong>the</strong> literature<br />
on narrative. Valent<strong>in</strong>e (2000), draw<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
<strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong> Somers (1994), argues that people<br />
should be seen as cultural agents embedded <strong>in</strong><br />
social processes produc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>ir own <strong>narratives</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir everyday lives. Through br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g social<br />
conditions to <strong>the</strong> foreground it <strong>the</strong>refore<br />
becomes possible to exam<strong>in</strong>e <strong>the</strong> significant<br />
differences between <strong>in</strong>dividuals and groups <strong>of</strong><br />
people as <strong>the</strong>y experience life. Wiles, Rosenberg<br />
and Kearns (2005) suggest this is possible<br />
as narrative has a dual function, first, it is a way<br />
<strong>of</strong> represent<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> world and secondly, it<br />
serves as a mechanism <strong>of</strong> reason<strong>in</strong>g to ourselves,<br />
help<strong>in</strong>g to mould our perceptions <strong>of</strong><br />
ourselves and our place <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> world. In this<br />
way narrative is both a story <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> self and a<br />
tool kit for understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> world. It is, <strong>in</strong><br />
Corazzi’s (1993) terms, <strong>the</strong> medium though<br />
which cultural expression is organised and<br />
learned. Ricoeur’s <strong>in</strong>terpretation <strong>of</strong> narrative<br />
<strong>identity</strong> is situated <strong>in</strong> phenomenological understand<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> everyday through a hermeneutic<br />
<strong>in</strong>terpretative framework (Ricoeur<br />
1988). Narratives for him form <strong>the</strong> build<strong>in</strong>g<br />
blocks from which our <strong>in</strong>dividual understand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world is constituted and communicated,<br />
not only to ourselves but to o<strong>the</strong>rs, and<br />
not necessarily <strong>in</strong> that order.<br />
Hav<strong>in</strong>g identified <strong>the</strong> significance <strong>of</strong> narrat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>the</strong> self it is important to identify that
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narrative is much more than a synonym for<br />
discourse; it is an active process through<br />
which co<strong>here</strong>nce is woven through <strong>the</strong><br />
complexities <strong>of</strong> everyday life (Fish 2004).<br />
Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, it must be recognised that<br />
narrative is ‘a prodigious variety <strong>of</strong> genres,<br />
<strong>the</strong>mselves distributed amongst different substances—as<br />
though any material were fit to<br />
receive man’s [sic ] stories’ (Bar<strong>the</strong>s 1977: 79);<br />
that narrative is an <strong>in</strong>terplay between <strong>the</strong><br />
materialities <strong>of</strong> space, and <strong>the</strong> social, cultural<br />
and historical position<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> human lives.<br />
<strong>The</strong>refore what is apparent is this narrative<br />
process operates on every level and is<br />
embedded <strong>in</strong> and distributed throughout<br />
every material and social relation. In essence,<br />
narrative is <strong>the</strong> process by which <strong>the</strong> chaos <strong>of</strong><br />
circumstance is given cogency. <strong>The</strong> narrative(s)<br />
we are discuss<strong>in</strong>g for this paper are<br />
<strong>in</strong>f<strong>in</strong>ite, personal and evolv<strong>in</strong>g. Yet <strong>the</strong><br />
variable and chang<strong>in</strong>g status <strong>of</strong> narrative<br />
does not underm<strong>in</strong>e its usefulness.<br />
In order for a story to function, as Bar<strong>the</strong>s<br />
(1977) argues, it needs to be communicable<br />
(though not necessarily communicated). It<br />
must conform to <strong>the</strong> social and cultural rules<br />
that enable <strong>the</strong> story <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong> to be repeated<br />
both to o<strong>the</strong>rs and <strong>the</strong> self. A narrative<br />
approach to <strong>identity</strong> <strong>the</strong>refore facilitates<br />
understand<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> our emotional response to<br />
place through <strong>the</strong> various materialities, memories,<br />
and representations <strong>of</strong> place <strong>in</strong> a<br />
<strong>bricolage</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>here</strong>. <strong>The</strong> next section<br />
develops this <strong>the</strong>ory <strong>of</strong> narrative to reconcile<br />
<strong>the</strong> complexity and cont<strong>in</strong>gency <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong><br />
and <strong>the</strong> co<strong>here</strong>nce <strong>of</strong> a sense <strong>of</strong> self-<strong>in</strong>-situ.<br />
A <strong>bricolage</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>here</strong>: <strong>identity</strong><br />
Geographers have identified how <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>teractions<br />
between spaces, places and identities<br />
are not just negotiated but <strong>in</strong> a constant state<br />
Identity <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside 165<br />
<strong>of</strong> negotiation as <strong>the</strong> ‘unstable po<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>of</strong><br />
identification or suture’ (Hall 1990: 226) are<br />
constructed or contextualised with<strong>in</strong> power<br />
relationships (Castells 1997). This fluid understand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong>, however, is problematic<br />
as it is <strong>in</strong> tension with how people come to<br />
know <strong>the</strong>mselves. de Certeau (1988) provides<br />
an <strong>in</strong>sight <strong>in</strong>to this problem by argu<strong>in</strong>g that<br />
although identities are <strong>in</strong> a state <strong>of</strong> flux, <strong>the</strong>y<br />
are located with<strong>in</strong> a swirl <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>terconnections<br />
between <strong>in</strong>dividuals and o<strong>the</strong>rs that gives <strong>the</strong><br />
appearance <strong>of</strong> stability. Although we may<br />
believe, on an epistemological level, that<br />
<strong>identity</strong> is cont<strong>in</strong>gent and ‘constructed from<br />
a mix <strong>of</strong> elements’ (Hekman 1999: 18), an<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividual’s <strong>identity</strong> cannot be experienced as<br />
fragmented, unstable or totally fluid (Leyshon<br />
2008). Experientially, <strong>in</strong>dividuals must, or<br />
come to, know <strong>the</strong>mselves as a stable self, as a<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>uous be<strong>in</strong>g negotiat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> disparate,<br />
fluid and dynamic elements <strong>of</strong> life. Identity is<br />
<strong>in</strong> itself not radically cont<strong>in</strong>gent, but ra<strong>the</strong>r a<br />
referential frame with<strong>in</strong> a cont<strong>in</strong>gent world.<br />
<strong>The</strong> opposite would be ‘to court madness’<br />
(Hekman 1999: 20). Put ano<strong>the</strong>r way,<br />
identities, whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> <strong>young</strong> people or adults,<br />
are not constructed as <strong>in</strong><strong>here</strong>ntly unstable, but<br />
ra<strong>the</strong>r from a position <strong>of</strong> stability with<strong>in</strong><br />
cont<strong>in</strong>gent space. Individuals <strong>the</strong>refore formulate<br />
belief systems which <strong>the</strong>y (at <strong>the</strong> very<br />
least) believe to be stable, solid and truthful to<br />
<strong>the</strong>mselves; belief systems which can be<br />
affirmed by everyday actions. Individuals act<br />
on <strong>the</strong> basis that <strong>the</strong>y know a self, which <strong>in</strong><br />
turn is predicated on firm and believable<br />
<strong>in</strong>terpretations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world around <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
Glass (1993) argues that identities are not<br />
fragmented, ruptured, fluid, or forever split, as<br />
this is predicated on disorientation, disembeddedness,<br />
rootlessness, routelessness and a<br />
sense <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>complete. Instead, Glass<br />
suggests a stable <strong>identity</strong> is necessary because<br />
it ‘locates <strong>the</strong> self <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> world; it def<strong>in</strong>es
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166 Michael Leyshon & Jacob Bull<br />
emotional and <strong>in</strong>terpersonal knowledge; it<br />
frames <strong>the</strong> self <strong>in</strong> a historical and situational<br />
context’ (1993: 48). Glass’ research usefully<br />
draws attention to <strong>the</strong> idea that <strong>in</strong>dividuals<br />
must necessarily experience <strong>the</strong>mselves as a<br />
co<strong>here</strong>nt entity, historically located and cont<strong>in</strong>gent,<br />
but endur<strong>in</strong>g through time. This is not<br />
to suggest that co<strong>here</strong>nce is necessarily<br />
complete, static and unchang<strong>in</strong>g. Nei<strong>the</strong>r is it<br />
necessarily a ‘happy’ or even content rational<br />
fram<strong>in</strong>g. <strong>The</strong> memory-<strong>in</strong>fused subject can be<br />
filled with discordant harmonies and <strong>in</strong>congruous<br />
events. But it is logical as it draws on<br />
experience to locate a sense <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong> which,<br />
<strong>in</strong> turn, allows <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividual to place<br />
<strong>the</strong>mselves <strong>in</strong> a historical and geographical<br />
context; to cope with <strong>the</strong> cont<strong>in</strong>gencies <strong>of</strong><br />
existence. What becomes important for <strong>identity</strong><br />
formation <strong>the</strong>refore is <strong>the</strong> stories we tell<br />
ourselves that help us to locate who we are and<br />
how we come to understand <strong>the</strong> world around<br />
us (Somers 1994).<br />
It is through this process <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternalisation<br />
<strong>of</strong> experience that <strong>in</strong>dividuals have <strong>the</strong><br />
capacity to draw upon memories, however<br />
discordant, to piece toge<strong>the</strong>r an emergent and<br />
consistent life-narrative, <strong>in</strong> which we appear at<br />
<strong>the</strong> very least as whole to ourselves. In this<br />
way Ricoeur <strong>of</strong>fers us a way to reject <strong>the</strong> ‘selftransparent<br />
autonomous subject <strong>of</strong> Descartes’<br />
idealism <strong>of</strong> cognito and shatters <strong>the</strong> idealised<br />
transcendental ego <strong>of</strong> Husserl and Heidegger’<br />
(Delashmutt 2009: 592). He favours <strong>in</strong>stead a<br />
Kantian metaphysics <strong>in</strong> which <strong>the</strong> immediacy<br />
<strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g is denied by argu<strong>in</strong>g that <strong>the</strong> self is<br />
only accessed and given mean<strong>in</strong>g through a<br />
detour <strong>in</strong>to and through a world <strong>of</strong> materiality<br />
as well as cultural and social phenomenon.<br />
This detour is produced through a mimetic<br />
cycle <strong>of</strong> prefiguration, configuration and<br />
refiguration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> self that is <strong>in</strong> a constant<br />
state <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g constructed and re-constituted<br />
through an <strong>in</strong>terpretative framework <strong>of</strong> an<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividual’s past, <strong>the</strong>ir experience <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
present and projections <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> self-forward.<br />
<strong>The</strong> self <strong>in</strong> this way is always an iterative<br />
reflection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> reconfiguration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> selfbecom<strong>in</strong>g;<br />
a constant retell<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>terpretations<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> external world back to oneself to<br />
produce a mean<strong>in</strong>gful whole. In this sense life<br />
is refigured through autobiographical confessional<br />
self-narration (Reynolds 2004).<br />
However, <strong>the</strong>se ‘confessions’ need not be<br />
‘truthful’—<strong>the</strong>y are an articulation <strong>of</strong> what<br />
has been and what might be—<strong>the</strong>y use <strong>the</strong> reimmergence<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> memory-image to create<br />
logical stories. As we will illustrate below <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> case study material, <strong>identity</strong> is a process <strong>of</strong><br />
tale-tell<strong>in</strong>g to oneself <strong>of</strong> life as it happened, as<br />
it happens and future projected happen<strong>in</strong>gs; it<br />
is an explanation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> movement between<br />
different places and different times. In this way<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividuals may manage <strong>the</strong>ir life <strong>of</strong> constantly<br />
chang<strong>in</strong>g encounters and memories through<br />
employ<strong>in</strong>g a hermeneutic understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> self<br />
that reads/re-<strong>in</strong>terprets life by way <strong>of</strong> a greater<br />
context. People create <strong>the</strong>mselves <strong>in</strong> an<br />
ongo<strong>in</strong>g process by which events are reconfigured.<br />
Through remember<strong>in</strong>g and refigur<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividuals can embody <strong>the</strong> creative act <strong>of</strong><br />
lived rem<strong>in</strong>iscence. <strong>The</strong>refore, through fram<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>the</strong> portrayal <strong>of</strong> life as ‘autobiographical’ it<br />
is possible to capture some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> reflexive<br />
re<strong>in</strong>terpretation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> self (Reynolds 2004).<br />
Ricoeur (1988: 243)suggests fram<strong>in</strong>g autobiographical<br />
accounts <strong>of</strong> self through <strong>the</strong><br />
reflexive lens <strong>of</strong> ‘narrative time’ <strong>in</strong> which he<br />
asks us to place value on time’s function ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />
than its nature. In Time and Narrative Ricoeur<br />
(1988) <strong>in</strong>terlaces psychological time and<br />
cosmological time to expla<strong>in</strong> that narrative<br />
time is <strong>the</strong> mechanism through which an<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividual can articulate both <strong>the</strong> experiences<br />
and transactions <strong>of</strong> time through language.<br />
Narrative time is <strong>the</strong>refore how human agency<br />
and action is constituted by <strong>in</strong>dividuals <strong>in</strong>
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fictional/non-fictional <strong>narratives</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> self. It<br />
is not cosmological time per se, but <strong>the</strong><br />
experience <strong>of</strong> time <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> body. In this way<br />
Ricoeur positions cosmological time as a<br />
‘fictive stage’ that <strong>in</strong>dividuals assume exists<br />
and which <strong>the</strong>y use to tell temporary tales <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> self through a resilient narrative <strong>identity</strong>—<br />
a storied-self through which <strong>in</strong>dividuals’<br />
identities are created <strong>in</strong> an ongo<strong>in</strong>g, iterative,<br />
reflexive, autobiographical process from fictional/factual<br />
and experiential sources. Time,<br />
Ricoeur (1992) argues, is ‘time for’ <strong>the</strong><br />
articulation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> self ra<strong>the</strong>r than ‘time to be’<br />
<strong>the</strong> self, as experiences and <strong>the</strong> transitions <strong>of</strong><br />
time are produced <strong>in</strong> and through language. In<br />
this understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>re is no phenomenological<br />
disparity for an <strong>in</strong>dividual’s encounter <strong>of</strong><br />
time with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> fictive ‘world’ <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> text or <strong>the</strong><br />
memory-image and <strong>the</strong>ir experience <strong>of</strong> time<br />
with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> factual ‘world’ <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> self. That is to<br />
say that <strong>in</strong>dividuals work at produc<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
resilient narrative <strong>identity</strong>—a storied-self<br />
through which <strong>the</strong>ir identities are made. A<br />
storied-self is a mimetic cycle <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>trospection<br />
and <strong>the</strong> fundamental stuff <strong>of</strong> agency (Ricoeur<br />
1992). For Ricoeur, <strong>the</strong> narrative story <strong>of</strong> one’s<br />
life is someth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> value, someth<strong>in</strong>g worth<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g retold, and retold not only for <strong>the</strong> benefit<br />
<strong>of</strong> audiences, however small, but for <strong>the</strong> benefit<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividual. <strong>The</strong> type <strong>of</strong> life to which<br />
Ricoeur alludes is an amalgam <strong>of</strong> corporeal<br />
and emotional/experiential realities. When<br />
Ricoeur describes <strong>the</strong> stuff <strong>of</strong> life he does so<br />
through <strong>the</strong> language <strong>of</strong> body and selfhood. We<br />
need to be careful to avoid <strong>the</strong> functional<br />
dualism <strong>of</strong> simply separat<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>the</strong> body from<br />
<strong>the</strong> life <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> self. Ra<strong>the</strong>r we need to recognise<br />
that both are ontologically undifferentiated<br />
sp<strong>here</strong>s <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lived-life, i.e. <strong>the</strong> lived-life is a<br />
symbiotic simultaneous relationship <strong>of</strong> experiential<br />
happen<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>the</strong> production <strong>of</strong> memory<br />
and <strong>the</strong> self-narrative <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world.<br />
A resilient narrative <strong>identity</strong> enables an<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividual to place her- or himself <strong>in</strong> space<br />
both temporally and physically, and produces<br />
<strong>the</strong> desired effect <strong>of</strong> harmonis<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong><br />
subjective/objective dialectic <strong>of</strong> existence.<br />
Narrative <strong>identity</strong> <strong>in</strong> this way is <strong>the</strong> production<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> self <strong>of</strong> place(s), <strong>in</strong>cluded/excluded,<br />
experienced/imag<strong>in</strong>ed, <strong>here</strong> now/<strong>here</strong><br />
past/<strong>here</strong> future and so on. Be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> world<br />
is <strong>the</strong>refore only accessed through emergent<br />
route ways <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> objective world <strong>of</strong> cultural<br />
and social structures, which are ‘read’ as <strong>the</strong><br />
subject’s surround<strong>in</strong>g context. Read<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
context or <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> a co<strong>here</strong>nt storiedself<br />
<strong>the</strong>n is an everyday device that <strong>in</strong>dividuals<br />
utilise to coord<strong>in</strong>ate <strong>the</strong> fluidity <strong>of</strong> encounter<br />
<strong>in</strong>to a cohesive and self-mean<strong>in</strong>gful whole. We<br />
argue that a resilient narrative <strong>identity</strong> places<br />
value on <strong>the</strong> redescriptive power <strong>of</strong> imag<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
(Ricoeur 1988: 1(xi)) through which<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividuals recognise <strong>the</strong>mselves and <strong>the</strong><br />
places and spaces <strong>the</strong>y encounter via <strong>the</strong><br />
stories <strong>the</strong>y tell <strong>the</strong>mselves (Ricoeur 1988:<br />
3(246–247)). <strong>The</strong>se stories are not necessarily<br />
time specific or <strong>in</strong>deed without time, but<br />
ra<strong>the</strong>r are constantly reworked <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> now <strong>in</strong><br />
an ongo<strong>in</strong>g encounter <strong>of</strong> self and o<strong>the</strong>r that<br />
has a depth that cannot be determ<strong>in</strong>ed. Whilst<br />
<strong>the</strong> stories are temporally constructed <strong>in</strong> a<br />
narrative hermeneutical methodology, <strong>the</strong>y do<br />
not have to be consistent or preclude <strong>the</strong><br />
hold<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> contradictory perspectives.<br />
Narrative as place<br />
Identity <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside 167<br />
A storied-self, we argue, can only be understood<br />
through an <strong>in</strong>terpretation <strong>of</strong> ‘contexts’.<br />
In this section we discuss how images <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>timate and personal landscapes produced by<br />
<strong>young</strong> men and women grow<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
countryside give <strong>the</strong> illusion <strong>of</strong> everyday life as<br />
stable, resilient, cared for and enjoyable, when
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168 Michael Leyshon & Jacob Bull<br />
ra<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> images <strong>the</strong>y have created were<br />
<strong>in</strong>tended to illustrate ano<strong>the</strong>r very different<br />
narrative <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rness, vulnerability and<br />
ultimately project a vision <strong>of</strong> escape.<br />
This section is primarily about two <strong>young</strong><br />
people, Ellen and Joe, who live <strong>in</strong> villages we<br />
call Willow Hill and Yewley. Ellen (14 years<br />
old) acutely feels a sense <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rness based on<br />
her parent’s position <strong>in</strong> Willow Hill—she lives<br />
with her parents <strong>in</strong> a council house 3 on <strong>the</strong><br />
outskirts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lower village. Willow Hill is a<br />
l<strong>in</strong>ear village on <strong>the</strong> escarpment <strong>of</strong> some<br />
upland hills with a population <strong>of</strong> just over 400<br />
people. <strong>The</strong> village is <strong>in</strong> two parts: <strong>the</strong> upper<br />
section, located near <strong>the</strong> church and manor<br />
house, is on <strong>the</strong> high ground and is populated<br />
by prosperous retirees and pr<strong>of</strong>essional people<br />
who work <strong>in</strong> nearby towns and cities. <strong>The</strong><br />
lower half <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> village is at <strong>the</strong> base <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hill<br />
and comprises a council estate (twenty-five<br />
houses) and four light <strong>in</strong>dustrial units (provid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
employment for twenty-one local people).<br />
<strong>The</strong> lower village is one mile from a major<br />
road, which is seven miles from <strong>the</strong> nearest<br />
town. Whilst <strong>the</strong>re is no shop <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> village, a<br />
regular bus service travell<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> nearest<br />
town can be caught every hour throughout <strong>the</strong><br />
day. Julie (17 years old) described <strong>the</strong> village as<br />
‘un<strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g, bor<strong>in</strong>g and <strong>the</strong>re’s not a lot <strong>of</strong><br />
night life ... <strong>the</strong>re’s one street light <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
whole <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> village ... it’s surrounded by<br />
empty fields and forests and whatnot’ (personal<br />
<strong>in</strong>terview with Julie). Alex (15 years old)<br />
conversely reflected ‘its alright ... not bad, cos<br />
like I’m <strong>in</strong>to fish<strong>in</strong>g an’ shoot<strong>in</strong>g and go<strong>in</strong>g<br />
up top with my uncle an’ gett<strong>in</strong>g us some<br />
rabbits’ (personal diary). However, from both<br />
Julie and Alex’s perspective <strong>the</strong> village is<br />
divided between a wealthy upper area and <strong>the</strong><br />
poorer lower village, as Julie commented ‘I<br />
dislike <strong>the</strong> whole sort <strong>of</strong> separat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
community. But we can’t do a lot about it,<br />
it’s always been like that’ (personal <strong>in</strong>terview<br />
with Julie). <strong>The</strong> majority <strong>of</strong> <strong>young</strong> people live<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> lower village (seventeen <strong>in</strong> total). Ten <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>m meet once a week at <strong>the</strong> village hall for a<br />
youth group run by a local charity. Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
older youth work part-time <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> summer<br />
months clean<strong>in</strong>g second homes and holiday<br />
lets <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> upper village, beat<strong>in</strong>g for grouse<br />
shoot<strong>in</strong>g parties <strong>in</strong> August, or on one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
many local fruit farms surround<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> village.<br />
Joe (14 years old) lives <strong>in</strong> Yewley, a small<br />
village some fifteen miles from <strong>the</strong> nearest<br />
town, compris<strong>in</strong>g a population <strong>of</strong> approximately<br />
100 people <strong>of</strong> which twelve are <strong>young</strong><br />
people aged between 14 and 18. As far as <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>young</strong> people <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> village are concerned it is<br />
‘a dump’, ‘bor<strong>in</strong>g’ or ‘crap’ (Yewley discussion<br />
group), and as Emily (17 years old) remarked<br />
<strong>the</strong> ‘only way <strong>of</strong> ensur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>telligent conversation<br />
is to talk to yourself’ (Emily’s personal<br />
diary). For Joe <strong>the</strong> village is divided not only<br />
geographically, ‘<strong>the</strong> north-west half ... is<br />
quite separate from <strong>the</strong> south-east’ (Joe’s<br />
personal diary), but also socially. <strong>The</strong> northwest<br />
section is dom<strong>in</strong>ated by a post-war<br />
council hous<strong>in</strong>g estate whilst <strong>the</strong> rema<strong>in</strong>der <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> village is a mix <strong>of</strong> newly built architecturally<br />
designed houses and renovated farm<br />
build<strong>in</strong>gs. One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> problems <strong>young</strong><br />
people encounter <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> village is <strong>the</strong> tension<br />
between <strong>the</strong>m and an age<strong>in</strong>g population, <strong>in</strong><br />
particular, <strong>the</strong> way <strong>in</strong> which <strong>the</strong> adults regulate<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>young</strong> people’s use <strong>of</strong> village space. <strong>The</strong><br />
demise <strong>of</strong> agriculture, with its attendant social<br />
importance, with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> villages is partly<br />
attributed to an <strong>in</strong>flux <strong>of</strong> an aged retired<br />
community, as demonstrated <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
discussion:<br />
Emily: Old people retire <strong>here</strong>.<br />
Tom: People with caps.<br />
John: And lots <strong>of</strong> well<strong>in</strong>gtons.<br />
Tom: And farmers who walk around like<br />
Richard’s Dad with <strong>the</strong> braces [all laugh].
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Ben: And lives <strong>in</strong> a bungalow [more laughter].<br />
(Yewley, <strong>in</strong>-depth discussion group)<br />
Ellen and Joe’s sense <strong>of</strong> self can usefully be<br />
expla<strong>in</strong>ed by apply<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>ories <strong>of</strong> memory,<br />
narrative and emotion to <strong>the</strong>ir experiences. We<br />
start our analyses from <strong>the</strong> position that <strong>the</strong><br />
spaces <strong>of</strong> both villages are topologically<br />
complex, multiple, cont<strong>in</strong>gent and temporal<br />
(Massey 2005). With<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>se fluid spaces<br />
<strong>young</strong> people produce <strong>the</strong>mselves through<br />
<strong>in</strong>terpret<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>ir sensual and/or representational<br />
accounts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir villages. Through<br />
this process <strong>young</strong> people build memories <strong>of</strong><br />
places that can simultaneously position <strong>the</strong>m<br />
across an array <strong>of</strong> senses and emotions from<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>cluded and excluded, vulnerable and<br />
confident, happy and sad, bored and <strong>in</strong>terested<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> same times and spaces. <strong>The</strong>ir memories<br />
are part <strong>of</strong> a creative process <strong>in</strong> which<br />
<strong>the</strong>y learn to be <strong>the</strong>mselves, and challenge or<br />
accept <strong>the</strong>ir lives. This is a constant and<br />
iterative process <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g embedded and<br />
disembedded with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> social structures <strong>of</strong><br />
place.<br />
Academic understand<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> how <strong>young</strong><br />
people ga<strong>in</strong> a glimpse <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir selves has tended<br />
to draw on <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> families and social<br />
networks (Lee 2001; Mayall 2002) to <strong>the</strong><br />
detriment <strong>of</strong> th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g through personal conceptualisations<br />
<strong>of</strong> space and <strong>in</strong> particular<br />
spaces which engender ‘trust’, <strong>the</strong> belief at<br />
some level that <strong>the</strong> environment can be a<br />
nurtur<strong>in</strong>g one while we take <strong>the</strong> risks <strong>in</strong>volved<br />
<strong>in</strong> grow<strong>in</strong>g up. In contrast, while bucolic ideals<br />
may exist, village life for <strong>the</strong>se <strong>young</strong> people is<br />
filled with complexity. Tensions <strong>in</strong> both<br />
villages between <strong>young</strong> people and certa<strong>in</strong><br />
older members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir community led to<br />
<strong>young</strong> people feel<strong>in</strong>g marg<strong>in</strong>alised. Tanya<br />
(aged 16) found this conflict very repressive,<br />
as she expla<strong>in</strong>ed:<br />
Identity <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside 169<br />
Well <strong>the</strong> village I like some th<strong>in</strong>gs and I don’t like<br />
<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs. I like <strong>the</strong> freedom, but freedom is a<br />
paradox because you’re not meant to go <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> fields<br />
... But you know <strong>the</strong>re is a sense <strong>of</strong> you can look<br />
out on green stuff, and <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> city you have to walk<br />
through <strong>the</strong> suburbs to get a park and see green stuff<br />
ra<strong>the</strong>r than you know walk out your door and<br />
you’ve got <strong>the</strong> field and stuff and but people [adults<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> village] are always moan<strong>in</strong>g and compla<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
about us, <strong>the</strong>y stop you do<strong>in</strong>g everyth<strong>in</strong>g. (personal<br />
<strong>in</strong>terview with Tanya, Yewley)<br />
Village spaces are not formally controlled by<br />
by-laws or o<strong>the</strong>r means <strong>of</strong> legally restrict<strong>in</strong>g<br />
access, but <strong>the</strong>y are clearly coded by adults as<br />
spaces <strong>in</strong> which <strong>young</strong> people are out <strong>of</strong> place<br />
and <strong>in</strong> which <strong>the</strong>ir activities are unwelcome or<br />
<strong>in</strong>appropriate. <strong>The</strong>refore f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g an ‘enabl<strong>in</strong>g’<br />
place <strong>in</strong> which to belong becomes a constant<br />
struggle. At some level, <strong>the</strong>refore, <strong>the</strong> parent<br />
must serve as a start<strong>in</strong>g po<strong>in</strong>t for <strong>the</strong><br />
construction <strong>of</strong> a ‘good enough’ environment<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>young</strong> person’s early years. Thus when a<br />
<strong>young</strong> person witnesses <strong>the</strong> harassment <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>ir parents, <strong>the</strong> conscious and unconscious<br />
communication <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir parents’ fears and<br />
sense <strong>of</strong> powerlessness (through for example<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g openly patronised <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> village pub)<br />
dim<strong>in</strong>ishes <strong>young</strong> people’s sense <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir parent<br />
as a site <strong>of</strong> emotional and material safety and<br />
protection (cf. Luttrell 1997; Skeggs 1997).<br />
For Ellen we suggest that witness<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
rout<strong>in</strong>e humiliation <strong>of</strong> her fa<strong>the</strong>r, an estate<br />
gardener at <strong>the</strong> local manor house, by<br />
Mr Wilson (local squire), 4 does engender a<br />
sense <strong>of</strong> shame and a sense <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>of</strong><br />
place for her. Similarly, Joe felt embarrassed by<br />
his parents as <strong>the</strong>y were viewed by villagers, <strong>in</strong><br />
Joe’s words, as ‘different’ and ‘not normal’<br />
because <strong>the</strong>y lived an alternative lifestyle. 5<br />
Both Ellen and Joe captured <strong>the</strong>ir sense <strong>of</strong><br />
displacement with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir villages through<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g short video diaries.
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170 Michael Leyshon & Jacob Bull<br />
Ellen’s short film, a walk<strong>in</strong>g tour <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
lower village, demonstrates how marg<strong>in</strong>ality,<br />
memory-images, narrative and <strong>identity</strong> are<br />
<strong>in</strong>tr<strong>in</strong>sically l<strong>in</strong>ked. Through view<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
video, which lasts only thirty-eight seconds<br />
and is a series <strong>of</strong> blip-verts 6 or clips strung<br />
toge<strong>the</strong>r, we see <strong>the</strong> heterogeneous nature <strong>of</strong><br />
her life and how <strong>the</strong> divisions with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
village are felt emotionally. Ellen uses <strong>the</strong><br />
video camera almost as a stills camera, <strong>the</strong><br />
result be<strong>in</strong>g a series <strong>of</strong> images which move<br />
very quickly across <strong>the</strong> screen. We have taken<br />
stills <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se. Accord<strong>in</strong>g to Aitk<strong>in</strong> (1998) and<br />
Alvermann and Hagood (2000) this sort <strong>of</strong><br />
multi-task<strong>in</strong>g film<strong>in</strong>g is <strong>in</strong>dicative <strong>of</strong> new ways<br />
<strong>of</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g by <strong>young</strong> people, i.e. <strong>young</strong> people<br />
flick quickly from one television channel to<br />
ano<strong>the</strong>r <strong>in</strong> search <strong>of</strong> new enterta<strong>in</strong>ment<br />
amongst a televisual backdrop <strong>of</strong> repeats.<br />
<strong>The</strong> video is <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> style <strong>of</strong> a documentary with<br />
a brief narrative <strong>in</strong>troduc<strong>in</strong>g each section. It<br />
can be condensed <strong>in</strong>to four ma<strong>in</strong> images <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
village—all are <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lower half w<strong>here</strong> Ellen<br />
lives. <strong>The</strong> first image (Figure 1) shows Ellen<br />
sitt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> front <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> family television watch<strong>in</strong>g<br />
MTV. This is quickly overla<strong>in</strong> with a series<br />
<strong>of</strong> images <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> children’s playground,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> sw<strong>in</strong>gs, climb<strong>in</strong>g frame, football<br />
goals and slide (Figure 2). <strong>The</strong> third set <strong>of</strong><br />
images focuses on Ellen climb<strong>in</strong>g a tree<br />
(Figure 3), and f<strong>in</strong>ally, <strong>the</strong> rema<strong>in</strong>der <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
video is a panoramic view <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> upper village<br />
shot over <strong>the</strong> cricket field from <strong>the</strong> road<br />
outside Ellen’s parental home (Figure 4).<br />
On <strong>in</strong>itial view<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> brevity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> film<br />
suggests that Ellen’s life <strong>in</strong> Willow Hill<br />
(a picturesque village associated with poets<br />
and artists) is very dull and unfulfill<strong>in</strong>g—it<br />
seems that <strong>the</strong>re is so little to do <strong>here</strong> that Ellen<br />
requires only thirty-eight seconds worth <strong>of</strong><br />
video. Indeed, how could she video a nonevent<br />
or show how noth<strong>in</strong>g means someth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
(Olwig 2007). But this is far too simplistic an<br />
explanation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> images; <strong>the</strong> video diary calls<br />
Figure 1 Watch<strong>in</strong>g MTV. ‘It’s a school holiday and we’re sitt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>’ (Ellen and her friend Alice).
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Figure 2 Children’s playground. ‘This is w<strong>here</strong> we play games on a good day with <strong>the</strong> youth<br />
group.’<br />
Figure 3 Up a tree. ‘It’s easy to climb trees.’<br />
Identity <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside 171
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172 Michael Leyshon & Jacob Bull<br />
Figure 4 <strong>The</strong> border. ‘This is our local cricket pitch, we’re not allowed on <strong>the</strong> square but we’ve<br />
got <strong>the</strong> top left-hand corner to play <strong>in</strong>. That’s not really enough space for us to play but we put<br />
up with it anyway.’<br />
up Ellen’s memories and sense <strong>of</strong> self beyond<br />
<strong>the</strong> assembly framed <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> image. <strong>The</strong> video<br />
illustrates how a <strong>young</strong> person’s way <strong>of</strong> see<strong>in</strong>g<br />
makes <strong>the</strong> past a part <strong>of</strong> TV culture’s curiosity<br />
shop <strong>of</strong> fragments (Dienst 1994) with one<br />
image overlapped by ano<strong>the</strong>r <strong>in</strong> quick succession.<br />
Images are problematic but by focus<strong>in</strong>g<br />
on <strong>the</strong> awkward, already commodified,<br />
already positioned, already mean<strong>in</strong>g saturated,<br />
already violent practices <strong>of</strong> envision<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> mak<strong>in</strong>g video diaries it may be possible to<br />
escape a romanticism <strong>of</strong> popular images <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
countryside. Indeed Ellen’s video highlights<br />
<strong>the</strong> more fertile idea <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> production <strong>of</strong> new<br />
imag<strong>in</strong>ed spaces and enabled her to talk <strong>of</strong><br />
o<strong>the</strong>rness ra<strong>the</strong>r than us<strong>in</strong>g video to enframe<br />
<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r as exhibit (Crang 1997).<br />
<strong>The</strong>se blip-verts operate as a metaphor for<br />
Bergson’s memory-image; <strong>the</strong> fragments,<br />
<strong>in</strong>stantaneous moments appear dislocated<br />
but are pluri-temporal landscapes <strong>in</strong><strong>here</strong>ntly<br />
connected to a variety <strong>of</strong> locales and moments.<br />
As <strong>the</strong>se images illustrate, Ellen lives a lot <strong>of</strong><br />
her life beyond <strong>the</strong> village; she did not <strong>in</strong>clude<br />
many scenes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ‘countryside’. She spends<br />
‘as much time as possible’ (personal <strong>in</strong>terview<br />
with Ellen) <strong>in</strong> town ei<strong>the</strong>r with friends, her<br />
older sister, her parents or at her grandmo<strong>the</strong>r’s<br />
house, ‘go<strong>in</strong>g to shops and do<strong>in</strong>g<br />
stuff you can’t do around <strong>here</strong>’ (personal<br />
<strong>in</strong>terview with Ellen). However, <strong>the</strong> video also<br />
shows that Ellen does hang around <strong>the</strong> village,<br />
<strong>in</strong>deed she likes <strong>the</strong> village and <strong>the</strong> peace and<br />
quiet it affords her. Her family are from<br />
Willow Hill and she has many close relatives<br />
still liv<strong>in</strong>g locally. <strong>The</strong>re are people <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
village who make her feel safe, and it <strong>of</strong>fers <strong>the</strong><br />
spaces required for private communications<br />
between friends.
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Yet <strong>the</strong>re are also elements <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> village she<br />
does not like—<strong>the</strong> clear structure between ‘<strong>the</strong><br />
wealthy people on <strong>the</strong> hill and us down below’,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> new houses which ‘only rich people can<br />
afford’ (personal <strong>in</strong>terview with Ellen). Here<br />
we beg<strong>in</strong> to witness Ellen’s sense <strong>of</strong> marg<strong>in</strong>ality.<br />
Whilst she does not feel marg<strong>in</strong>alised by<br />
<strong>in</strong>comers per se or <strong>the</strong>ir conspicuous wealth<br />
(although she did comment that she was<br />
embarrassed that her parents did not own a<br />
car), it is <strong>the</strong>ir attitude she f<strong>in</strong>ds repressive, <strong>in</strong><br />
particular <strong>the</strong>ir dismissal <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> rural poor as<br />
‘bumpk<strong>in</strong>s’.<br />
<strong>The</strong> cumulative effects <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> restrictions<br />
placed on Ellen and her friends by ‘those who<br />
run <strong>the</strong> village hall’ leaves her with little space<br />
<strong>in</strong> which to play—<strong>the</strong> children’s playground<br />
(Figure 2), a few trees near her home (Figure 3)<br />
and a corner <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cricket field (Figure 4).<br />
<strong>The</strong>se memory images reflect <strong>in</strong>stantaneous<br />
sections <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> general stream <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
highlight how different memories are overlaid<br />
and re-spatialised <strong>in</strong> different spaces. <strong>The</strong><br />
bodily performance <strong>of</strong> climb<strong>in</strong>g trees is an<br />
illustration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> reflex memories which<br />
enable <strong>the</strong> movement through <strong>the</strong> tree—a<br />
learnt awareness <strong>of</strong> what branches can be<br />
trusted, which trees can be climbed. Equally<br />
<strong>the</strong> cricket pitch illustrates <strong>the</strong> pluri-temporal<br />
landscape <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> memory-image. It highlights<br />
how Ellen’s awareness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> power structures<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> village butt up aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong> bodily reflexes<br />
<strong>of</strong> play to create compet<strong>in</strong>g spatialities <strong>of</strong><br />
cognitive and reflex memory. <strong>The</strong>se compet<strong>in</strong>g<br />
varied and variable memory images play out<br />
across <strong>the</strong> landscape <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> village; all <strong>the</strong>se<br />
sites are <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> lower half <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> village <strong>in</strong><br />
public view and Ellen feels she is under<br />
surveillance with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>m. Whilst she recognises<br />
that private space is hard to f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
countryside, especially as a number <strong>of</strong> adults<br />
know her <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> lower village and because she<br />
shares a bedroom with her older sister, she also<br />
Identity <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside 173<br />
feels unable to occupy <strong>the</strong> more secluded<br />
spaces, such as <strong>the</strong> woods, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> upper half <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> village. When she expressed that she felt<br />
unable to move <strong>in</strong>to such spaces, she said that<br />
‘it would be hard for her mum and dad, it’d<br />
make trouble for <strong>the</strong>m’.<br />
Ellen felt a border existed <strong>in</strong> her village<br />
between <strong>the</strong> council estate and <strong>the</strong> upper<br />
village, and that <strong>the</strong> border was patrolled by<br />
<strong>in</strong>comers and defended aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>young</strong> people<br />
from <strong>the</strong> council estate. She also felt <strong>the</strong> border<br />
was <strong>in</strong>sidiously encroach<strong>in</strong>g on her household.<br />
For <strong>in</strong>stance, <strong>the</strong> neighbour<strong>in</strong>g home, formerly<br />
an estate house, had been sold to people<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Bristol. Thus while <strong>the</strong> village at<br />
one level provides a safe environment for her<br />
to play and climb trees, surrounded by people<br />
she knows and trusts, at ano<strong>the</strong>r level she feels<br />
marg<strong>in</strong>alised and frustrated. Her tactic for<br />
cop<strong>in</strong>g with this sense <strong>of</strong> marg<strong>in</strong>ality is to<br />
spend ‘as much time as possible’ <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> nearby<br />
town (personal <strong>in</strong>terview with Ellen). When<br />
she is unable to physically walk out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
countryside to affirm her <strong>identity</strong> <strong>in</strong> ‘urban’<br />
spaces, she avidly reads ‘youth’ magaz<strong>in</strong>es,<br />
listens to <strong>the</strong> radio and watches youth culture<br />
programmes (e.g. MTV, VH1). Ellen enjoys<br />
life away from <strong>the</strong> village, stat<strong>in</strong>g that ‘I’m no<br />
bumpk<strong>in</strong>’ (personal <strong>in</strong>terview with Ellen). <strong>The</strong><br />
town is very important to her and her sense <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>identity</strong> is located between home and <strong>the</strong>re.<br />
Here we witness <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> ‘hybrid<br />
landscapes with o<strong>the</strong>r places’ (Jones 2005:<br />
217). <strong>The</strong>se places each have a multiplicity <strong>of</strong><br />
temporal mean<strong>in</strong>gs, and different mean<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
which can re-emerge, become re-spatialised <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> variety <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> contexts which constitute <strong>the</strong><br />
now. Ellen is liv<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>in</strong>consistency, <strong>the</strong><br />
overlay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> space with <strong>the</strong> multiple mean<strong>in</strong>g<br />
that memory affords. Her <strong>bricolage</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>here</strong><br />
is made up <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> multiplicity <strong>of</strong> memory<br />
images <strong>in</strong> part drawn from MTV, <strong>the</strong> town,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> multiple places <strong>of</strong> Willow Hill.
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174 Michael Leyshon & Jacob Bull<br />
Ellen’s video is about structur<strong>in</strong>g absence—<br />
her absence <strong>of</strong> self-esteem with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> village<br />
and <strong>the</strong> absence <strong>of</strong> her life elsew<strong>here</strong>. For her<br />
<strong>the</strong> countryside does not afford her <strong>the</strong><br />
opportunity to perform her <strong>identity</strong>, <strong>the</strong>refore<br />
<strong>the</strong> sites she chose to video were all signs <strong>of</strong><br />
survival—<strong>in</strong>dexical signs show<strong>in</strong>g a passage <strong>of</strong><br />
time before she moves on (cf. MacDougall<br />
2006), a movement she expects to achieve.<br />
Ellen believes <strong>the</strong> countryside is a good place<br />
to be, both psychologically and physically, if<br />
you can f<strong>in</strong>d space—as with o<strong>the</strong>r rural youth<br />
studies (Leyshon 2008; Vanderbeck and<br />
Dunkerly 2003), for example, she appreciates<br />
<strong>the</strong> countryside and while not desperate to run<br />
away from it, she expects to leave <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> future.<br />
Through her storied-self, <strong>the</strong> fragments <strong>of</strong><br />
rurality which constitute Ellen’s life are apparent:<br />
she locates part <strong>of</strong> her <strong>identity</strong> <strong>in</strong> urban<br />
space, which is positively affirmed, and partly <strong>in</strong><br />
rural space, which is negatively recognised as a<br />
space <strong>in</strong> which she is prevented from perform<strong>in</strong>g<br />
aspects <strong>of</strong> her <strong>identity</strong> and is subject to <strong>the</strong><br />
repressive social regimes <strong>in</strong> play <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> village.<br />
Yet she identifies positively with many aspects <strong>of</strong><br />
life <strong>in</strong> Willow Hill. This is evidence for how<br />
messy <strong>in</strong>dividuals’ connections to multiple<br />
landscapes can become. However her accounts,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> ways <strong>in</strong> which she connects <strong>the</strong> blipverts<br />
<strong>of</strong> her walk<strong>in</strong>g tour, exemplify her ability<br />
to utilise a poetics <strong>of</strong> narrative to attempt to<br />
reconcile <strong>the</strong> tensions present <strong>in</strong> her life. In her<br />
account, Ellen creates a storied-self which<br />
erodes <strong>the</strong> lumpy <strong>in</strong>consistencies <strong>of</strong> her<br />
emotional response to <strong>the</strong> material world and<br />
its oppressive politics, and her simultaneous<br />
connection to rural and urban spaces.<br />
Joe has experienced similar exclusionary<br />
aspects and strategies <strong>in</strong> Yewley. He is actively<br />
excluded by <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>young</strong> people <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
village as he is frequently referred to as a ‘nerd’<br />
or described as be<strong>in</strong>g ‘odd’, but <strong>here</strong> we wish<br />
to illustrate how Joe f<strong>in</strong>ds consolation <strong>in</strong> his<br />
o<strong>the</strong>red position by identify<strong>in</strong>g with unknown<br />
o<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> village and beyond. In his video<br />
diary Joe walked and filmed his village and<br />
layered on a narrative <strong>of</strong> belong<strong>in</strong>g and not<br />
belong<strong>in</strong>g. To expla<strong>in</strong> how he felt Joe took one<br />
<strong>of</strong> us on a walk<strong>in</strong>g tour <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> village which he<br />
used <strong>in</strong> his video diary.<br />
Interviewer: So w<strong>here</strong> are we?<br />
Joe: Err ... that’s <strong>the</strong> council houses.<br />
Interviewer: What’s significant about that?<br />
Joe: Well, I don’t know anybody <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>re.<br />
Interviewer: No?<br />
Joe: No ... and I don’t know anybody apart<br />
from Hosk<strong>in</strong>s fur<strong>the</strong>r up ... and I don’t know<br />
many people <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> village.<br />
Interviewer: Um ... why’s that?<br />
Joe: I don’t know really, I just don’t. I mean to<br />
start with it’s not very, it’s not as sociable as it<br />
could be, I mean <strong>the</strong>re are th<strong>in</strong>gs like <strong>the</strong> fete<br />
and <strong>the</strong> summer teas and o<strong>the</strong>r jolly good<br />
English th<strong>in</strong>gs, you know everybody does<br />
come round for a ‘do’ but even <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong>y tend<br />
to stay <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own group, so you never meet, I<br />
mean you never see <strong>the</strong> people <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> council<br />
houses.<br />
Interviewer: How do you feel about not<br />
know<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m?<br />
Joe: I don’t know really. It’s just like ... you<br />
don’t even realise <strong>the</strong>y are <strong>the</strong>re half <strong>the</strong> time,<br />
until you see <strong>the</strong>m and th<strong>in</strong>k who <strong>the</strong> hell is<br />
that? [laughter]. Um, you know, you just don’t<br />
realise ... I guess o<strong>the</strong>rs round <strong>here</strong> must see<br />
me <strong>the</strong> same way ... we don’t belong [laughs]<br />
... I spend a lot <strong>of</strong> time by myself down by <strong>the</strong><br />
ponds, shall we go <strong>the</strong>re now?<br />
Interviewer: Sure.<br />
Joe: I just like to have a look and sit around for<br />
a while ... by myself really cos I ... is this<br />
how black people feel <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> city?<br />
Interviewer: I don’t know Joe.<br />
Joe: <strong>The</strong>re’s no black people out <strong>here</strong>, have<br />
you noticed?
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Interviewer: Yeah.<br />
Joe: Humm, why would <strong>the</strong>y? I mean <strong>the</strong>y<br />
wouldn’t be welcome would <strong>the</strong>y?<br />
(personal <strong>in</strong>terview with Joe)<br />
In <strong>the</strong> above dialogue Joe is able to affirm and<br />
normalise his <strong>identity</strong> by demonstrat<strong>in</strong>g that<br />
<strong>the</strong>re are o<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>in</strong> his village <strong>in</strong> a similar<br />
position. This discussion engenders a Ricoeurian<br />
narrative <strong>identity</strong> as he attempts to create<br />
some sense <strong>of</strong> self-consistency through an<br />
autobiographical discussion with himself.<br />
Joe cares for o<strong>the</strong>rs he does not know as he<br />
po<strong>in</strong>ts to a perceived class divide <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> village—<br />
between those people who live <strong>in</strong> council houses<br />
and <strong>the</strong> rest. <strong>The</strong> assumption <strong>here</strong> is that <strong>the</strong>re is<br />
a work<strong>in</strong>g-class m<strong>in</strong>ority <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> village. Joe also<br />
highlights <strong>the</strong> problems <strong>of</strong> rural racism previously<br />
identified by Jay (1992), Dhalech (1999)<br />
and Duncan and Duncan (2003). <strong>The</strong> prevail<strong>in</strong>g<br />
stance, as Joe suggests, is that black and<br />
m<strong>in</strong>ority ethnic people <strong>in</strong> his village would be<br />
seen as out <strong>of</strong> place, ‘alien’ (Agyeman 1989),<br />
pollut<strong>in</strong>g white rural space (K<strong>in</strong>sman 1997) and<br />
as such <strong>the</strong>y would be systematically<br />
excluded—sensations Joe felt himself. 7 For Joe<br />
rural racism and class divisions are entrenched<br />
<strong>in</strong> rural communities. Below he articulates this<br />
belief at <strong>the</strong> start <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> walk<strong>in</strong>g tour:<br />
I just look at anyth<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>of</strong> my w<strong>in</strong>dow and it<br />
makes me feel isolated ... I do feel attached to<br />
Yewley although I don’t know why. I’ve been up to<br />
London and looked around, and yeah, it made me<br />
feel better about myself. People seemed different<br />
<strong>the</strong>re, and I’m different. (Joe’s walk<strong>in</strong>g tour)<br />
Through this quotation Joe is deal<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>the</strong><br />
aporetics <strong>of</strong> life, <strong>the</strong> messy <strong>in</strong>consistency,<br />
<strong>the</strong> sense <strong>of</strong> attachment and isolation, with<br />
<strong>the</strong> poetics <strong>of</strong> narrative to simultaneously<br />
connect his sense <strong>of</strong> self to Yewley and London.<br />
Joe’s video is a glimpse <strong>of</strong> his storied-self, which<br />
Identity <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside 175<br />
is an ongo<strong>in</strong>g process. He frequently walks and<br />
talks to himself to both remember and create<br />
new understand<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> his place.<br />
I have particular feel<strong>in</strong>gs for a few places <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
village as well as a few outside. To start with <strong>the</strong>re is<br />
<strong>the</strong> pond, it’s w<strong>here</strong> I sit and th<strong>in</strong>k. <strong>The</strong> old ru<strong>in</strong>, this<br />
is an old house which has been demolished and all<br />
that is left is a 4 foot high old stone wall with trees<br />
grow<strong>in</strong>g around it. Me and a few <strong>of</strong> my long term<br />
friends used to spend a lot <strong>of</strong> our time ‘play<strong>in</strong>g’<br />
down <strong>the</strong>re. <strong>The</strong> wall is ano<strong>the</strong>r place we used to<br />
hang out at when we were <strong>young</strong>er. It’s just a break<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> hedge row along <strong>the</strong> road and an old dry stone<br />
wall is <strong>the</strong>re. I value <strong>the</strong>se places a lot as <strong>the</strong>y make<br />
me th<strong>in</strong>k about who I am. (Joe’s personal diary)<br />
This dialogue is a process <strong>in</strong>fused with a rich<br />
reflective narrative. He walks <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside<br />
(to <strong>the</strong> ponds) to help him make sense <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> village and to f<strong>in</strong>d a place with<strong>in</strong> it and<br />
although he views himself as different, and<br />
recognises that he is viewed as different, he<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ues to struggle to fit <strong>in</strong>. In part he is able<br />
to do this through acknowledg<strong>in</strong>g that he<br />
could be worse <strong>of</strong>f, as he stated he could be<br />
‘black or poor, and <strong>the</strong>n like it’d be horrible’<br />
(personal <strong>in</strong>terview with Joe). As Little (1999)<br />
has shown, signs <strong>of</strong> displeasure, hatred and<br />
vilification are directed towards people who<br />
are ‘different’ to <strong>the</strong> white middle-class norm.<br />
To challenge <strong>the</strong> norm becomes a constant<br />
struggle. However, it is worth not<strong>in</strong>g that Joe<br />
and Ellen both have a variety <strong>of</strong> places <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
villages to root <strong>the</strong>ir sense <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong>. <strong>The</strong>se<br />
multiple temporal spaces form part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
narrative construction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> self. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
illustrate how Ricoeur’s concept <strong>of</strong> a storiedself<br />
operates to create a Bergsonian memoryimage—an<br />
<strong>in</strong>tersection <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> emergence <strong>of</strong><br />
be<strong>in</strong>g—which can be used as a totem <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
stable self and permit <strong>the</strong>se <strong>young</strong> people to<br />
deal with <strong>the</strong> complexity <strong>of</strong> personal change.
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176 Michael Leyshon & Jacob Bull<br />
Although both Ellen’s and Joe’s personal<br />
video diaries are a unique journey, <strong>the</strong>y only<br />
exist through <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>teraction <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>numerable<br />
elements, which are constitutive <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> place<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g explored. <strong>The</strong>se elements <strong>of</strong> memory,<br />
practice and performance are what def<strong>in</strong>e and<br />
produce places for <strong>young</strong> people. <strong>The</strong>y are ‘an<br />
<strong>in</strong>stantaneous configuration <strong>of</strong> positions’<br />
(de Certeau 1988: 116) that appear as a stable<br />
order <strong>of</strong> coexistent elements. <strong>The</strong>se video/<br />
snapshots become ‘space’ upon <strong>the</strong> addition <strong>of</strong><br />
variables <strong>of</strong> velocity and direction. It is through<br />
this participation <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> space, or <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> countryside/city, that both Ellen and Joe<br />
experience place. In this sense <strong>the</strong>y become<br />
walkers/travellers produc<strong>in</strong>g a storied-self<br />
(Bauman 2004). <strong>The</strong> stories <strong>the</strong>y narrate to<br />
<strong>the</strong>mselves and o<strong>the</strong>rs are always <strong>in</strong> a state <strong>of</strong><br />
becom<strong>in</strong>g and represent an <strong>identity</strong> project <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>dividuals that is paradoxically <strong>the</strong> avoidance<br />
<strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g fixed—to an <strong>identity</strong> or to a place—but<br />
ra<strong>the</strong>r a consequence <strong>of</strong> striv<strong>in</strong>g for a sense <strong>of</strong><br />
belong<strong>in</strong>g and resilience to change.<br />
Conclusion<br />
Our argument is not that more attention should<br />
be paid to <strong>identity</strong> per se. Ra<strong>the</strong>r, we suggest<br />
that through explor<strong>in</strong>g how <strong>in</strong>dividual’s produce<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir identities and histories <strong>of</strong> life via<br />
experiences and <strong>the</strong> narrative use <strong>of</strong> memories,<br />
<strong>the</strong>y arrive at an understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong> that<br />
is a story. Indeed <strong>the</strong> ‘work’ that place does (to<br />
borrow a term from Mitchell 2000) for people<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir construction, articulation and ma<strong>in</strong>tenance<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong> is derived from <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terplay<br />
between <strong>the</strong> material and <strong>the</strong> remembered. In<br />
this way <strong>the</strong> ‘<strong>here</strong> and now’ is overlaid with <strong>the</strong><br />
‘<strong>the</strong>re’ and ‘<strong>the</strong>n’ (see Rose, Degen and Basdas<br />
2010).<br />
Return<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> <strong>bricolage</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>here</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />
terms <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong>, this paper has discussed <strong>the</strong><br />
implications <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong> as a process <strong>of</strong> constant<br />
negotiation. This iterative rework<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
redef<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> self, while epistemologically<br />
relevant, is riven with tensions between <strong>the</strong> flux<br />
<strong>of</strong> negotiation, <strong>the</strong> pressure <strong>of</strong> structure(s) and<br />
<strong>the</strong> appearance, at least to <strong>the</strong> self, <strong>of</strong> a stable<br />
<strong>identity</strong>. <strong>The</strong> understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> self as a<br />
stable and co<strong>here</strong>nt image h<strong>in</strong>ges on <strong>the</strong> idea<br />
that <strong>the</strong> relationship between <strong>identity</strong> and place<br />
is dependent upon <strong>the</strong> ability to be able to<br />
narrate contextual stories back to oneself and<br />
o<strong>the</strong>rs. <strong>The</strong> project <strong>of</strong> <strong>identity</strong> <strong>the</strong>refore<br />
becomes <strong>in</strong>fused with a poetics <strong>of</strong> narrative<br />
which br<strong>in</strong>gs cogency to <strong>the</strong> compet<strong>in</strong>g<br />
pressures <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> material and social worlds.<br />
This stable sense <strong>of</strong> self should not be assumed<br />
to be synonymous with a ‘good’ or ‘happy’<br />
life—nei<strong>the</strong>r should it be considered as<br />
unchang<strong>in</strong>g and unchangeable. For Ellen and<br />
Joe <strong>the</strong>ir sense <strong>of</strong> ‘out <strong>of</strong> placeness’signifies that<br />
<strong>the</strong>y have tried to create roots <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside,<br />
but ultimately <strong>the</strong>y realise that <strong>the</strong>y will<br />
have to move on. <strong>The</strong>ir future projections <strong>of</strong><br />
self are with a strong resilient sense <strong>of</strong> rurality<br />
that is temporal and marg<strong>in</strong>al to <strong>the</strong> discourses<br />
and practices <strong>of</strong> village life. As <strong>the</strong> case studies<br />
illustrate, a sense <strong>of</strong> self is historically located<br />
and is logical and communicable. Thus <strong>the</strong><br />
formation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> stable subject can be<br />
considered as a process by which <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>consistencies<br />
<strong>of</strong> life are dealt with through an<br />
autobiographical narrative. <strong>The</strong> production <strong>of</strong><br />
a storied-self is a constant and personal process<br />
draw<strong>in</strong>g on memories <strong>of</strong> places, events,<br />
experiences and emotions. Indeed, we do not<br />
only tell stories when we set out to tell stories; it<br />
is a permanent and ongo<strong>in</strong>g process. Memories<br />
<strong>the</strong>n create potentialities <strong>in</strong> stories by help<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to frame (re)<strong>in</strong>terpretations <strong>of</strong> events <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>here</strong> and now.<br />
Through <strong>the</strong> paper we have suggested that<br />
this process <strong>of</strong> creat<strong>in</strong>g co<strong>here</strong>nt ideas <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>identity</strong> is a narrative process. Narrative
Downloaded by [University <strong>of</strong> Bath] at 07:01 24 November 2011<br />
performs two (<strong>in</strong>terconnected) roles—it is<br />
both a mechanism for represent<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> world<br />
but also a process by which mess<strong>in</strong>ess and<br />
<strong>in</strong>consistency is expla<strong>in</strong>ed. We focus more on<br />
this second aspect for <strong>the</strong> purposes <strong>of</strong> this<br />
paper to highlight that narrative is not <strong>the</strong><br />
same as discourse. Narrative is a process <strong>of</strong><br />
story-tell<strong>in</strong>g ra<strong>the</strong>r than, as <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong><br />
discourse, a set <strong>of</strong> statements that provides a<br />
language for talk<strong>in</strong>g about ‘a particular k<strong>in</strong>d<br />
<strong>of</strong> knowledge’ (Hall 1992: 291). Thus while<br />
discourses have <strong>the</strong> potential to limit <strong>the</strong> ways<br />
<strong>in</strong> which a topic can be constructed, <strong>the</strong>y are<br />
bounded and external. In contrast, narrative<br />
not only has movement but also has direction<br />
and velocity and is connected and <strong>in</strong>tersectional.<br />
It expla<strong>in</strong>s events, encounters and<br />
experiences as connected to a story. Thus<br />
<strong>identity</strong> becomes for Ricoeur a hermeneutic<br />
process by which <strong>the</strong> storied-self is produced.<br />
This storied-self becomes reflexive, as people<br />
have <strong>the</strong> ability to respond to <strong>the</strong>mselves, to fill<br />
<strong>in</strong> or extrapolate from <strong>the</strong> selfhood project<br />
(McNay 2008). But this also opens<br />
up opportunities for discrepancy—both that<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividuals can hold contradictory <strong>narratives</strong><br />
about <strong>the</strong>mselves and that <strong>the</strong>re can be a<br />
gap between <strong>the</strong> stories and acts created and<br />
performed by an <strong>in</strong>dividual.<br />
<strong>The</strong> storied-self reflects what Bergson terms<br />
<strong>the</strong> memory-image and that we have suggested<br />
is <strong>the</strong> product <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> narrative process. It is a<br />
narrative memory which creates an image, a<br />
<strong>bricolage</strong> which <strong>in</strong>terrupts <strong>the</strong> general stream<br />
<strong>of</strong> becom<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>of</strong>fer a semblance <strong>of</strong> consistency<br />
and co<strong>here</strong>nce <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> mess<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>of</strong><br />
existence. What <strong>the</strong>n is <strong>the</strong> spatiality <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se<br />
images—w<strong>here</strong> do <strong>the</strong>y exist and how are <strong>the</strong>y<br />
<strong>in</strong>fluential? Follow<strong>in</strong>g Bull and Leyshon<br />
(2010), <strong>the</strong> memory-image is made up <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
cognitive memory and <strong>the</strong> reflex memory that<br />
produces three forms <strong>of</strong> memory (cognitive,<br />
reflex and memory image). <strong>The</strong>se memories<br />
map on to different spatialities. Cognitive<br />
memory connects to <strong>the</strong> spaces <strong>of</strong> representation,<br />
reflex is <strong>in</strong>gra<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> spaces <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
body and <strong>the</strong> memory image is our emotional<br />
response to place. Thus narrative should not<br />
be <strong>in</strong>terpreted as merely words—its modes <strong>of</strong><br />
expression are varied and variable—it is not<br />
an analytical product but an embodied,<br />
emotional and relational experience <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
world. Thus what becomes significant is how<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>bricolage</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>here</strong> is assembled; <strong>the</strong><br />
politics <strong>of</strong> how memories, spaces and experiences<br />
blur <strong>the</strong> boundaries between <strong>the</strong> social,<br />
<strong>the</strong> self and <strong>the</strong> body.<br />
Acknowledgements<br />
We would like to thank Ca<strong>the</strong>r<strong>in</strong>e Leyshon for<br />
read<strong>in</strong>g and comment<strong>in</strong>g on an earlier draft <strong>of</strong><br />
this paper. We would also like to thank <strong>the</strong><br />
Editor and two anonymous referees for <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
critical and constructive comments.<br />
Notes<br />
Identity <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> countryside 177<br />
1. <strong>The</strong> work <strong>of</strong> Bergson and Ricoeur has not been<br />
brought toge<strong>the</strong>r <strong>in</strong> this way before but do<strong>in</strong>g so<br />
<strong>in</strong>creases <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terpretative leverage over <strong>the</strong> empirical<br />
material <strong>in</strong> this paper with novel outcomes for<br />
research on memory and <strong>identity</strong> formation.<br />
2. Our choice <strong>of</strong> case study villages was limited to <strong>the</strong><br />
ones <strong>in</strong> which <strong>the</strong> youth agencies were already<br />
conduct<strong>in</strong>g outreach work, <strong>the</strong>refore enabl<strong>in</strong>g us to<br />
get to know <strong>the</strong> <strong>young</strong> people well. <strong>The</strong> villages<br />
discussed <strong>in</strong> this paper are located <strong>in</strong> different counties<br />
and separated by approximately eighty miles. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
represent two very contrast<strong>in</strong>g rural environments.<br />
Willow Hill is an upland escarpment village with a<br />
large retiree population and Yewley is a lowland<br />
village surrounded by large-scale agri-bus<strong>in</strong>esses.<br />
3. Council houses and council estates are state-built<br />
and -managed social hous<strong>in</strong>g units.<br />
4. In a rural context a ‘squire’ is an English country<br />
gentleman who is usually <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>cipal land and<br />
property owner <strong>in</strong> a district.
Downloaded by [University <strong>of</strong> Bath] at 07:01 24 November 2011<br />
178 Michael Leyshon & Jacob Bull<br />
5. Joe’s parents were active members <strong>of</strong> Greenpeace and<br />
observed a strict regime <strong>of</strong> ethical shopp<strong>in</strong>g. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
organised recycl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> waste <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> village and<br />
collected scrap from o<strong>the</strong>r residents.<br />
6. A blip-vert is taken from <strong>the</strong> 1985 film Max<br />
Headroom: 20 M<strong>in</strong>utes <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> Future and describes<br />
a short high-speed, concentrated, high-<strong>in</strong>tensity television<br />
commercial last<strong>in</strong>g about three seconds.<br />
7. N.B. this is a discussion <strong>of</strong> landscape and rurality <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> British context. We suggest nei<strong>the</strong>r that this applies<br />
to all rural/countryside contexts nor that <strong>the</strong> British<br />
landscape is uniform and homogenous.<br />
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Abstract translations<br />
Bricolage de l’ici : récits des jeunes de l’identité de la<br />
campagne<br />
Les souvenirs sont essentiels à notre construction des<br />
endroits. Simultanément ils <strong>of</strong>frent une ancre pour<br />
l’identité et des temporalités différentes aux rencontres<br />
avec les paysages. La mémoire permet aux<br />
différents espaces, passés et futurs de devenir<br />
implantés dans des locaux particuliers. Pourtant les<br />
assemblages spontanés de la signification que la<br />
mémoire rend possible ne sont pas apolitiques. Par<br />
conséquent les mécanismes et les processus par<br />
lesquels la signification est articulée dans ces<br />
rencontres sont fondamentaux dans nos significations<br />
de l’espace. Cet article, donc, réunit le travail d’Henri<br />
Bergson sur la mémoire et de Paul Ricoeur sur le récit,<br />
pour exam<strong>in</strong>er les histoires que des <strong>in</strong>dividus<br />
produisent qui déf<strong>in</strong>issent le soi-même. En utilisant<br />
les recherches dans les vies des jeunes dans la<br />
campagne, cet article fait trois choses: il discute du<br />
rôle de la mémoire dans la création de l’identité; il<br />
exam<strong>in</strong>e le processus politique du récit par lequel des<br />
souvenirs deviennent tissés dans des compréhensions<br />
de l’endroit et créent un <strong>bricolage</strong> de l’ici, et<br />
f<strong>in</strong>alement; il <strong>of</strong>fre le “storied-self” comme une<br />
résolution des constructions en concurrence et des<br />
expériences de la cont<strong>in</strong>uité personnelle et les<br />
divergences et changements constants dans le projet<br />
de l’<strong>in</strong>dividu.<br />
Mots-clefs: jeunesse, identité, mémoire, récit,<br />
“storied self”<br />
El Bricolaje del Aquí: Los Narrativos de Jóvenes de<br />
Identidad en el Campo<br />
Las memorias son cruciales a nuestro construcción<br />
de lugar. Se <strong>of</strong>recen a la vez un sostén para identidad<br />
y temporalidades a encuentros con paisajes. La<br />
memoria se permite que diferentes espacios,<br />
pasados y futuros llegan a ser <strong>in</strong>crustados en locales<br />
particulares. Aún los ensamblajes de significativo<br />
<strong>in</strong>crustados por la memoria no son apolíticos. Así<br />
los mecanismos y procesos por el cual se articula<br />
significativo en estos encuentros son fundamentales<br />
a nuestro conocimiento del lugar. Por tanto este<br />
articulo se junta el trabajo de Henri Bergson de la<br />
memoria y lo de Paul Ricoeur del narrativo, para<br />
exam<strong>in</strong>ar los cuentos producidos por <strong>in</strong>dividuos<br />
que se def<strong>in</strong>en el yo. Utilizando <strong>in</strong>vestigaciones de<br />
las vidas de jóvenes en el campo, el articulo se hace<br />
tres cosas: se discute el papel de memoria en crear<br />
identidad; se exam<strong>in</strong>a el proceso político de<br />
narrativo por el cual memorias se llegan a ser<br />
parte de conocimiento de un lugar y se crean un<br />
bricolaje de aquí; y f<strong>in</strong>almente, se <strong>of</strong>rece el ’yocontado’<br />
como una resolución de las construcciones<br />
que se compiten y las experiencias de cont<strong>in</strong>uidad<br />
personal y las contradicciones y cambio constante<br />
del proyecto del <strong>in</strong>dividuo.<br />
Palabras claves: Juventud, Identidad, Memoria,<br />
Narrativo, el yo-contado