Can You Help A Student With Her Research? - Complete Her Survey Online

19th February 2015

Dear sir or madam

My name is Morag Redwood; I live in Easter Ross and am conducting a research study in Wick and surrounding area as part of my doctoral studies with Glasgow Caledonian University.

My study explores if and how living in a rural area affects the way people take part in the shaping of their communities. Do some people have less opportunities or less say in the life and work of their community than others? I want to ask people if they feel they ‘belong' or ‘don't belong' to their community and whether this matters to them or not. Who says what ‘goes' or what ‘matters' in Wick, John O’ Groats and surrounding areas, and does anyone or any groups of people feel that they are excluded from having that say?

The research findings are expected to help anyone planning new activities in rural areas to be more sensitive to the unique way in which residents are shaped by rural influences. So, although there is no direct benefit to anyone who takes part in this study, a better understanding of how rurality shapes social, economic and cultural dynamics, will support the development of inclusive, healthy and vibrant rural communities.

It is therefore important to the study that as many people as possible, living within the KW1 postcode area, take part in the initial 5-minute survey which asks people about their sense of ‘belonging’ or ‘not belonging’ to their local community and the degree to which this is important to them. The other main aim of this questionnaire is to find people from a rich cross-section of society who will volunteer to be interviewed in the next stage of the study.

The survey can be accessed online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/wick_research

Any individual or community group can request printed copies by contacting me directly.

Tel: 07793 842 029; Email: Morag.Redwood[AT]gcu.ac.uk)
Morag Redwood, PhD Student, 4th Floor Hamish Wood Building, Glasgow School for Business and Society, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA.