30 Nov Inequality in Rural New Zealand
Continuing to build on the research seeking to develop a current picture of the lived reality of rural New Zealand catalysed by The Bishop’s Action Foundation, Dr Ann Pomeroy has just published an article profiling inequality within rural communities.
The article is a preliminary exploration of class divisions in rural New Zealand and points to major inequalities that are highly likely to be affecting the life chances of some rural residents. Census and socio-economic deprivation data for the rural component of 20 of New Zealand’s territorial authorities show there is considerable variation between the three rural settlement types: rural districts or open countryside outside centres of 300+ people, rural centres of 300–999 people, and minor urban centres of 1000–10,000 people. The clear inequalities among these settlement types point to class divisions in rural New Zealand. The analysis shows that in addition to social distinctions such as ethnicity and gender, and the impact of geographic location on access to services, class is also likely to be differentially impacting on the life chances and access to services and material possessions of New Zealand’s rural population.
The article is available here Pomeroy Rural-inequality 2022