The Rural Racism Project: Towards an Inclusive Countryside

The Centre for Hate Studies at the University of Leicester was awarded funding from the Leverhulme Trust to lead a major new study entitled The Rural Racism Project: Towards an Inclusive Countryside (2023–2025). This large-scale research project, led by Professor Neil Chakraborti, Professor Corinne Fowler and Dr Amy Clarke, challenges dominant depictions of rural England as peaceful, neutral and apolitical by investigating the realities of racism experienced by minoritised ethnic individuals and communities in rural spaces, in order to understand how racism is expressed in rural contexts.

The research team share further details below and outline how their evidence contributes to national debates on race, belonging, rural identity and access to countryside spaces.

Why does this research matter?

Racism in the UK is often portrayed as an urban issue. As a result, the specific ways it manifests within rural spaces are frequently overlooked, minimised, or denied. However, the countryside can be a site of deep racial exclusion and symbolic contestation, despite the enduring but misleading imagery typically used to convey idyllic, problem-free rural environments.

While rural England is becoming more diverse due to post-pandemic shifts and changing lifestyle patterns, many barriers remain for people from minority ethnic backgrounds. These include high costs, limited cultural representation, fear of hostility and a lack of inclusive infrastructure. Groups such as Gypsies and Travellers, who have long histories in rural areas, often face entrenched forms of exclusion and discrimination. At a time of heightened political polarisation and increased racial tensions, it is vital to understand how these dynamics play out in less visible geographies. This project places the voices of minoritised individuals—residents, visitors, and newcomers—at the centre. It draws attention to the emotional and social geographies of racism in rural England and offers a much-needed counter-narrative to popular, often romanticised, portrayals of the countryside.

What does the research involve?

To address critical gaps in knowledge and policy, The Rural Racism Project employed a multi-strand qualitative methodology to explore the nature, impacts and expressions of racism in rural England. The research centres the voices of individuals from racially minoritised backgrounds, as well as white rural residents and allies, to foreground their lived experiences of exclusion, belonging and resistance within the countryside.

Spanning more than 100 interviews and informal conversations with individuals who live in, work in or visit rural spaces,. the study provided rich insights into everyday experiences of racism, including microaggressions, institutional harms and community responses. In addition, the project analysed public discourse surrounding race in rural contexts by examining approximately 193,000 words of user-generated content from social media platforms and news sites. This analysis uncovered patterns of denial, deflection and backlash that often follow public engagement with rural racism.

Crucially, the project adopted a community-informed, co-produced approach by recruiting 20 Community Research Partners from White and minoritised ethnic backgrounds. These partners played a central role in shaping research questions, gathering data and producing creative outputs that explored the cultural and symbolic dimensions of rural exclusion. This included analysis of contested placenames, minority ethnic narratives and the aesthetic representation of rural life.

Together, these strands offer a comprehensive and intersectional account of how racism is articulated, experienced and embedded within rural landscapes. By bringing hidden stories to the surface, the project challenges romanticised narratives of rural England and provides an evidence base for more inclusive policy, practice and cultural engagement.

How will the research catalyse change?

Drawing directly from participant testimonies and co-produced insights, the research offers a platform for more inclusive narratives to support change across multiple sectors and to reshape national conversations about race and inclusion in rural England. 

To increase public understanding and institutional engagement, project outputs include a series of presentations, webinars and public-facing reports tailored to policymakers, rural planners and community stakeholders. These highlight the key barriers to racial inclusion in rural spaces and outline evidence-based recommendations for improving access, representation, and safety.

In collaboration with Community Research Partners, the project also delivers a creative programme of outputs—including photography, audio storytelling and place-based reflections—which will be showcased through a film, reports and events. These artistic expressions offer powerful, accessible ways to challenge dominant portrayals of the countryside.

The team

This project is led by Professor Neil Chakraborti (Principal Investigator) and co-led by Professor Corinne Fowler and Dr Amy Clarke (Co-Investigators). Dr Rachel Keighley, Dr Adrian Yip, and Dr Viji Kuppan are Postdoctoral Research Associates on the project, with Mulka Nisic as Research Officer. The project has also worked closely with a network of Community Research Partners and contributors from across England.

Contact

For any questions or more information about the project, please contact us at ruralracism@leicester.ac.uk.