Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

This is a qualitative data collection. The study is part of the Rural Economy and Land Use (RELU) programme. This small-scale research project is part of a RELU Capacity Building Project (CBP) aimed at setting the foundations for interdisciplinary and socially inclusive research at Lancaster University on issues of land use change. Conducted during the last stage of the project, the interviews that constitute this dataset were held with individuals that had been identified as potential partners in future research. While previous informal interviews had provided insights into the official analysis and visions of Lake District futures, these more formal interviews were aimed at gaining a more personal account of processes of institutional and environmental change in the Lake District. More specifically, the objectives of the interviews were: 1) To better understand the personal circumstances and professional sensibilities of individuals that had been identified as potential research partners. This information would allow the members of the RELU CBP to gain a thorough understanding of their research and policy priorities, and be sensitive to their values and implicit assumptions in order to develop a smoother and more robust long term working relationship; 2) To explore the relationship between perceptions of personal, organisational and environmental change in the current transition towards a multifunctional countryside. More specifically, to examine how expectations of change are embedded within perceptions of the (in)ability of organisations/regulatory frameworks/research tools to lead/adapt to environmental and socio-economic transformations. The interviews cover the following issues: 1) Personal and professional background and reasons for pursuing a career in the environment/conservation/development; 2) How interviewees’ perceptions of what they are doing are changing; 3) How interviewees are trying to understand the present in the light of an emerging future; 4) Perceptions of change in the Lake District in the next 25 years. Further information for this study may be found through the ESRC Research Catalogue webpage: Developing an Interdisciplinary Approach to Address Environmental and Social Issues Resulting from Changes in Land Use.

Main Topics:

Lake District, stakeholders, perception, organisational change, environmental change, land use change, countryside future, and sustainability.

Purposive selection/case studies

Face-to-face interview

In-depth interview