Spatialized as Rural: How the Spatialization Process Perpetuates Inequities for Ruralites

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 9:00 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Spatial Equity in Education: Addressing Rural Definitions, Policy, and Access (Table 8)

Abstract

This conceptual paper critically examines the entrenched societal perception of rural spaces as inferior and uneducated, utilizing Williams' (2019) framework. We investigate the marginalization of rural communities and the historical perpetuation of spatial inequality. The study challenges narratives that position predominantly White urban and suburban spaces, including historically White higher education institutions, as superior. It identifies three critical aspects: (a) the historical construction of White urban and suburban spaces as superior; (b) the justification of disparities between these and rural areas through spatial inequality; and (c) the creation of deficit-oriented paradigms that marginalize rural communities and individuals. Our analysis contributes to the discourse on the social construction of space and the perception of ruralities as inherently inferior.

Authors

• Jamon H. Flowers, University of Georgia

• Ian Mette, University at Buffalo - SUNY