Article: The construction of the rural through social media: an imaged-based methodology to understand perceptions for the Greek countryside Journal: International Journal of Sustainable Agricultural Management and Informatics (IJSAMI) 2020 Vol.6 No.3 pp.250 - 260 Abstract: The paper tries to discuss the social construction of rurality in the new era of mass media communication focusing, especially on perceptions of Generation Z; born and raised with the internet. The qualitative research follows an imaged-based methodology and focus group discussion. The visual analytical techniques, including content analysis and semiotic analysis showed that the positive images of rurality are dominant in the internet and social media. Through a self-coding process one third of the images define rural areas as traditional areas with intensive farming, one third landscape and the rest, social features, aging and fresh produce. As images take up an important role in our everyday life, especially through the internet and social media, there is a great potential through this methodology to understand how they shape behaviours and decisions, especially by Generation Z that will drive both consumption and labour market in the future. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: The construction of the rural through social media: an imaged-based methodology to understand perceptions for the Greek countryside

Authors: Epistimi Amerani; Maria Partalidou

Addresses: Laboratory of Agricultural Extensions and Rural Sociology, Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, School of Agriculture, Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 2nd Floor AUTH Campus, 541 24, Thessaloniki, Greece ' Laboratory of Agricultural Extensions and Rural Sociology, Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, School of Agriculture, Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 2nd Floor AUTH Campus, 541 24, Thessaloniki, Greece

Abstract: The paper tries to discuss the social construction of rurality in the new era of mass media communication focusing, especially on perceptions of Generation Z; born and raised with the internet. The qualitative research follows an imaged-based methodology and focus group discussion. The visual analytical techniques, including content analysis and semiotic analysis showed that the positive images of rurality are dominant in the internet and social media. Through a self-coding process one third of the images define rural areas as traditional areas with intensive farming, one third landscape and the rest, social features, aging and fresh produce. As images take up an important role in our everyday life, especially through the internet and social media, there is a great potential through this methodology to understand how they shape behaviours and decisions, especially by Generation Z that will drive both consumption and labour market in the future.

Keywords: rural idyll; representations; images; rural tourism; internet; Generation Z; mass media.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSAMI.2020.112113

International Journal of Sustainable Agricultural Management and Informatics, 2020 Vol.6 No.3, pp.250 - 260

Received: 07 Dec 2019
Accepted: 31 May 2020
Published online: 04 Jan 2021 *

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Title: The construction of the rural through social media: an imaged-based methodology to understand perceptions for the Greek countryside

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