“This year, the weather is like it used to be in our times” : Experiencing climate change in the context of rural ageing in the Czech Republic

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14230%2F25%3A00144293" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14230/25:00144293 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0743016725000737" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0743016725000737</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103633" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103633</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

“This year, the weather is like it used to be in our times” : Experiencing climate change in the context of rural ageing in the Czech Republic

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

The various contexts in which the intersection of rural ageing and the experience of climate change takes place remain understudied. In our paper, we draw on a qualitative analysis of 40 in-depth interviews collected in 2021 with older (between 54 and 85 years old) long-term residents from two rural regions in the Czech Republic, representing a post-socialist, relatively climate-sceptic society. We address how participants interpret their life-long environmental experiences in the context of accelerating climate change. Our analysis focuses on four issues, which are reflected in the interviews - (1) the collapse of spruce forests, (2) decreasing snow cover, (3) long-term drought, and (4) extreme storms. These issues inspire various repertoires, which participants use to make sense of these occurrences. The findings reveal that research participants often simplify the causes of changes they have experienced, preferring familiar, concrete explanations over abstract scientific knowledge. While experiential knowledge plays a central role, it does not necessarily lead to heightened climate change awareness. Instead, pre-existing beliefs or values significantly affect how climate-related events and processes are interpreted. Contrary to expectations, the volume and proximity of experiences do not imply higher sensitivity to climate change. Besides age-related differences, the study highlights regional discrepancies in climate change perceptions, with participants in South Moravia acknowledging their vulnerability and expressing greater openness to climate adaptations.

Název v anglickém jazyce

“This year, the weather is like it used to be in our times” : Experiencing climate change in the context of rural ageing in the Czech Republic

Popis výsledku anglicky

The various contexts in which the intersection of rural ageing and the experience of climate change takes place remain understudied. In our paper, we draw on a qualitative analysis of 40 in-depth interviews collected in 2021 with older (between 54 and 85 years old) long-term residents from two rural regions in the Czech Republic, representing a post-socialist, relatively climate-sceptic society. We address how participants interpret their life-long environmental experiences in the context of accelerating climate change. Our analysis focuses on four issues, which are reflected in the interviews - (1) the collapse of spruce forests, (2) decreasing snow cover, (3) long-term drought, and (4) extreme storms. These issues inspire various repertoires, which participants use to make sense of these occurrences. The findings reveal that research participants often simplify the causes of changes they have experienced, preferring familiar, concrete explanations over abstract scientific knowledge. While experiential knowledge plays a central role, it does not necessarily lead to heightened climate change awareness. Instead, pre-existing beliefs or values significantly affect how climate-related events and processes are interpreted. Contrary to expectations, the volume and proximity of experiences do not imply higher sensitivity to climate change. Besides age-related differences, the study highlights regional discrepancies in climate change perceptions, with participants in South Moravia acknowledging their vulnerability and expressing greater openness to climate adaptations.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

50401 - Sociology

Projekt

<a href="/cs/project/GA20-12567S" target="_blank" >GA20-12567S: Stárnutí a senioři v čase klimatické změny</a><br>

Návaznosti

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Rok uplatnění

2025

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Journal of Rural Studies

ISSN

0743-0167

e-ISSN

1873-1392

Svazek periodika

116

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

May

Stát vydavatele periodika

GB - Spojené království Velké Británie a Severního Irska

Počet stran výsledku

11

Strana od-do

1-11

Kód UT WoS článku

001469027500001

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-105000042802