The Strategic Role of Public Social Services in Times of Rural Crisis: reflections from Rural Andalusia (Spain)

Abstract

Rural crises take many different forms. However, responses to them have almost exclusively been framed in economic or demographic terms, often overlooking the consequences most directly linked to social well-being. This article provides an empirical analysis of the role of public social services (PSS) in responding to rural crises, based on three rural districts in Andalusia (Spain) as case studies. Using a qualitative methodology that includes interviews and workshops, we collaborated with PSS professionals from these three districts (n = 43) to identify: (1) the ways in which rural crises manifest in the daily lives of their users; and (2) the interventions implemented to alleviate these adverse conditions. The findings reveal that despite the relative invisibility of the public social services system compared to other social protection systems (such as education and healthcare), PSS have a structural and strategic role that directly affects the quality of rural life, which is increasingly undermined by rural crises. This study analyses and systematizes the relationship between rural crises and PSS, demonstrating the urgent need to reconsider their role within rural crisis management and public policy in the Global North.