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The purpose of this master thesis is to provide an insight into the challenges small counties are facing in regard to unemployment, housing and declining number of inhabitants and what can be done to reverse this development. I proceed from cultural analytics because it gives me the necessary tools to problematize and put a light on the questions surrounding peri-urban challenges. The ambition is to show that even though many small communities are struggling there are things to be done to mitigate the negative trends surrounding these issues and that there is a way to achieve a thriving community outside the metropolitan areas. I will also show that by implementing changes in how counties are communicating could make them more informative and attractive for individuals who are thinking about relocating. The theories that I aim to use are interactionism, phenomenology, representation and technography. These theories will serve as a base for bringing forth the set arguments.

The methods I have employed are observations and semi structured interviews. I have made several field studies where I have observed the coming and goings of ordinary people in small communities, how they go about their lives and how they interact with each other and the material things around them. The interviews have given me valuable information into the aspects of life in small communities, told by the very people who live there. It has given me information surrounding the challenges that small communities are facing in a globalized world. The interviews have also given me an insight into issues that are important to them and why they matter. My conclusion is that even though much is done to reverse the effect of outflux more needs to be done.

Keywords: Northland, safety, nature, influx, outflux, future, cultural analysis, ethnology