Pluriactivity in (and beyond?) a Regulationist Crisis

The study of rural pluriactivity in New Zealand has been based on the assumption that it is a temporary phenomenon: a survival strategy in times of crisis. This paper seeks to position both pluriactivity and ‘rural crisis’ in a more sound theoretical framework by referring to recent work in regulation theory. Case studies from the Mid-Canterbury and Catlins areas are used to suggest the role that pluriactivity may fulfil in any future mode of growth in rural New Zealand. In doing so, questions are raised regarding rural ideology and agency in the process of economic change.