^aSchool of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NZ, U.K. E-mail: f.furedi@kent.ac.uk

Abstract

The focus of this study is the normalization of the state of vulnerability as the default response to an emergency in rural Britain in the late 20th century. It explores the construction of the phenomenon of rural stress during the bovine spongiform encephalopathy and foot and mouth disease outbreaks. It argues that during this period the image of the British farmer as a self-sufficient resilient individual was challenged and transformed into one requiring help and professional support. This shift is paralleled by a reorientation of the cultural script from an emphasis on community solidarity to that of individual distress. The cultural significance of these changes and their implications for understanding the human response to an emergency is discussed.