The Cognitive Dissonance between the Rule of Law and Rural Realities: Reading Gillian Hadfield’s Rules for a Flat World in the Context of Rural Identity and Politics

Abstract

Rural communities – as well as other marginalized communities – see their access to legal infrastructure declining, so much so that they feel disconnected from the rule of law. Current complex law and legal infrastructure focus on big “I” innovation, which is hyper-transactional and benefits the few. Rural communities, and others, would find law and legal infrastructure more relevant if they focused more on small “i” innovation, which centers on negotiating real, societal relationships.