Rural People and Communities in the 21st Century : Resilience and Transformation

by Brown, David L.; Schafft, Kai A.

• ISBN13: 9780745641270
• ISBN10: 074564127X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-03-14
• Publisher: Polity Pr

Summary

Rural people and communities continue to play important social, economic and environmental roles at a time in which societies are rapidly urbanizing, and the identities of local places are increasingly subsumed by flows of people, information and economic activity across global spaces. However, while the organization of rural life has been fundamentally transformed by institutional and social changes that have occurred since the mid-twentieth century, rural people and communities have proved resilient in the face of these transformations. This book examines the causes and consequences of major social and economic changes affecting rural communities and populations during the first decades of the twenty-first century, and explores policies developed to ameliorate problems or enhance opportunities. Primarily focused on the U.S. context, while also providing international comparative discussion, the book is organized into five sections each of which explores both socio-demographic and political economic aspects of rural transformation. It features an accessible and up-to-date blend of theory and empirical analysis, with each chapter's discussion grounded in real-life situations through the use of empirical case-study materials. Rural People and Communities in the 21st Century is intended for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in rural sociology, community sociology, rural and/or population geography, community development, and population studies.

Author Biography

David L. Brown is Professor and Chair of Development Sociology, and co-director of the Community and Regional Development Institute at Cornell University.
Kai A. Schafft is an Associate Professor of Education at Pennsylvania State University.

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables

Acknowledgments

Thinking About Rural Places in Metropolitan Society

Rurality in Metropolitan Society

Urbanization and Population Redistribution

Rural Communities, Institutions and Environments

Understanding Community in Rural Society

Community Institutions in Rural Society

Natural Resources and Social Change

Rural Populations

Youth, Aging and the Life Course

Racial and Ethnic Minorities in Rural Areas

Rural Economy and Socioeconomic Wellbeing

Making a Living in Rural Communities

Farms, Farmers and Farming

Poverty Across Rural People and Places

Conclusions

Rural Transformations and Rural Policies for the Future

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