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

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

• ISBN13: 9780745641287
• ISBN10: 0745641288
• Format: Paperback
• 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	p. vi
Acknowledgments	p. viii
Thinking About Rural Places in Metropolitan Society	p. 1
Rurality in Metropolitan Society	p. 3
Urbanization and Population Redistribution	p. 16
Rural Communities, Institutions, and Environments	p. 33
Understanding Community in Rural Society	p. 35
Community Institutions in Rural Society	p. 56
Natural Resources and Social Change	p. 81
Rural Populations	p. 103
Youth, Aging, and the Life Course	p. 105
Racial and Ethnic Minorities in Rural Areas	p. 122
Rural Economy and Socioeconomic Wellbeing	p. 147
Making a Living in Rural Communities	p. 149
Farms, Farmers, and Farming in Contemporary Rural Society	p. 167
Poverty Across Rural People and Places	p. 190
Conclusions	p. 217
Rural Transformations and Policies for the Future	p. 219
Index	p. 239
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.