Rural sociology

Rural sociology is a field of sociology associated with the study of social life in non-metropolitan areas. It is the scientific study of social arrangements and behaviour amongst people distanced from points of concentrated population or economic activity. Like any sociological discipline, rural sociology involves the examination of statistical data, interviews, social theory, observation, survey research, and many other techniques.

In contrast to rural sociology, urban sociology is the study of urban social life.

Agribusiness is one focus of rural sociology and much of the field is dedicated to the economics of farm production. Other areas of study include rural migration and other demographic patterns, environmental sociology, amenity-led development, public lands policies, so-called "boomtown" development, social disruption, rural health care and education polices, and etc.

Definition of "rural"

Sociologists define "rural" as those areas which are not urban in nature. The line between urban and rural is quite arbitrary, although rural sociologists in America often use the U.S. Census Bureau's definition of rural as being an area of fewer than 1000 people per square mile. [http://www.census.gov/geo/www/ua/ua_2k.html] The 2000 Census reported that rural America was home to nearly 21% of the U.S. population (59,274,000 people). [http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/census/cps2k.htm]

History of rural sociology

Rural sociology became prominent during the late industrial revolution in France, Ireland, Prussia, Scandinavia, and the US. As urban incomes and quality of life rose, a social gap appeared between urban and rural dwellers.

Early works of Max Weber in the late 19th century has been concerned with rural sociology. In the 1920s, Edmund deS. Brunner studied some 140 villages as director of the Institute for Social and Religious Research, he reported that as agriculture mechanized, farms were growing larger.

After World War II, modern rural sociology began to appear in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK.

Issues in rural America

Rural economic trends in the United States are complex, as many regions are facing economic decline and rural exodus, while other regions -- in particular, coastal and mountainous areas -- are facing increased economic simulus and an influx of new residents. Many traditionally rural industries such as mining, ranching, and agriculture are no longer economically viable, although in some regions these industries are being replaced by new, non-traditional industries such as information technology, resort towns, tourism, and art. These industries are providing economic growth and social diversity to areas that were otherwise declining. [http://www.luc.edu/depts/sociology/johnson/p99webn.html The Rural Rebound: Recent Nonmetropolitan Demographic Trends in the United States] [http://www.centerwest.org Amercian Center for the West]

Currently, rural capital is flowing into either urban areas or a cluster of some 33-40% of rural counties, namely the intermountain West, the Ozarks, coastal regions, counties along I-80 in Nebraska, and the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. This growth of wealth is concentrated near urban areas, transportation corridors, and scenic amenities (Drabenstott, 1999.

Many parts of rural America are experiencing an economic slump, especially those economically dependent on agribusiness. For instance in 1999 the prices for corn, wheat, and soybeans were all down approx. 33% from the 1995-1998 average. Food production is being subsidized by off-farm income. Some farmers are working second and third jobs to support their farms. In 1974 80% of farm operators were primarily farmers. By 1997 that had dropped to 60% (McDaniel, 2000), (Lee, 2000).

Some natural resource-based industries within rural areas are experiencing resource depletion, whereas other rural areas in states such as Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico are seeing huge economic growth due to the extraction of natural gas and other minerals.

Rural society is faced with various problems including the environmental degradation and overuse of water resources, the establishment and inadequate regulation of toxic waste dumps, and poverty. The loss of rural population to urban areas is also an area of concern, especially in northern states, such as North Dakota.

Key topics in rural sociology

*agribusiness
*Diffusion of innovations
*role homogeneity
*rural exodus
*types of rural communities
*Rural community development

ee also

* List of literature on rural sociology
* Important publications in rural sociology
* Granger movement
* Morrill Act
* Taylor, Henry
* Turner, Jonathan Baldwin
* US Department of Agriculture
* Warren, George
* Rural health
* Q methodology

References

* Agricultural Community to the North of the Tagus - Study of Agricultural Sociology, Moisés Espírito Santo, 1999 (1980). École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris; Association of Rural Studies of the New University of Lisbon; Portugal; European Union, .

External links

* [http://www.irsa-world.org The International Rural Sociology Society]
* [http://www.ruralsociology.org The Rural Sociological Society, RSS]
* [http://www.ruralsociology.eu The European Society for Rural Sociology, ESRS]
* [http://www.ag.uidaho.edu/aers/ University of Idaho, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Department]
* [http://www.drs.wisc.edu The Department of Rural Sociology at The University of Wisconsin]