Rural Communities: Legacy and Change

by Cornelia Butler Flora, Jan L. Flora, Susan Fey

Rural America is a complex mixture of peoples and cultures struggling for survival. It ranges in character from workers in manufacturing plants in Georgia to Laotian immigrants who have relocated in Kansas; from farmers committed to sustainable agriculture to entrepreneurs planning a world-class ski resort in California's Sierra Nevadas; from laid-off miners in West Virginia to Native Americans in the Southwest searching for an economy consistent with their cultural values. These are all parts of rural America, seldom heard of in the mass media but deeply reflective of the legacies left by those who settled the land.This revised and updated edition of Rural Communities bridges the gap between social theory and community change by focusing on the problems that face rural America and offering students a framework for applying sociological concepts. The authors explore such issues as the diversity among rural communities; the interactions between communities and the economy; the governmental, economic, and social resources available in rural communities; and how communities organize for action. Although the authors explore community change within a rural context, their findings are applicable to urban neighborhoods as well. The notion of empowerment-that the understanding and analysis provided through the social sciences can result in community action-is unique to this book.This book can be used as a text for introductory courses in rural sociology, social problems, and community studies or by community groups to explore their own responses to a variety of problems. The book is also the companion text to a PBS college-level telecourse and television series entitled Rural Legacy and Change . The telecourse portrays the experiences of fifteen rural communities from across the United States.

Genres: Social Science, School

352 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 1992

Reviews

[Chris Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and found it incredibly informative. I started it out of an interest in rural america and found it to be an indepth study of the diversity and adversity of rural american communities. It also gave a broad and thorough analysis of city governance and its relation to state and federal government. In general I also found it to be remarkably non-partisan in its take, I wouldn't say completely (particularly in the final section of the book, which I found to be less well written overall) but pretty well considering it is covering inherently political material.
It is written in a very accessible way and presented with great organizational structure, also full of great graphs and info.
Would highly recommend for anyone interested in civics, governance, contemporary issues in rural america and the USA and World at large.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll never teach rural politics without this textbook again. Only issue is that the promised PBS videos are not accessible and students have commented they would like access to those.

[Lloyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was required reading for a class.

The book is well written, as a peer reviewed research book should be. It is geared toward those interested in the social sciences rather than those interested in rural communities as history or narrative. The Flora's are well written authors in social science research circles and, as the creator or the "community capitals concept," this book is a good introduction to its use.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Again, required reading. This book is easier to read about rural communities, brings out some interesting points. I would never pick up this book just to read it though. Well, maybe if I got really, really bored. Meh.

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is a U.S.-centric book, there is a strong attention to the diversity of ruralities. Specifically an array of case studies and strategies are explore that investigate rural poverty.