Rural sociology studies all aspects of rural life, including demographics, customs, and interactions with urban groups. It explores the role of rural society in the world, particularly in terms of economics and social theory. Scholars examine the differences between rural and urban life, and the social issues both populations have in common. Rural environments require residents to be innovative in terms of economic viability. Agribusiness features prominently in rural sociology, as agriculture is the dominant means of income for most residents. Rural residents face financial implications as ownership of agribusiness shifts to larger corporate entities.
Rural sociology is a scientific discipline focusing on all aspects of a rural way of life, including its customs, demographics, and interactions with urban groups. This specific area of sociology explores the role of rural society in the rest of the world, particularly in terms of economics and social theory. Many rural areas are resource-rich centers that sometimes face unique challenges due to changes in technology, infrastructure, and agribusiness. Scholars who study rural sociology often attempt to illustrate the differences between rural and urban life, as well as the social issues both population types have in common.
Aspects of rural social life are often very different from those in urban areas. Many geographic regions are classified as rural when the average number of residents per square mile or kilometer falls below a certain benchmark. This basic population number may vary based on the census policies of different areas. Scholars studying rural sociology are often interested in how people who can live at a significant distance from their closest neighbors develop a sense of community. This area of sociology may also involve examining how rural environments sometimes require residents to become innovative in terms of economic viability in the midst of larger scale change.
Agribusiness features prominently in rural sociology because a rural lifestyle has traditionally involved agriculture as the dominant means of income for most residents. Both small and large farms thrive easily in sparsely populated rural areas due to the availability of natural resources such as soil, water, sunlight and wind which can be harnessed to create electricity in some areas. Running a family farm can have dramatic effects on the lives of everyone involved, because time spent on farm work is often given a higher priority than other activities, such as social interaction. Studies of rural versus urban sociology frequently find that people in each group assign different rates of value to time spent working versus time spent playing leisure or recreation.
The discipline of rural sociology also deals with certain factors and events that present challenges to a rural way of life. As ownership of agribusiness shifts from individual households to larger corporate entities, rural residents sometimes face financial implications, such as more limited employment opportunities. Associated social problems are further areas of interest to some sociologists. These scholars usually examine the prevalence of unemployment, crime and family dysfunction in rural areas.
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