Rural Network

Rural populations are the base of all settled societies, providing at minimum food, natural resources, and surpluses that make other elements of civilizations possible. Even in industrial economies, rural communities provide a steady stream of labor and talent to their urban and suburban counterparts, and images of the rural often exert a strong cultural influence in cultural centers. Rural Network members explore the transformation of rural communities, populations and economies, and the changing administrative, economic, social and technological forces that interact with them regardless of their source. Among possible panels linked to the Annual Meeting theme of "Audiences and Publics:". Mapping the Rural in Our Classrooms. New technologies enable us to present data in map form for student use in new and interactive ways and have the potential to impress upon students the significance of rural developments on society as a whole. A Cross-national discussion of the place of the rural in social science historical literature. Where do rural studies fit, and why do they occupy that place?