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- Info
The changing American countryside: Rural people and places
| Author: |
Castle, Emery N. |
| Date: |
1995 |
| Periodical: |
Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas |
| Abstract: |
Rural people and places in America are poorly understood and largely neglected by the people who write, speak, and thereby influence attitudes about social problems and public policy. Misunderstanding and neglect are prevalent in much of academia as well, and it is academics who typically provide the literature and the base of knowledge on which public opinion ultimately depends. The result is a paucity of literature and an absence of informed people to advise public discussion and debate when rural issues arise. The consequences of such under-attention are serious. Too often rural problems are either not identified or simply ignored. When problems are recognized, unrealistic solutions are often advanced. This situation is quite different from what prevails in many other arenas where concerns are recognized-urban studies, resource and environmental policy, monetary and fiscal policy, and international economics, for example.
This book attempts to improve on this state of affairs by presenting thoughtful and informed discussions of numerous facets of rural life and rural conditions. It is addressed to people who will influence public opinion and general understanding in the long term; specifically, it is hoped college and university professors and students will find it useful and will be stimulated to create an even richer literature. The book also is intended to be of value to those who make decisions, in either their private or public lives, about rural people and rural places. Perhaps it will kindle interest in the place we call rural America and suggest solutions for some of the problems identified.
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