Brown, D., L. (2011). Rural people and communities in the 21st Century: resilience and transformation. Cambridge, Polity Press.
This book argues that despite overwhelming urbanization in the twenty-first century, rural communities have proven resilient in the face of significant social and economic changes, and that rural people and places matter in contemporary society. The book focuses primarily on the US context but also includes some international comparisons, and draws on the methods of political economy, demographic statistics, and case studies to explore various social and economic dimensions of rural communities and life. The book is organised into five thematic sections, including: 1) thinking about rural places in metropolitan society; 2) rural communities, institutions and environments; 3) rural populations; 4) rural economy and socioeconomic well-being; 5) conclusions: rural transformations and policies for the future.