Hillyard, S. (2007). The sociology of rural life. Oxford, Berg.
This book critically examines rural sociology through three case studies of contemporary rural issues in the UK: the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease epidemic in the UK, the hunting debate in the British countryside, and game shooting in the UK. The author situates rural sociology in relation to urban sociology, arguing that it has been relatively neglected over the years. The author uses interactionist theory and ethnography to approach the study of rural life. The idea of community is explored through tracing the history of rural sociology, with early community studies of rural life. The concept of community is also investigated through rural communities of occupation, such as farmers, veterinarians and hunters. The book shows the complexity of rural societies and rural issues in the UK in the 21st century and argues that sociology and geography should engage more actively with rural studies.