The definition of rural society that will be covered by the project
can be characterized by Dr. Albert R. Mann's definition: "the study
of associated or group activities of the people who live in the
country viewed from the standpoint of the effect of these activities
on the character of the farm people themselves." Also included is
the effect of outside influences (e.g., advertising, technology, war,
immigration) on the activities and character of rural people and
communities. Broad subject areas include the following:
Rural society: family farming; the farm home and family; forestry
and its industries; rural communities; standards of living in rural
communities; rural organizations (agricultural societies, Grange,
Farm and Home bureau, 4-H, church and improvement societies); rural
political organizations and movements; farm demographics; rural
communications and radio programming; centralization/consolidation of
schools; nature study movement; country life movement; rural play and
recreation activities; county and local fairs; cooperative extension
services; rural people's attitudes and opinions; rural leadership;
selected mail order catalogs of interest to farm families; women in
farm life and rural communities; immigrants and immigrant populations
in rural societies; employment of migrant workers; Rural Free
Delivery; automobiles and rural life; rural architecture; rural
health and medical care; rural social services, welfare, and social
security; rural art; rural water supply and waste water treatment;
rural land use and planning.
Rural economy: agricultural and forestry economics; farm
organization and management; production economics; food distribution;
state food supply; statistical data; agricultural prices; marketing
of agricultural and forestry products; state agricultural and food
policies; cooperatives; agricultural finance; land economics and land
use; land tenure; marketing of agricultural products; rural economy
other than farm economy; food exports.
Technical agriculture: farming, food and nonfood agricultural and forestry products; major, minor, and experimental crops; agronomic techniques, including plant breeding; animal science; forestry; crop insects and diseases and their control; food science; agricultural engineering (farm equipment, farm structures, agricultural technology); rural transportation; natural resources pertaining to agriculture (soils, water, meteorology) and their conservation.
Mann Library
June 2006