Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a new conceptual framework for understanding "Rapid Growth Effects on Rural Community Relations." It argues that the almost overnight thrust of small communities caught in a boom cycle into the complexities of advanced industrial societies may create innumerable opportunities for enhanced interpersonal interactions. The book identifies many of the key differences between rural and urban areas' access and utilization of health care facilities, manpower, health care service delivery, and financing. It addresses the relative absence of research on the role religion has played in the life space of small rural communities. The book describes the strong linkages between church membership and the attendance and local social standing in the colonial period, and elaborates on the legacy and role of connections in modern community life.