ABSTRACT

Introduction French rural society is undergoing profound social, economic, demographic and environmental transformations. While some of these changes have deep historical origins, others, such as high unemployment, are abrupt and relatively recent phenomena. This chapter attempts to analyse these transformations in rural society by examining recent evolution in the areas of work, culture and nature. It will consider their interrelations in the current context of rural crisis characterized by economic vulnerability of significant portions of the population, socio-cultural disintegration and degradation of the physical environment. For the many formal institutions which are concerned with these issues, durable solutions are increasingly difficult to find.