ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines some of the main connections between rural studies and gender studies in Norway and illustrates them with empirical work. It describes the connections between rural studies and gender studies as coming together in the joint field 'Feminist rural studies'. In the understanding of rurality and gender as social representations or verbs as in the 'Masculinities, femininities and ruralities' category, it is plurality that is in focus. The chapter illustrates how the focus within the field has shifted from subordinate women in depressed rural areas to emphasize questions about the construction of masculinities, femininities and ruralities. Farm women and social security issues were among the first themes focused on, as was the historical development of women's work within agriculture. The idea is that women's ways of thinking and acting should be acknowledged and that the process will empower women.
