ABSTRACT
Economic and social trends pose serious problems for communities in rural areas, and for the future. A useful approach to understanding the contemporary situation is to recognize that the community in rural areas is in flux and not necessarily in transition. "Rural change" has been a central concern of the rural social sciences for many decades and a fact of life for many more. The community is where people experience "society" directly in their daily lives. Turning from the discussion of problems to the search for solutions, a most important starting place is the recognition that opportunities exist for community development even in the turbulent environment of rural areas in the modern world. Development of economic resources and social infrastructure in small towns and rural areas to strengthen rural-urban relationships could contribute to a most attractive future alternative to the extreme forms of urban and rural living conditions found in many societies.
