ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the economic forces which have led to the consolidation of "Main Street" in rural communities, generating growth in rural trade centers. It analyzes the myth of self-sufficient small towns and explores the social effects created as we live, shop, and work in different communities. The chapter explains how targeted mass advertising, mass communications, and telecomunications have integrated rural areas into mass society. It discusses how the entry of women into the labor force has changed family consumption patterns, both in terms of maintaining family consumption habits and in terms of the commodifying tasks and goods previously produced in the household. The chapter describes the consequences of increased consumption on rural communities, both in terms of economic base and waste disposal. It discusses the implications of consumption patterns for the environment.
