ABSTRACT
This chapter concerns the international perspective of understanding the ‘rural’, and the challenges of living in an African countryside compared to that of the Western countryside. In so doing, I acknowledge that there are large differences between the experiences of rural life in Africa compared to that of the more developed world, making the two rurals almost incomparable. Further, this chapter is not a representation of Africa as a whole, but focuses on sub-Saharan Africa, with specific reference to Zambia as a case study to demonstrate that, from a development point of view, rural areas are neglected and their inhabitants remain poorer, invisible, and voiceless, and excluded from decision-making processes. The chapter, drawing upon a historical and political-economy perspective, seeks to highlight the factors that have (re)shaped perceptions and development of the rural over time and the implications that this can have for the rural together with its inhabitants. It will also compare and contrast the rural idyllic representations of the West with those of Africa.
