ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on a particular theoretical perspective which can be used to describe and prescribe the provision of public services in rural areas. The perspective is based upon a systems approach. The provision of public goods and services to rural dwellers is of interest to government officials, analysts and planners, and not least of all to those who do or do not enjoy such goods and services. Consideration of facilities and their pattern of provision is a central concern of the geographer in the planning of rural services. The spatial perspective is one that marks the geographer’s approach. The construction of a system provides an overview of the organization, and from an analytical perspective it has been argued that a systems approach is a very useful one for understanding and explaining patterns, as well as for policy-making. The argument for decentralization may be strengthened when one considers the nature of rural areas.
