ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the divergent kinds of social organization that are found today in rural Europe, and it examines the changing composition of rural populations that is dismembering, reshuffling and recreating longstanding social traditions. However, over Europe as a whole, despite differences in national legislation regarding land inheritance, the transfer of agricultural land from parent to child represents a powerful force in maintaining local social cohesion. Similar to contested social landscapes, the starting point for an understanding of paternalism as a form of rural social organization is the existence of sharp inequalities in household resources. There are concerns that numerous elderly residents in rural areas will create problems for service provision, for example in the fields of housing, health and social services. The chapter focuses on two main issues: the changing composition of rural populations; and, whether the modifications led to adjustments in the socioeconomic standing of rural residents.
