Contemporary America is centered around urban society. Most Americans reside in cities or their surrounding suburbs, and both the media and modern American sociology focus disproportionately on urban life. Rural and Small-Town America looks at what we can learn from rural society and confronts common myths and misunderstandings about rural people and places. Tim Slack and Shannon M. Monnat examine social, economic, and demographic changes and how these changes pose both problems and opportunities for rural communities. They assess changes in population size and composition, economies and livelihoods, ethnoracial diversity and inequities, population health and health disparities, and politics and policies. The central focus of this book is that rural America is no paragon of stability. Social change abounds, accompanied by new challenges. Through analysis of empirical evidence, demographic data, and policy debates, readers will glean insights about rural America and the United States as a whole.
"One primary contribution of this book is its writing style—empirically strong, but delivered in accessible language—and a second is the demographic vantage point that the authors bring throughout. This is excellent work."—Jessica Schad, Associate Professor of Sociology, Utah State University
"Simultaneously comprehensive and concise, Tim Slack and Shannon M. Monnat's careful research challenges many of the most common misconceptions about rural people and places, showcasing the diversity of the rural spectrum. A vital resource for anyone interested in better understanding rural America and its relationship to the larger nation."—Jennifer Sherman, author of Dividing Paradise: Rural Inequality and the Diminishing American Dream
"Slack and Monnat present a fresh, insightful, and engaging overview of rural America. They weave a historical perspective into each chapter that deepens the reader's understanding, while offering a clear-eyed, up-to-date perspective on the complexity of rural people and places, helpful to longtime rural scholars as well as those first learning about rural America."—Mil Duncan, author of Worlds Apart: Poverty and Politics in Rural America
"Slack and Monnat, two leading scholars of rural America, bring the value of social scientific research to issues of rural and small-town social change. Presenting sociological concepts and empirical research in an accessible narrative, the authors help readers identify and overcome myths and misunderstandings concerning rural people and places. They provide lenses that focus attention on change, diversity, and complexity as demonstrated through empirical research. Taken together, their analyses open up many possibilities for advancing well-being in rural America and the nation as a whole."—John Green, Director, Southern Rural Development Center
