From the past to the future : rethinking rural society and social change

Abstract

This thesis is a study of rural society and social change. I present an analysis of social change in rural society which takes into account the traditions and history of rural society itself. That analysis considers cultural as well as political economy approaches to understanding society and suggests that there are inherent values in traditional rural society which must be taken into account in any discussions of social change. I discuss the foundation of rural society, looking at both the economy and social relations which were in operation. Particular attention is directed at understanding the gender division of labour and the role of women's work in maintaining rural society.

I chose a small rural community in Prince Edward Island as a case study. I situate this case study within the context of social change in rural of Prince Edward Island as a whole and show that when social change did occur the traditions and history of rural people were swept aside. To date, much of the literature on rural social change assumes that this is necessary if rural society is to keep pace with modern society. I attempt to show that this approach has negative effects not only for rural society but for the larger society as well.