International Rural Sociology Association - IRSA
Rural communities are continuously struggling to adapt to a variety of external social forces that affect their ability to engage in economic, cultural and political development that is socially and ecologically sustainable. In many parts of the world, rural areas are struggling with how to provide inhabitants with education, health and sanitation, employment opportunities, and access to a variety of basic services. This struggle is complicated by the fact that rural communities are also finding it difficult to participate in national and global policy debates. In other words, various theoretical and practical questions are being raised by rural sociologists around the world regarding the future, and sustainability, of rural communities around the world, particularly in the developing areas of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
The overarching theme of the II World Congress of Rural Sociology will be to explore the economic, socio-cultural, political, and environmental context, and challenges, facing rural communities throughout the world. Particular emphasis will be placed on uncovering strategies and mechanisms that rural citizens might utilize to engage in a self-determined form of development. Subsequently, congress papers will pay particular attention to the possibilities for rural communities to adapt to and/or resist the negative aspects of globalizing tendencies.
Amongst the sub-themes which might be pursued under this overarching theme are: