RS1000

1
RS1000

• Questions
• Class Business
• Blue Books

• Topics of Discussion
• Defining Rural
• Gemeinschaft and Gesselschaft Ideal Types of
  Community
• Group Work

2
Defining Rural

• Bureau of the Census
• Economic Research Service (ERS) United States
  Department of Agriculture USDA
• Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

3
Factors to Consider in Defining Rural Areas
Sociologically

• Population size
• Proximity to a central place
• Population density
• Economic/Socioeconomic factors
• Cultural identity

4
Comparison of Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft

• Gesellschaft
• 1. Urban life typifies this form
• 2. People perceive little sense of commonality.
  Their differences in background appear more
  striking than their similarities
• 3. Social interactions, including negotiations,
  are more likely to be task-specific

• Gemeinschaft
• 1. Rural life typifies this form
• 2. People share a feeling of community that
  results from their similar backgrounds and life
  experiences (high degree of shared significant
  symbols-a word, gesture, or other learned sign
  used to convey a meaning from one person to
  another. )
• 3. Social Interactions, including negotiations
  are intimate and familiar (often with members of
  primary groups-characterized by face-to-face
  contact and strong ties among members.)

5

• Gesellschaft
• 4. Self interest dominates
• 5. The task being performed is paramount
  relationships are subordinate
• 6. Privacy is valued
• 7. Formal social control is evident

• Gemeinschaft
• 4. There is a spirit of cooperation and unity of
  will
• 5. Tasks and personal relationships cannot be
  separated
• 6. There is little emphasis on individual privacy
• 7. Informal social control predominates

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• Gemeinschaft
• 8. There is less tolerance of deviance
• 9. Emphasis is on ascribed statuses
• 10. Social change is relatively limited

• Gesellschaft
• 8. There is greater tolerance of deviance
• 9. There is more emphasis on achieved statuses
• 10. Social change is very evident-even within a
  generation

7

• Introduce yourselves to each other.
• Describe the basic characteristics of your
  community to others in the group.
• 3. Discuss key features of the culture of your
  community by analyzing the characteristics of
  your community in comparison to the ideal type
  Gemeinscahft or Gesselschaft community.
• 4. Bring your notes from this activity to class
  next time to use in an in-class writing
  assignment.