Rural Comm in Historical Study

This course focuses on the development of rural life: its landscape, culture, people, economies, and politics. Through course readings, discussions, lectures, and research presentations, students evaluate the multiple and complex meanings of rural and community employed throughout world history. Community studies prepare students to evaluate the stereotypes and perceptions of what is rural and what is not; hence, course content and dialogue grapple with what makes rural communities unique by comparing such places with urban and suburban settings. This course introduces students to important aspects of place studies, demography, political economy, and how the study of communities' diverse histories can tell much about the human experience, past and present.