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Related Experiment Videos

Revisiting 'rural'.

Ian MacGregor-Fors1, Luis-Bernardo Vázquez2

  • 1Red de Ambiente y Sustentabilidad, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa 91070, Veracruz, Mexico.

The Science of the Total Environment
|July 5, 2019
PubMed
Summary

The definition of rural varies greatly among researchers globally, lacking a clear consensus. A new hierarchical framework is proposed to standardize rural definitions across diverse contexts.

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Area of Science:

  • Social Sciences
  • Environmental Science
  • Ecology

Background:

  • The term 'rural' is broadly used across disciplines but lacks a standardized definition.
  • Ambiguity in defining 'rural' hinders research and practical applications.
  • A need exists for an integrated framework to standardize the concept of 'rural'.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the current academic understanding and definitions of 'rural' globally.
  • To identify variations and consensus on the components defining 'rural' among researchers.
  • To propose a framework for standardizing the definition of 'rural'.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted a global survey of researchers across various disciplines.
  • Analyzed responses to understand conceptions and definitions of 'rural'.
Keywords:
Human activitiesLandscapesNon-urbanRuralitySocio-ecological systemsUrbanization

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examined the influence of factors like area of expertise and region of origin on definitions.

    • Main Results:

    • Found significant variation in how researchers define 'rural', with no clear consensus on core components.
    • Region of origin was a more significant factor in defining 'rural' than area of expertise.
    • Identified a pressing need for a standardized, integrative definition of 'rural'.

    Conclusions:

    • The conception of 'rural' is highly diverse among academics worldwide.
    • A hierarchical, context-dependent framework is proposed for defining 'rural'.
    • This framework integrates urban-non-urban distinctions with human presence and activities for comprehensive classification.