1settlement dynamics

It is now unusual to find a clear distinction between rural and urban areas. We can hardly find out the differences between rural and urban areas physically.
Principle characteristics of rural society
Religion is given more importance than in urban society. Class differences are less pronounced than in urban society. There is less mobility than in urban society, both in a spatial sense and in a social sense.
Even in the most rural of areas, agriculture and related industries rarely account for more than 15% of the employed population.
Did you have difficulties deciding?
Parks in a city are open areas with plenty of wildlife. Countryside may have well-built road, cars and beautiful buildings.
Changes in Agriculture
Changes in Agriculture
Although agricultural land forms 73% of the total land area of the UK, less than 2% of the total workforce are now employed in agriculture.
Chapter 3 Settlement Dynamics
3.1 changes in rural settlements
Related items
Human settlement
a permanent or temporary community in which people live or have lived, without being specific as to size, population or importance.
Rural area V.S. Urban area
Cloke’s Index of Rurality
Cloke’s index categorises all areas of England and Wales into four criteria: ✓extreme rural, ✓intermediate rural, ✓intermediate non-rural and ✓extreme non-rural; as well as urban areas. Cloke used 16 different ways of drawing the conclusions, all of which lead to the measure of an area’s rurality.
Cloke’s Index of Rurality
Occupancy rates Commuting Female population (15-44) Amenities Population density Agricultural employment Elderly population Remoteness (distance to 50,000)
But they are sociologically different. Rural areas have a series of principle characteristics.
Defining rural and urban areas.
Rural population size differs between countries - UK : 10,000; France : 2000; Ireland :200 Functions in rural areas thought to be : - Land use dominated by agriculture, forestry and open spaces - Contains smaller settlements - Based on a way of life characterised by close knit communities What do you think the functions in urban areas are perceived to be?
Principle characteristics of rural society
Close-knit community with everybody knowing and interacting with everyone else. Considerabl traits Family ties, particularly those of the extended family, are much stronger than in urban society
Rural
Rural is belonging to or relating to life in the countryside, in contrast to an urban lifestyle.
Negative words: Poor Backwardness Simple & crude Poor infrastructure Positive words: Spacious Fresh air Quiet