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Rural sociology in India has undergone dynamic phases and shifts; from early ethnographic field research conducted by anthropologists such as M. N Srinivas (1950), to more focused analyses on agrarian conflict and agrarian change through the 1960s and 70s, village studies in India continued to evolve. However, post economic liberalisation in the 90s, the village ceased to be central to ongoing sociological concerns, and the 'urban' took over, with studies on the city and demography becoming more prominent. The shifts in Indian economic policy during the early 1990s began to marginalize rural life and its agrarian economy in the national imagination. India's Villages studies this shift and argues that in 21st century India, the rural continues to play a significant role in contemporary life, just as much as the rural itself changes in form and nature. Through essays published in the EPW, the volume puts together 14 papers based on empirical studies carried out by sociologists, social anthropologists and economists over the past 15 years to begin a holistic conversation on the rural today.

This review outlines several key aspects or the new rural-urban interface and the growing interpenetration of American rural and urban life. The historical coincidence ot spatial and social boundaries in America is changing rapidly. This review highlights (a) the enormous scale of rural-urban interdependence and boundary crossing, shifting, and blurring—along many dimensions of community life—over the past several decades, and (b) the symmetrical rather than asymmetrical influences between urban and rural areas, i.e., on bidirectional relational aspects of spatial categories. These general points are illustrated by identifying 10 common conceptions of rural America that reflect both its social and economic diversity and its changing spatial and social boundaries. Here we emphasize symbolic and social boundaries—the distinctions between urban and rural communities and people and the processes by which boundaries are engaged. Placing behaviors or organizational forms along a rural-urban continuum (or within a metropolitan hierarchy of places) or drawing sharp rural-urban distinctions seems increasingly obsolete or even problematic. We conclude with a call for new research on rural America and greater conceptual and empirical integration of urban and rural scholarship, which remains disconnected and segregated institutionally.

\"This volume seeks to answer modern questions and concerns regarding peasants, their production techniques, and their links to wider society. In the past, peasants and their seemingly simple production models have been criticized for being unable to fully meet the needs of modern society, especially when it comes to world hunger, food quality, and sustainability. However, often neglected is the myriad of new initiatives that alter the way food is produced and marketed. New 'peasant markets' are created everywhere and new products and services abound. This volume argues that these initiatives represent \"seeds of transition\"; they are the \"sprouts\" out of which new socio-technical modes for organizing production and marketing emerge - \"sprouts\" that, taken together, can be summarized as \"rural development\". This book critically discusses these new practices and the actors engaged in them. In doing so, it deals with several countries in three different continents (Asia, South America and Europe). It proposes new concepts and approaches for a better understanding of the re-emergence of peasants as indispensable part of modern societies.\"

Contributed papers based on presentations at a panel in connection with the 18th European Conference on Modern South Asian Studies, held at Lund, Sweden.

Background: In Eritrea, despite high antenatal care (ANC) use, utilization of health facilities for child birth is still low and with marked variations between urban and rural areas. Understanding the reasons behind the poor use of these services in a rural setting is important to design targeted strategies and address the challenge contextually. This study aimed to determine factors that influence women's choice of delivery place in selected rural communities in Eritrea. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 309 women aged 15-49 years with a delivery in the last 1-2 years prior to the survey was conducted in a randomly selected villages of Hadish Adi, Serea, Genseba, Kelay Bealtat, Dirko, Mai Leham, Kudo Abour, Adi Koho, and Leayten. Data were collected using an interviewer administered questionnaire. Chi-square tests were used to explore association between variables. Using odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals with p < 0.05 taken as statically significant association, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to identify factors that affect the choice of delivery place. Results: Overall, 75.4% of the respondents delivered their last child at home while 24.6% delivered in health facility. Women whose husband's had no formal education were less likely [AOR = 0.02; 95% CI 0.01-0.54] to deliver in health facility. Women who had joint decision-making with husbands on delivery place [AOR = 5.42; 95% CI 1.78-16.49] and women whose husbands choose health facility delivery [AOR = 2.32; 95% CI 1.24-5.11] were more likely to have health facility delivery. Respondents who had medium wealth status [AOR = 3.78; 95% CI 1.38-10.37] have access to health facility within 2 km distance [AOR = 14.67; 95% CI 2.30-93.45] and women with traditional means of transport [AOR = 9.78; 95% CI 1.23-77.26] were also more likely to deliver in health facility. Women who read newspaper daily or infrequently had three [AOR = 3.77; 95% CI 1.12-4.04] and almost three times [AOR = 2.95; 95% CI 1.01-8.59] higher odds of delivering in health facility. Similarly, women who have knowledge about complications during delivery [AOR = 4.39; 95% CI 1.63-11.83], good perception on the quality of care they received [AOR = 9.52; 95% CI 1.91-47.50], had previous facility delivery [AOR = 2.69; 95% CI 0.94-7.68], have negative experiences of delivery outcomes in her community [AOR = 1.31; 95% CI 1.00-4.96], and women who perceive home delivery as life threatening [AOR = 1.84; 95% CI 1.46-3.38] were more likely to deliver in health facility. Conclusion: To increase health facility delivery, raising women's awareness on the benefits of delivering in health facility, male involvement in the use of maternal health services, increasing women decision-making power, addressing common barriers of lack of transport, and compensations for transport expenses to alleviate the cost of transport are recommended. Efforts to shorten distance to reach health facility and health education focusing on the potential threats of delivering at home at the individual and community level can have substantial contribution to increase health facility delivery in rural communities of Eritrea.

Objective To characterize and address the opioid crisis disproportionately impacting rural U.S. regions. Methods The Rural Opioid Initiative (ROI) is a two-phase project to collect and harmonize quantitative and qualitative data and develop tailored interventions to address rural opioid use. The baseline quantitative survey data from people who use drugs (PWUD) characterizes the current opioid epidemic (2018–2020) in eight geographically diverse regions. Results Among 3,084 PWUD, 92% reported ever injecting drugs, 86% reported using opioids (most often heroin) and 74% reported using methamphetamine to get high in the past 30 days; 53% experienced homelessness in the prior 6 months; and 49% had ever overdosed. Syringe service program use varied by region and 53% had ever received an overdose kit or naloxone prescription. Less than half (48%) ever received medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Conclusions The ROI combines data across eight rural regions to better understand drug use including drivers and potential interventions in rural areas with limited resources. Baseline ROI data demonstrate extensive overlap between opioid and methamphetamine use, high homelessness rates, inadequate access to MOUD, and other unmet needs among PWUD in the rural U.S. By combining data across studies, the ROI provides much greater statistical power to address research questions and better understand the syndemic of infectious diseases and drug use in rural settings including unmet treatment needs.

Purpose: The role of speculators in distributing products across rural areas is increasing the poverty rate in Indonesia. Therefore, this study aims to develop a conceptual framework of the rural logistics system model to influence the welfare and sustainability of farmers.Design/methodology/approach: Conceptual framework was used to evaluate logistics and supply chain networks. The method consists of developing stages based on four components, namely network structure, management, resources, and business processes. Furthermore, it also proposed the management function of the rural logistics system models.Findings: The model of a rural logistics system obtained in this study consists of 1) a trade  related to the network of business, 2) a freight, related to the flow of goods, and 3) management functions related to crucial activities in rural logistics management.Research limitations/implications: This model is conceptual, therefore, future studies must accommodate optimizing models to predict the performance of rural logistics systems when they are applied in Indonesia.Practical implications: This study promotes the actors in intermediaries of the rural logistics system to synergize the distribution of goods effectively and efficiently. It also reduces the role of speculators in product distribution in form of availability and price in rural areas.Social implications: This model is a strategy to achieve the Rural Sustainable development Goals (Rural-SDGs) agenda and complements the Blueprint of The National Logistics System.Originality/value: There are fewer studies in rural logistics compared to other fields such as agricultural logistics, food logistics, disaster logistics, etc. Therefore, this study organizes the actors in the rural logistics network and plans management functions for the efficient distribution of products across Indonesia. It also raises the awareness of logistics management to improve the welfare of rural communities.