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| RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF RURAL GEOGRAPHY IN THE WESTERN WORLD AND CRITICAL THINKING OF CHINESE RURAL GEOGRAPHY |
| LI Xiao-jian1,2 |
1. Henan University of Finance and Economics, Zhengzhou 450002, China;
2. National Key Centre for Yellow River Civilization & Sustainable Development, Henan University, Kaifeng 475001, China |
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Abstract This paper reviews the recent developments of rural geography in the western world. The researches from perspectives of sociology, anthropology and political economics, have brought new insights into rural geography, particularly changed the thinking and methodology in the field. The cultural turn in human geography has also effected the relevant changes in rural geography. The new directions include post-productivist rural development, globalization and rural change, restructuring rural areas, rural infrastructure, and rural governance. To contribute to the current policies on building the new socialist countryside and the theoretical framework of developing Chinese rural geography, the paper outlines several points. 1) Chinese rural geography should include three sub-fields in research-agricultural geography, geography of rural settlements, and geography of rural household. Among them, the rural household in China has many special features in the world but remains inactive in geography inquiry. 2) The theoretical inquiry in rural geography should be paid particular attention. For instance, the theories under the unique background of China's rural development should be worthy for reference worldwide. Themes appear significant in combination of geographies of productivism and post-productivism, globalization and isolation, rural industrialization and growth of tertiary industry, and rural commercialization and kinship linkages. 3) For building the new countryside, four new perspectives are suggested. First, many new resources in rural area should be taken into account in planning (new viewpoint on resources). Second, social development should be balanced with economic development (new viewpoint on development). Third, rural settlement should be friendly with natural environment (new viewpoint on harmony). Fourth, development planning and academic research should be carried out in various geography scales (new viewpoint on geography scale).
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Received: 01 November 2006
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2006, Vol. 21 
