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Urban Residents' Views of Rurality and Contacts with Rural Places 1
Author(s) -
Willits Fern K.,
Luloff A. E.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
rural sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.083
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1549-0831
pISSN - 0036-0112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1549-0831.1995.tb00583.x
Subject(s) - rurality , recreation , geography , rural area , rural sociology , socioeconomics , sample (material) , rural settlement , economic growth , rural development , agriculture , sociology , political science , chemistry , archaeology , chromatography , law , economics
Little is known about how rural people and places are viewed by the urban majority or the extent to which these images are related to first‐hand contact with rurality. Data from a recent mail survey of a sample of people living in Pennsylvania cities suggest that urban people view rural places in positive terms and feel that rural areas and rural lifestyles should be preserved. When asked to consider the desirability of various development strategies, most urban residents indicated that priority should be given to promoting traditional extractive economic activities (farming, forestry, mining); there was little support for other types of business or industrial development Urban residents who visited rural locales for recreation and/or environmental contact were most likely to want to preserve those areas; visiting for social reasons was related to support for development activities. Policy implications of these findings are suggested.