Semantic Complexities in Defining Rurality

Semantic complexitites abound when attemting to define rurality, because the supposed rural/urban dialectic is actually diffuse. This paper explores some of these problems of meaning and proposes a definition of rurality based on human considerations. Whilst research and professional expertise are needed to assist in the development of rural regions, they must encompass the subjective views of what ruralism is to rural people to be effective. Acknowledging the perceptual framework of rural residents will allow a more authentic conception of rurality to inform policy implementation and service provision.