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CENTRAL PHILIPPINES STATE UNIVERSITY

Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental

College of Arts and Sciences

SS MAJOR 7- RURAL SOCIOLOGY
Course Description:

This course will examine sociological concepts and theories, using examples from
rurality- rural people, rural institution, rural communities, and rural processes.

UNIT 2: Village Community: Characteristics, Types and Rural Urban

Contrast Continuum
Learning Outcomes: At the end of the unit students must have;

1. Define Village Community.

2. Described the different characteristic of Village Community
3. Analyze the different Types of Rural-Urban Contrast Continuum.

What is Village Community?

an early form of community organization in which land belonged to the village, the
arable land being allotted to the members or households of the community by more or
less permanent arrangements and the waste or excess land remaining undivided
Factors in the Growth of Village Community
Literally speaking a village implies a settlement of people which originated many
thousand years ago, during the early periods of human society. It contained a few hundreds of
people who lived together in the surroundings of nature and whose main occupation was
agriculture. Agriculture is not only their main occupation it is rather their way of life. It is a way of
life in the sense that its mode of production and what it tempers is reflected in every form of
village activity. It has been said that, “The village is the name commonly used to designate
settlement of ancient agriculturists”. When we talk of the rural society we mean by the
aggregation of villages in the country.

Historically following factors have contributed to the growth of village community:

A. Topographical Factors:

1. Land: It has always been the important topographical factor. It is difficult to carry on
agriculture on land which is rocky and uneven. If the land is unfertilized and sandy,
villages cannot easily develop there. That is why there are very few villages in the desert
Sahara; where we find villages at every two or three miles in the plains of the Ganges
and the Yamuna.
2. Water: Water is dire need of agriculturists for cultivation. If water is scarce, not much use
can be made of even the most fertile land. In the desert water is scarce, villages are
scattered far and wide.

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3. Climate: A temperate climate is the most favorable for growth of agriculture. Better soil
varieties and conditions have been responsible for the growth of village communities in
the plains of the Northern and Central India  and also in other parts of the country.

B. Economic Factors

1. Condition of Agriculture: It is the fact that if agriculture yields a fair amount of produce,
village community will be prosperous.

2. Economy: If the village has the facility of getting money in times of need, it will be a
favorable condition for the growth of village community. Cottage industries play a very
important factor in the economic growth of the community.

C. Social Factors: 

These are the factors of peace, security, cooperation, intelligence and love and thus the
conditions of soil, climate, moisture, availability of water, condition of agriculture and economy
and the conditions of peace and security play important part in the growth of village community.

Reference
Rural Sociology by Dr. G. Das

Characteristics of the Rural Community

The ten essential characteristics of the rural community are as follows: a. Size of the
Community b. Density of Population c. Agriculture is the Main Occupation d. Close Contact with
Nature e. Homogeneity of Population f. Social Stratification g. Social Interaction h. Social
Mobility i. Social Solidarity j. Joint Family.

a. Size of the Community:

The village communities are smaller in area than the urban communities. As the village
communities are small, the population is also low.

b. Density of Population:
As the density of population is low, the people have intimate relationships and face-to-
face contacts with each other. In a village, everyone knows everyone.

c. Agriculture is the Main Occupation:

Agriculture is the fundamental occupation of the rural people and forms the basis of rural
economy. A farmer has to perform various agricultural activities for which he needs the
cooperation of other members. Usually, these members are from his family. Thus, the members
of the entire family share agricultural activities. That is the reason why Lowry Nelson has
mentioned that farming is a family enterprise.

d. Close Contact with Nature:

The rural people are in close contact with nature as most of their daily activities revolve
around the natural environment. This is the reason why a ruralite is more influenced by nature
than an urbanite. The villagers consider land as their real mother as they depend on it for their
food, clothing and shelter.

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e. Homogeneity of Population:
The village communities are homogenous in nature. Most of their inhabitants are
connected with agriculture and its allied occupations, though there are people belonging to
different castes, religions and classes.

f. Social Stratification:
In rural society, social stratification is a traditional characteristic, based on caste. The
rural society is divided into various strata on the basis of caste.

g. Social Interaction:
The frequency of social interaction in rural areas is comparatively lower than in urban
areas. However, the interaction level possesses more stability and continuity. The relationships
and interactions in the primary groups are intimate. The family fulfills the needs of the members
and exercises control over them.

It is the family, which introduces the members to the customs, traditions and culture of the
society. Due to limited contacts, they do not develop individuality and their viewpoint towards the
outside world is very narrow, which makes them oppose any kind of violent change.

h. Social Mobility:
In rural areas, mobility is rigid as all the occupations are based on caste. Shifting from
one occupation to another is difficult as caste is determined by birth. Thus, caste hierarchy
determines the social status of the rural people.

i. Social Solidarity:
The degree of social solidarity is greater in villages as compared to urban areas.
Common experience, purposes, customs and traditions form the basis of unity in the villages.

j. Joint Family:
Another characteristic feature of the rural society is the joint family system. The family
controls the behaviour of the individuals. Generally, the father is the head of the family and is
also responsible for maintaining the discipline among members.

Characteristics of a Village Community

1. Community Consciousness/Feeling:
The village is a community whose members have a sense of “we feeling”. Their relation
is intimate. Their customs, conventions and culture are common. They are having a strong
community feeling.
2. Role of Neighborhood:
The village people are generally in need of one another’s assistance. There is not
enough of individuality disable one from paying attention to another. Hence neighbourers have
intimate relations with each other.

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3. Joint Family:
In the village, the family has strict control and administrative powers over the individual.
All the members of the family share the burden of the family occupation. Much attention Is
directed towards the preservation of the family honor and utmost care is taken to observe and
maintain the tradition of the family.

4. Faith in Religion:

In villages, people have deep faith on religion. They tire mostly God-fearing. The villager
depends on agriculture. I le acquires an attitude of fear and awe towards natural forces and
starts worshipping them.

5. Simplicity/Simple life:
Villagers lead a very simple life. They want to live in peace and security. They are far
away from the evils of modern civilization. They are sincere, co-operative, hard-working and
hospitable.

 6. Small Size:
Village communities are small in size. The census In India designates a place with 5000
inhabitants as a village community. The populations of villages vary from place to place.

7. Definite Locality:

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A group of people forms village community only when it begins to reside in a definite
locality. Locality is the physical basis of village community.

8. Predominance of Primary Relations:

The village community is characterized by the predominance of personal and relatively
durable relations. Kinship plays a very important role in the context of village community.

9. Conservatism:
The village people are very conservative. They do not wish to introduce any radical
changes. Sir Charles Metcalf once wrote about the conservatism of the Indian villages by saying,
“Dynasties tumble down, revolutions succeed revolution, Hindu, pathan, Moghul, Maratha, Sikh,
English all the masters change In turn, but the village communities remain the same.”

https://www.sociologydiscussion.com/village-community/9-main-characteristics-of-a-village-community/2606illage
Community

Rural-Urban Continuum

Rural-Urban Continuum: Meaning and Definitions!

Rural- urban continuum, the merging of town and country, a term used in recognition of

the fact that in general there is rarely, either physically or socially, a sharp division, a clearly

marked boundary between the two, with one part of the population wholly urban, the other wholly

rural.

According to Professor A. R. Desai, ‘Social life in the country-side moves and develops in

a rural setting just as social life in the urban area moves and develops in an urban setting, their

respective settings considerably determine rural and urban social life.’

From the analytical point of view, the characteristics of these two modes of living are

represented by two concepts namely ‘ruralism’ and ‘urbanism.’ Ruralism signifies the rural mode

of living in which there is predominance of traditions, customs, and folk culture and joint family.

On the other hand, urbanism signifies the urban mode of living in which there is predominance of

impersonal relations, individualism and secondary associations.

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The rural social world is different from the urban social world. There is a valid distinction

between village and city in terms of two different ethos of life, cultural patterns, socio-cultural

groupings and modes of earning and livelihood.

However, there are also structural similarities between the two with regard to the patterns

of caste, kinship, rules of marriages, observance of religious practices, migrations, educational

institutions, employment opportunities and administration are the other institutional sources of

linkages between villages and cities. Thus, villages and towns cannot be seen simply as

dichotomous entities. They are interlinked and yet distinct from each other.

The concept of rural-urban continuum is based on the assumption of rural-urban

differences. According to G. V. Fuguitt, ‘If rural-urban sociology is to continue a specialized sub-

field and has a meaningful conceptual basis, the need for a new orientation is evident.’

Professor Bertrand made the following observation: ‘Proponents of the continuum theory feel

that rural-urban differences occur in a relative degree in a range extending between two polar

extremes of rural and urban.’

The continuum theory lays emphasis on the rural-urban differences rather than on the

rural-urban dichotomy. Irrespective of the course of evolution, distinction can be drawn between

rural and urban way of life.

The difference between urban centres and rural areas may seem so obvious that the

definitions should not be an issue. However, there can be major variations in the ways in which

different nations define what is an urban centre. The criteria used include population size and

density, and the availability of services such as the secondary schools, hospitals and banks.

However, the combination of criteria applied can vary greatly. Even the population

thresholds used can be different: for many African nations, it is 5,000 inhabitants, while for most

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Latin American and European nations, it can be as low as 2,000 or 2,500, or even just a few

hundred inhabitants.

This wide fluctuation in definitions has three important implications:

1. Official classifications should be treated with caution—for example, a large

proportion of settlements classed as ‘rural’ in China and India would fall within the

‘urban’ category, if they used the criteria and population thresholds adopted by

many other countries. Given the size of the population of these two countries, this

would significantly increase the overall proportion of urban residents in Asia and

in the world.

2. International comparisons are difficult, as they may look at settlements which,

despite being classed in the same category, may be very different in both

population size and infrastructure. In addition, the reliability of data on

urbanization trends within one nation can be compromised by changes in the

definition of urban centers over time.

3. Public investment in services and infrastructure tends to concentrate on the

centres that are defined as urban. As a consequence, investment can bypass

settlements not defined as urban even if these can, and often do, have an

important ‘urban role in the development of the surrounding rural areas. Within

national and regional urban systems, larger cities also tend to be favored with

public investment over small- and intermediate-sized urban centers, including

those with important roles in supporting agricultural production, processing and

marketing.

Major Differences between Rural and Urban Societies

By Smriti Chand Society

The main difference between the two societies as under: Rural society was one which
has not industrialized, whereas present day urban society is highly urbanized and industrialized.
Sl No. Rural Society (Pre-industrial Society) Urban Society (Industrial Society)
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1. Life in the society was very simple and reflected in the way of living, dressing, food habits,
shelter and manners etc. Life in the city is not simple but very complex and complicated.

2. The people in the society had homogeneity and thus enjoyed more or less the same social
status. The people in the city belong to different castes, creeds, religions and cultures, thus do
not enjoy the same social status.

3. In the rural society there was very little scope for occupational mobility. In cities there are
many occupations, so occupational mobility is as well as frequent.

4. Here the family played a very significant and predominant In the cities hold of families is not
strong, and many functions which role. Its hold was very strong. the families used to perform
have been taken away by other institutions and associations.

5. In villages there is no fast change and as such no necessity for social adaptability. In the cities
there must be fast mobility and adaptability to suit ever changing fast life.

6. In the rural society culture was very deeprooted. Everyone loved culture and cultural heritage
above everything else. In the cities it is different to find pure culture.
7. In a rural society there is no division of labour. In an urban community there is always division
of labour and specialisation in job allotment. 8. Rural society did not give due and proper respect
to the womenfolk. In urban communities women enjoys comparatively high social status.

9. In this society people loved nature and natural bounties. They were religious minded and
afraid of gods and goddesses. In cities, people have no time to stand and gaze at the nature.
They are not religious minded but more materialistic.

10. There were very few chances of providing employment and incentives The cities provide
both incentive and employment to the people and to the unemployed by the society. thus
frustrated villages find solace in the cities which respects ability and judges their worth.

Communities – Rural and Urban

INTRODUCTION:
Man has lived in communities since the dawn of human histories. In fact, grouping very
similar to human communities exist among animals and even among plants. The term
“community” has been used very loosely but anthropologist/sociologists have sought to give it a
more exact connotation. They agree concerning some of its basic things which the term should
denote. The word ‘community’ has been derived from two Latin words; namely, ‘com’ and
‘munis’. In English, ‘com’ means together and ‘munis’ means to serve. Thus, community means
to serve together. It means, the ‘community’ is an organization of human beings which has been
framed for the purposes of serving together. A community is a collection of inter-dependent
people with residential ties to a particular locality. The territorial boundaries differentiate it from
other groups, because most of other groups are not tied to specific localities. Communities are
spatially specific but, otherwise, are unrestricted. They are unlike groups and organizations that

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have special interests and touch only a narrow part of their participants’ levels. Communities
encompass major portions of the lives and roles of their members. The term ‘community’
denotes almost uniformly and permanently local aggregation of people having diversified as well
as common interests and served by a constellation of institutions.

RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES:

For many centuries, village and city have been the two most recognizable general types
of human civilization. But between the two, there is no sharp demarcation to tell where the city
ends and the country begins. Rural and urban depict modes of community life, not simply
geographical location. Rural and urban distinction has nothing to do with primitive communities
because rural community, no matter how small it is, is still subjected to countless urban
influences. Sometimes, urban area is defined in terms of high density of population, but it is not
true. Some of the agricultural villages are densely populated yet cannot be called urban. Socially
speaking, the city is a way of life. The adjective “urban” suggests this way of life very nearly; it
indicates a wide acquaintance with things and people, a somewhat Sauvé and polished manner,
superficial politeness. But the question which arises is how far the urban way of live is limited to
the urban population and how far the physical and the social definitions of urban
correspondence. The answer is that there is a causal connection between the two but not a one
to one correspondence. The city as a place where population is concentrated inevitably gives
rise to and depends upon certain features of social organization that we regard as urban. We
should speak not only of cities but of urbanized societies and regions.

GROWTH OF VILLAGE COMMUNITY:

In the primitive societies, people were nomadic and moved from place to place. Next step
came when people began to lead a settled family life. It was here that the habitation in the
villages started. Each community invariably started its settlement from the village itself.
Character of village started changing when people started considering village land as the
property of the village as a whole but it belonged to only one lord who exploited all those who
tilled the land. The things have much more changed in modern village which is now under
impact of urbanization.

FACTORS RESPOSIBLE FOR THE GROWTH OF VILLAGE COMMUNITY:

(i) Topographical Factors – It includes land, water and climate. Villages with fertile land, good
climate and water in abundance attracted more people. (ii)   Economic Factors – Favourable
agricultural conditions led to advance stage of living. (iii)   Social Factors – In villages where
there is not internal and external peace, village community become more prosperous. (iv)  
Ecological Factors – It includes factors such as population, occupation, distance from the town,
and social as well as geographical organization.

GROWTH OF URBAN COMMUNITY:

In reality the transition from a purely rural community to an urban one is not abrupt but
gradual. There is no absolute boundary line which would show a clear‐cut cleavage between the
rural and the urban community. Many differential characteristics of the rural and urban
community would consist not so much in the presence of certain trails in rural, and their absence
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in urban communities, as much as in a quantitative increase of these characteristics. The above

conception has been given the name of “rural‐urban continuum” by recent writers suggesting
that the differences between the two types of community are gradual and continuous, and not
qualitative differences per se, resulting in a simple dichotomy. Thus, Stuart A. Queen and B.
Carpenter claim that “there is a continuous gradation from rural to urban rather than a simple
rural–urban dichotomy”. According to Gist and Halbert, the familiar dichotomy between ‘rural’
and ‘urban’ is more of a theoretical concept than division based upon the facts of community life.
“Every village possesses some elements of the city while every city carries some features of the
village”, as remarked by Maclver, “but between the two there is no sharp demarcation to tell
where the city ends and the country begins”. Generally speaking, the urban communities are
identified as large, dense and heterogeneous, and the rural communities as small, less dense
and homogeneous, yet no hard and fast line can be drawn. The characteristics of size, density,
heterogeneity and occupation exhibit differences in degree from place to place and time to time.
Sharp and absolute divisions between rural and urban communities do not exist and therefore
we must recognize the fact that rural and urban communities are polar types and that they may
be found at many points on the so‐called “continuum” that extends from one extreme pole to the
other.

RURAL – URBAN CONTRAST:

As pointed out, the difference between village and city life is very difficult but neither on
the basis of culture nor that of population it is possible to define either a village or city. Difference
between city and village is more that of degree than of a kind. But inspite of these difficulties,
major discerning differences are as follows:  
(i)The Most Obvious Difference is the Relative Isolation of the Country Life: The family
circle must supply the greater part of economic and social needs of its members. Family
customs undisturbed by the constant succession of new contacts and new stimuli characteristics
of urban life, grow more deeply rooted. Whereas city family is typically less engrossing,
Urbanization denudes the household of economic functions and throws the individual into
association relationship. Social control in the city reflects the multiplicity of social contacts, the
diversity of social codes and pre‐dominance of secondary relationships.
(ii) Difference in the mode of occupation: The principal occupation of a countryman is
farming, involving the raising of crops and of stocks. It lacks specialization. Further, there is very
little scope for occupational mobility, because one condition of specialization is the size of the
economic market, a condition guaranteed in the urban society. The economic differentiation of
the urban community is the source of social groupings, both vertical, involving occupational
divisions on the same levels, and horizontal or in terms of social status.
(iii) Simplicity Versus Complexity: The rewards of the farmer’s toil are rarely bountiful. If
the rewards are somewhat speculative it is usually between the limits of penury and a modest
livelihood. He is less subject to the stimulations that comes from social proximity, sharp social
contrasts and social mobility. In cities, due to specialization and competitiveness, the speculative
element enters strongly into city life.
(iv) Associative Individualism versus Persistent Traditionalism: The combined influences
of the urban scene stimulate what may be called as associative individualism. The city dweller
selectively organizes his social relationship. He is accepted more in terms of his specific
qualities. The pre‐dominance of secondary over primary relationship distinguishes wide range of

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social attitudes as characteristics of a city, whereas the countryman relies more on primary
relationship.
(v) The Intensity of Community Sentiment in City and Country: The ‘we–feeling’ of the
city dweller is weakened by the complexity of urban life. His role‐feeling is similarly affected
because he has little awareness of the role of other fellows and his role is apt to become less
meaningful in his eyes. In village community, ‘we–feeling’ and dependency feeling is prevalent.
(vi) The Cultural Contrasts and Relationship between City and Country: A purely urban
culture, divorced from the types of stimulation found in rural community would be fundamentally
unbalanced and handicapped. Whereas the country provides the raw material of the cultural as
well as the economic life of man, it tends to retain a relatively simple form of cultural expression
which is taken up into the arts of city and reshapes to its specialized   and “Variant demands”.
The social structure of the city is necessarily as complex as its culture presenting a variety of
extremes and modulations. It stands in contrast to the country‐side with its forms of
accentuation, intensification or sophistication.
CONCLUSION: The mark of a community is that one’s life may be lived wholly within it.
One cannot live wholly within a business organization or a church, one can live wholly within a
tribe or a city. The basic criterion of community, then, is that all of one’s social relationships may
be found within it. In the past communities used to be self – sufficient because the people lived
in a very simple life and not many complications had till then arisen. But today character of the
community is very complex and politically, socially or economically, no community can be self‐
sufficient these days.  

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/village-community

Learning Tasks: Assess yourself using this!

1. Based on your previous readings, discuss further the different characteristics of Village
Community.

2. Using the various characteristics as basic unit of analysis, describe its implications in the
existing social conditions.

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3. Based in the definition of Village Community, draw a picture showing a Village

Community.

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4. In your own level of understanding, what is the importance of studying Village

Community?

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