Reinventing Rural

Download Reinventing Rural PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Lexington Books
ISBN 13 : 1498534104
Total Pages : 247 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (985 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Reinventing Rural by : Gregory M. Fulkerson

Download or read book Reinventing Rural written by Gregory M. Fulkerson and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 2016-10-19 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reinventing Rural is a collection of original research papers that examine the ways in which rural people and places are changing in the context of an urbanizing world. This includes exploring the role of the environment, the economy, and related issues such as tourism. While traditionally relying on primary sector work in agriculture, mining, natural resources, and the like, rural areas are finding new ways to sustain themselves. This involves a new emphasis on environmental protection, as one important strategy has been to capitalize on natural amenities to attract residents and tourists. Beyond improvements to the economy are general improvements to the quality-of-life in rural communities. Consistent with this, the volume focuses on the two cornerstones of education and health, considering current challenges and offering ideas for reinventing rural quality-of-life.

Reinventing the World Bank

Download Reinventing the World Bank PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Cornell University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780801487927
Total Pages : 284 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (879 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Reinventing the World Bank by : Jonathan Pincus

Download or read book Reinventing the World Bank written by Jonathan Pincus and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Attacked by the Right as the last bastion of socialism and by the Left as an instrument of economic imperialism, the World Bank has struggled to adapt to the post-Cold War era. Written by leading North American and British scholars, this book offers a critical examination of the World Bank.

Reinventing the Wheel

Download Reinventing the Wheel PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 : 0520290151
Total Pages : 316 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (22 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Reinventing the Wheel by : Bronwen Percival

Download or read book Reinventing the Wheel written by Bronwen Percival and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2017-09-05 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Reinventing the Wheel is equal parts popular science, history, and muckraking. Over the past hundred and fifty years, dairy farming and cheesemaking have been transformed, and this book explores what has been lost along the way. Today, using cutting-edge technologies like high-throughput DNA sequencing, scientists are beginning to understand the techniques of our great-grandparents. The authors describe how geneticists are helping conservationists rescue rare dairy cow breeds on the brink of extinction, microbiologists are teaching cheesemakers to nurture the naturally occurring microbes in their raw milk rather than destroying them, and communities of cheesemakers are producing "real" cheeses that reunite farming and flavor, rewarding diversity and sustainability at every level."--Provided by publisher.

Reinventing Russia

Download Reinventing Russia PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 0674028961
Total Pages : 366 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (74 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Reinventing Russia by : Yitzhak M. BRUDNY

Download or read book Reinventing Russia written by Yitzhak M. BRUDNY and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2009-06-30 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What caused the emergence of nationalist movements in many post-communist states? What role did communist regimes play in fostering these movements? Why have some been more successful than others? To address these questions, Yitzhak Brudny traces the Russian nationalist movement from its origins within the Russian intellectual elite of the 1950s to its institutionalization in electoral alliances, parliamentary factions, and political movements of the early 1990s. Brudny argues that the rise of the Russian nationalist movement was a combined result of the reinvention of Russian national identity by a group of intellectuals, and the Communist Party's active support of this reinvention in order to gain greater political legitimacy. The author meticulously reconstructs the development of the Russian nationalist thought from Khrushchev to Yeltsin, as well as the nature of the Communist Party response to Russian nationalist ideas. Through analysis of major Russian literary, political, and historical writings, the recently-published memoirs of the Russian nationalist intellectuals and Communist Party officials, and documents discovered in the Communist Party archives, Brudny sheds new light on social, intellectual, and political origins of Russian nationalism, and emphasizes the importance of ideas in explaining the fate of the Russian nationalist movement during late communist and early post-communist periods. Table of Contents: Acknowledgments 1. Russian Nationalists in Soviet Politics 2. The Emergence of Politics by Culture, 1953-1964 3. The First Phase of Inclusionary Politics, 1965-1970 4. The Rise and Fall of Inclusionary Politics, 1971-1985 5. What Went Wrong with the Politics of Inclusion? 6. What Is Russia, and Where Should It Go? Political Debates, 1971-1985 7. The Zenith of Politics by Culture, 1985-1989 8. The Demise of Politics by Culture, 1989-1991 Epilogue: Russian Nationalism in Postcommunist Russia Notes Index Reviews of this book: Mr. Brudny provides a salient background to understanding one of the great phenomena of post-1945 history: how Russians arrive at their view of the West. --Ron Laurenzo, Washington Times Reviews of this book: Brudny is a good guide to the origins of what probably lies ahead. --Geoffrey A. Hosking, Times Literary Supplement Reviews of this book: If readers think that today's anti-Western, antimarket, antisemitic variety of Russian nationalism is simply the fallout from the country's current misery, they should think again. With care and intelligence, Brudny traces its lineage back to the Khrushchev years. What began among the so-called village prose writers as a lament for a rural past ravaged by Stalin's experimentation gradually accumulated further grievances: the devastation of Russian culture and monuments, the infiltration of 'corrupting' Western values, and ultimately under Gorbechev the 'criminal' destruction of Russian power. Much of the book concentrates on how Khrushchev and Brezhnev tried--but ultimately failed--to harness this discontent for their own purposes. --Robert Legvold, Foreign Affairs Reviews of this book: Brudny's survey of relations between Russian nationalism and the Soviet state provides an in-depth insight into one of the most complicated aspects of the Soviet multi-national state. --Taras Kuzio, International Affairs Reviews of this book: A thought-provoking book. --Virginia Quarterly Reviews of this book: Brudny shows that Russian cultural nationalism was a powerful force in the post-Stalin years, with ultimate political consequences. In meticulous detail Brudny sets out the various strains of Russian nationalism and points to the regime's encouragement of a certain kind of nationalism as a means of bolstering legitimacy through the 'politics of inclusion'...This volume is a significant contribution to the literature. --R. J. Mitchell, Choice Reviews of this book: In Reinventing Russia, situated at the intersection of culture (specifically the literature of the village prose movement) and politics, Brudny has managed admirably to draw out the wider implications of his inquiry and provided an extremely useful set of orientation points in the current, seemingly so chaotic, political debate in Russia. --Hans J. Rindisbacher, European Legacy Reviews of this book: Brudny's book paints a fascinating picture. It delineates a rich Soviet culture and society, one that is much more varied than has been previously depicted by most Western researchers. The overriding importance of the book derives from its argument that the post-Stalinist cultural debate in the Soviet Union is what created the infrastructure for the seemingly odd alliance between communist ideology and the nationalist intelligentsia--today's 'red-brown' alliance. It's a significant contribution to our understanding of the history of the nationalist idea...[Reinventing Russia provides] an enthralling overview of a historic development that has been neglected by most Western researchers...His book proves once more that anyone who seeks to understand developments in Eastern Europe cannot do so by merely analyzing the economic policy of the political maneuvers of the governing elite. --Shlomo Avineri, Ha'aretz Book Review Yitzhak Brudny offers us a most persuasive attempt to explain the intricate, often puzzling relation between Soviet political and cultural bureaucracy and the rise of Russian nationalism in the post-Stalin era. His analysis of Russian nationalist ideology and its role in the corrosion of the official Soviet dogmas is uniquely insightful and provocative. Students of Soviet and post-Soviet affairs will find in Brudny's splendidly researched book an indispensable instrument to grasp the meaning of the still perplexing developments that led to the breakdown of the Leninist state. In the growing body of literature dealing with nationalism and national identity, this one stands out as boldly innovative, theoretically challenging, and culturally sophisticated. --Vladimir Tismaneanu, University of Maryland, College Park, author of Fantasies of Salvation Yitzhak Brudny has produced an impressive and scholarly account of the divisions within the Russian political and cultural elite during the last four decades of the Soviet Union's existence. His book is important both for the fresh light it throws on that period and as essential context for interpreting the debates on nationhood and statehood which rage in Russia today. --Archie Brown, University of Oxford Reinventing Russia provides us with a vivid portrayal of the politics behind the rise of Russian nationalism in post-Stalinist Russia. It is a finely detailed study of not only the relationship of political authority to the spread of nationalist ideas, but also reciprocally of the role played by these ideas in shaping the political. --Mark Beissinger, University of Wisconsin-Madison Rival nationalists literally shook the Soviet Union apart. The very structure of the Soviet state encouraged all major ethnic groups--including the Russians--to view battles over resources in terms of ethnic and national conflict. Brudny, in this important study, explores precisely how rival nationalist claims emerged during the years following Stalin's death, and why they proved to be simultaneously so robust and pernicious. --Blair Ruble, Director, Kennan Institute, Woodrow Wilson Center

Federal Register

Download Federal Register PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 1128 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (31 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Federal Register by :

Download or read book Federal Register written by and published by . This book was released on 1995-11-28 with total page 1128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Reinventing the Workplace

Download Reinventing the Workplace PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Brookings Institution Press
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 250 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (91 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Reinventing the Workplace by : David I. Levine

Download or read book Reinventing the Workplace written by David I. Levine and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 1995 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Levine concludes with specific public policy recommendations for increasing the extent of employee involvement, including changes in government regulation of capital and labor markets to encourage long-term investment and labor-management cooperation. He recommends macroeconomic policies to sustain high employment, less regulation for high-involvement workplaces, and training in schools and on the job to teach high-involvement practices.

The Labor of Reinvention

Download The Labor of Reinvention PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Columbia University Press
ISBN 13 : 0231551290
Total Pages : 281 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (315 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Labor of Reinvention by : Lin Zhang

Download or read book The Labor of Reinvention written by Lin Zhang and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2023-03-07 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From start-up founders in the Chinese equivalent of Silicon Valley to rural villages experiencing an e-commerce boom to middle-class women reselling luxury goods, the rise of internet-based entrepreneurship has affected every part of China. For many, reinventing oneself as an entrepreneur has appeared to be an appealing way to adapt to a changing economy and society. Yet in practice, digital entrepreneurship has also reinforced traditional Chinese ideas about state power, labor, gender, and identity. Lin Zhang explores how the everyday labor of entrepreneurial reinvention is remaking China amid changing geopolitical currents. She tells the stories of people from diverse class, gender, and age backgrounds across rural, urban, and transnational settings in rich detail, providing a multifaceted and ground-level view of the twenty-first-century Chinese economy. Zhang explores the surge in digital entrepreneurialism against the backdrop of global financial crises, the U.S.-China trade war, and the COVID-19 pandemic. She argues that the rise of internet-based industries and practices has simultaneously empowered and exploited digital entrepreneurs and laborers. Despite embracing high-tech innovation, state-led entrepreneurialization does not represent a radical break with the past. It has provided a means for implementing developmental goals while retaining the importance of the traditional family and generating new inequalities. Shedding new light on global capitalism and the digital economy by centering a non-Western perspective, The Labor of Reinvention vividly conveys how the contradictions of entrepreneurialism have played out in China.

The Australian Country Girl: History, Image, Experience

Download The Australian Country Girl: History, Image, Experience PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317040902
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (17 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Australian Country Girl: History, Image, Experience by : Catherine Driscoll

Download or read book The Australian Country Girl: History, Image, Experience written by Catherine Driscoll and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-03-23 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Australian Country Girl: History, Image, Experience offers a detailed analysis of the experience and the image of Australian country girlhood. In Australia, 'country girl' names a field of experiences and life-stories by girls and women who have grown up outside of the demographically dominant urban centres. But it also names a set of ideas about Australia that is surprisingly consistent across the long twentieth century despite also working as an index of changing times. For a long period in Australian history, well before Federation and long after it, public and popular culture openly equated 'Australian character' with rural life. This image of Australian-ness sometimes went by the name of the 'bush man', now a staple of Australian history. This has been counterbalanced post World War II and increased immigration, by an image of sophisticated Australian modernity located in multicultural cities. These images of Australia balance rather than contradict one another in many ways and the more cosmopolitan image of Australia is often in dialogue with that preceding image of 'the bush'. This book does not offer a corrective to the story of Australian national identity but rather a fresh perspective on this history and a new focus on the ever-changing experience of Australian rural life. It argues that the country girl has not only been a long-standing counterpart to the Australian bush man she has, more importantly, figured as a point of dialogue between the country and the city for popular culture and for public sphere narratives about Australian society and identity.

The Routledge Handbook of Festivals

Download The Routledge Handbook of Festivals PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1351736752
Total Pages : 892 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (517 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Routledge Handbook of Festivals by : Judith Mair

Download or read book The Routledge Handbook of Festivals written by Judith Mair and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-09-03 with total page 892 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent times, festivals around the world have grown in number due to the increased recognition of their importance for tourism, branding and economic development. Festivals hold multifaceted roles in society and can be staged to bring positive economic impact, for the competitive advantage they lend a destination or to address social objectives. Studies on festivals have appeared in a wide range of disciplines, and consequently, much of the research available is highly fragmented. This handbook brings this knowledge together in one volume, offering a comprehensive evaluation of the most current research, debates and controversies surrounding festivals. It is divided into nine sections that cover a wide range of theories, concepts and contexts, such as sustainability, festival marketing and management, the strategic use of festivals and their future. Featuring a variety of disciplinary, cultural and national perspectives from an international team of authors, this book will be an invaluable resource for students and researchers of event management and will be of interest to scholars in the fields of anthropology, sociology, geography, marketing, management, psychology and economics.

Survival of Rural America

Download Survival of Rural America PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 262 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Survival of Rural America by : Richard E. Wood

Download or read book Survival of Rural America written by Richard E. Wood and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shows how small farming communities--the heart and soul of America--are both besieged and determined to survive, and reveals, through vivid storytelling, how the future of America is being played out on the high plains of Kansas.

Democracy Reinvented

Download Democracy Reinvented PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Brookings Institution Press
ISBN 13 : 081572683X
Total Pages : 274 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (157 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Democracy Reinvented by : Hollie Russon Gilman

Download or read book Democracy Reinvented written by Hollie Russon Gilman and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2016-01-05 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Participatory Budgeting—the experiment in democracy that could redefine how public budgets are decided in the United States. Democracy Reinvented is the first comprehensive academic treatment of participatory budgeting in the United States, situating it within a broader trend of civic technology and innovation. This global phenomenon, which has been called "revolutionary civics in action" by the New York Times, started in Brazil in 1989 but came to America only in 2009. Participatory budgeting empowers citizens to identify community needs, work with elected officials to craft budget proposals, and vote on how to spend public funds. Democracy Reinvented places participatory budgeting within the larger discussion of the health of U.S. democracy and focuses on the enabling political and institutional conditions. Author and former White House policy adviser Hollie Russon Gilman presents theoretical insights, indepth case studies, and interviews to offer a compelling alternative to the current citizen disaffection and mistrust of government. She offers policy recommendations on how to tap online tools and other technological and civic innovations to promote more inclusive governance. While most literature tends to focus on institutional changes without solutions, this book suggests practical ways to empower citizens to become change agents. Reinvesting in Democracy also includes a discussion on the challenges and opportunities that come with using digital tools to re-engage citizens in governance.

Exploring Community Festivals and Events

Download Exploring Community Festivals and Events PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317690850
Total Pages : 269 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Exploring Community Festivals and Events by : Allan Jepson

Download or read book Exploring Community Festivals and Events written by Allan Jepson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-10-17 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The development of the festival and event industry has seen large scale growth and extensive government support as a result of objectives to enhance and project the image of place and leverage positive sponsorship and regeneration opportunities. As we move deeper into austerity measures prompted by economic recession, community festivals and events as a sacred or profane time of celebration can be considered even more important than ever before. This book for the first time explores the role and importance of ‘community’, ‘culture’ and its impact through festivals and events. Split into two distinct sections, the first introduces key themes and concepts, contextualises local traditions and culture, and investigates how festivals and events can act as a catalyst for tourism and create a sense of community. It then questions the social and political nature of festivals and community events through examining their ownership. The second section focuses on communities themselves, seeking to examine and discuss key emerging themes in community event studies such as; the role of diaspora, imagined communities, pride and identity, history, producing and consuming space and place, authenticity, and multi-ethnic communities. Examples are drawn from Portugal, the Dominican Republic, the USA, Malaysia, Malta, Finland and Australia making this book truly international. This significant volume will be valuable reading for students and academics across the fields of Event, Tourism and Hospitality studies as well as other social science disciplines.

Urbanormativity

Download Urbanormativity PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1498597033
Total Pages : 205 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (985 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Urbanormativity by : Gregory M. Fulkerson

Download or read book Urbanormativity written by Gregory M. Fulkerson and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-08-01 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book investigates urbanormativity—a concept that privileges urban normalcy and desirability over rural deviance and undesirability. The “reality” section outlines its foundations—urbanization, urban-rural systems, and urban dependency. The “representation” section explores urbanormative culture by considering cultural capital, media, and identity. The last section, “everyday life,” examines urban-rural disparities in law and politics and in life within different communities. It concludes by calling for a rural justice approach that will revalue the rural.

Urban Dependency

Download Urban Dependency PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1793623104
Total Pages : 219 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (936 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Urban Dependency by : Gregory M. Fulkerson

Download or read book Urban Dependency written by Gregory M. Fulkerson and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2020-11-15 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Urban Dependency investigates the risks of urban populations that cannot survive without the massive consumption of basic rural products like food, textiles, fossil fuels, and other energy-rich goods that are harvested by a shrinking rural base. Thomas and Fulkerson argue that though essential, rural workers and communities are poorly compensated for their labor that is both dangerous and highly exploitative. While the rural population is already shrinking, the authors predict that harsh political-economic conditions will only fuel further rural-urban migration, worsening the problem of urban dependency. The authors apply their theory of the energy economy to explore a balance between the supply and demand of energy resources that promotes rural justice.

Remaking Culture and Music Spaces

Download Remaking Culture and Music Spaces PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 1000783790
Total Pages : 283 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (7 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Remaking Culture and Music Spaces by : Ian Woodward

Download or read book Remaking Culture and Music Spaces written by Ian Woodward and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-11-18 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection analyses the remaking of culture and music spaces during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Its central focus is how cultural producers negotiated radically disrupted and uncertain conditions by creating, designing, and curating new objects and events, and through making alternative combinations of practices and spaces. By examining contexts and practices of remaking culture and music, it goes beyond being a chronicle of how the pandemic disrupted cultural life and livelihoods. The book also raises crucial questions about the forms and dynamics of post-pandemic spaces of culture and music. Main themes include the affective and embodied dimensions that shape the experience, organisation, and representation of cultural and musical activity; the restructuring of industries and practices of work and cultural production; the transformation of spaces of cultural expression and community; and the uncertainty and resilience of future culture and music. This collection will be instrumental for researchers, practitioners, and students studying the spatial, material, and affective dimensions of cultural production in the fields of cultural sociology, cultural and creative industries research, festival and event studies, and music studies. Its interdisciplinary nature makes it beneficial reading for anyone interested in what has happened to culture and music during the global pandemic and beyond.

Agricultural Systems: Agroecology and Rural Innovation for Development

Download Agricultural Systems: Agroecology and Rural Innovation for Development PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Academic Press
ISBN 13 : 0128020954
Total Pages : 560 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (28 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Agricultural Systems: Agroecology and Rural Innovation for Development by : Sieglinde Snapp

Download or read book Agricultural Systems: Agroecology and Rural Innovation for Development written by Sieglinde Snapp and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2017-02-17 with total page 560 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Agricultural Systems, Second Edition, is a comprehensive text for developing sustainable farming systems. It presents a synthetic overview of the emerging area of agroecology applications to transforming farming systems and supporting rural innovation, with particular emphasis on how research can be harnessed for sustainable agriculture. The inclusion of research theory and examples using the principles of cropping system design allows students to gain a unique understanding of the technical, biological, ecological, economic and sociological aspects of farming systems science for rural livelihoods. This book explores topics such as: re-inventing farming systems; principles and practice of agroecology; agricultural change and low-input technology; ecologically-based nutrient management; participatory breeding for developing improved and relevant crops; participatory livestock research for development; gender and agrarian inequality at the local scale; the nature of agricultural innovation; and outreach to support rural innovation. The extensive coverage of subjects is complemented with integrated references and a companion website, making this book essential reading for courses in international agricultural systems and management, sustainable agricultural management, and cropping systems. This book will be a valuable resource for students of agricultural science, environmental engineering, and rural planning; researchers and scientists in agricultural development agencies; and practitioners of agricultural development in government extension programs, development agencies, and NGOs. - Provides students with an enhanced understanding of how research can be harnessed for sustainable agriculture - Incorporates social, biological, chemical, and geographical aspects important to agroecology - Addresses social and development issues related to farming systems

City and Country

Download City and Country PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1793644330
Total Pages : 491 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (936 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis City and Country by : Alexander R. Thomas

Download or read book City and Country written by Alexander R. Thomas and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-06-17 with total page 491 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: City and Country: The Historical Evolution of Urban-Rural Systems begins with a simple assumption: every human requires, on average, two-thousand calories per day to stay alive. Tracing the ramifications of this insight leads to the caloric well: the caloric demand at one point in the environment. As population increases, the depth of the caloric well reflects this increased demand and requires a population to go further afield for resources, a condition called urban dependency. City and Country traces the structural ramifications of these dynamics as the population increased from the Paleolithic to today. We can understand urban dependency as the product of the caloric demands a population puts on a given environment, and when those demands outstrip the carry capacity of the environment, a caloric well develops that forces a community to look beyond its immediate area for resources. As the well deepens, the horizon from which resources are gathered is pushed further afield, often resulting in conflict with neighboring groups. Prior to settled villages, increases in population resulted in cultural (technological) innovations that allowed for greater use of existing resources: the broad-spectrum revolution circa 20 thousand years ago, the birth of agricultural villages 11 thousand years ago, and hierarchically organized systems of multiple settlements working together to produce enough food during the Ubaid period in Mesopotamia seven-thousand years ago—the first urban-rural systems. As cities developed, increasing population resulted in an ever-deepening morass of urban dependency that required expansion of urban-rural systems. These urban-rural dynamics today serve as an underlying logic upon which modern capitalism is built. The culmination of two decades of research into the nature of urban-rural dynamics, City and Country argues that at the heart of the logic of capitalism is an even deeper logic: urbanization is based on urban dependency.