=Two ISU faculty members have taken a deeper look into the myths that surround rural communities.

Authors Cornelia Butler Flora and Jan Flora, professors of sociology and agriculture, wrote the revised edition of “Rural Communities: Legacy and Change” in order to explore changes that have occurred in rural communities.

Due to the success of the first edition, “Rural Communities,” the editors wanted to release another book to address the stereotypes and address changes rural America has seen over the years, emphasizing how the close-knit, rural American image has changed.

According to the Department of Sociology staff Web site, www.soc.iastate.edu/staff/faculty/flora_j.html, Jan served as an academic adviser for the public television series “Rural Communities: Legacy and Change,” a television extension of the book.

The Floras said while most people think of rural communities as being close knit, not all of them are.

“The degree of close-knit really varies among rural communities. Where there is low trust, communities have low bonding social capital; however, when communities provide a way for all residents to contribute, trust increases and the community draws closer together,” Cornelia said. “The downside of being close-knit is that really close-knit communities resist any sort of change.”

As change is inevitable, rural communities are forced to adapt in an era of global change.

“Some rural areas are adapting well, while others are not,” Cornelia said. “In our book, we discuss this in terms of changes at resources at various levels: human, cultural, social, natural, political, financial and built. We then look at three major areas of change: the economy, [globalization and consumption] and government.”

Change will continue to happen in rural communities; however, Cornelia said some communities will join with their neighbors to produce counter-trends and alternative futures for themselves as communities.

According to Cornelia, the book is being used as a textbook in courses across the nation.

Kristi Hetland, editorial assistant for the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, said more information on the book is available at the center which is located at 107 Curtiss Hall.