This book is designed to help identify, analyze, and address problems that are found in rural parts of the United States. It focuses on the community as the place where individuals come together in order to solve those problems. The book's 13 chapters are divided into 4 sections. The first section discusses rural definition and community differences in economic base, culture, social class, and ethnicity. The second section describes the influences of the economy of the larger society on rural communities. The third section identifies rural communities' resources--their social infrastructure, their physical infrastructure, and their governmental bodies. The final section deals with social change emphasizing community empowerment as the key for change. Each chapter includes a chapter summary, key terms, and references. The book contains the following chapters: (1) The Rural Landscape; (2) Economy and Community; (3) Community and Culture; (4) Legacy and Social Class; (5) Capital and Community; (6) The Global Economy; (7) Consumption in Rural America; (8) The Character of Rural Governments; (9) Economic Infrastructure; (10) Social Infrastructure; (11) Power in Communities; (12) Special Needs; and (13) Generating Community Change. This book also contains numerous tables, figures, boxes, and photographs. (KS)