Essays which focus on similarities between developed and underdeveloped nations, concentrating on the issues of power and rural social stratification, are contained in this textbook on rural sociology. It is intended for students of rural sociology, including teachers and researchers. In two main parts, the book first deals with rural social change in the advanced industrial world, taking as an underlying theme the evolvement of farming as a capitalist enterprise and the subsequent wide-ranging social changes. Part II investigates linkages between the developed and underdeveloped world, though it is primarily concerned with the latter, and particularly with the role of the peasantry and the associated problems of hunger and poverty. Each part consists of four essays by authors from Europe and the U.S., and each essay is followed by its list of references. Among the essays in Part I are "The Rural Sociology of Advanced Capitalist Societies" and "Rural Community and Rural Community Power". Part II contains "Peasant Studies: An Overview" and "Reaching the Rural Poor and the Poorest: A Goal Unmet". The textbook has an index. Though there are no illustrations, two essays contain statistical tables. (RS)