Globalization and Rural Areas

Globalization is a major driver of change in contemporary rural areas, involving the multiplication, stretching, and intensification of social, economic, political, and cultural relations over space. Processes such as the integration of the global economy, increased flows of international migration, and a growing global consciousness and standardization of values impact on rural areas affected by established economic structures, prompting changes in agriculture and land management, restructuring populations, challenging traditional cultures, and generating conflicts. The impacts of globalization processes vary between rural areas, shaped in part by the responses of rural communities through economic development strategies and protest mobilization.