Selected concepts of contemporary rural research: Inspirations and challenges for rural anthropology

Abstract

The objective of the study is to offer an overview of selected concepts and approaches to the study of the contemporary rural environment and rurality from the perspective of disciplines close to social anthropology (mainly sociology and human geography) on the basis of scientific literature. The study builds on the objectives of the APVV project, introduced in the Editorial of this volume (Socio-cultural capital of successful villages as a source of sustainable development in the Slovak countryside). The selection of theories closely relates to the project and presents those concepts that might bring theoretical-methodological impulses for rural anthropology, but could also be useful for rural municipalities. For better understanding of contemporary theoretical approaches in rural studies, I pay closer attention to key terms “rural” and “rurality”, and further focus on concepts of rural resilience, sustainability, multifunctionality and peripherality.