IDENTIFYING WHAT A RURAL COMMUNITY IS IN THIS PRESENT AGE

 A rural area is an open swath of land that has few homes or other buildings, not very many people and their homes and businesses are located very close to one another. A rural area also called countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. In rural settlements, people are bound together by beliefs, language, values and norms and they are subject to a constituted authority e.g. baale, obi, emir etc.

 Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas, forests etc. commonly comes under the rural settlement.

A typical rural area has some characteristics and features that distinguish it from a city or an urban area. These characteristics are what make a rural area what it is. In Nigeria, for example, rural communities are characterised by the size and population, social interaction, occupation, recreation, homogeneity etc. These features will be expatiated in the following paragraphs. 

Rural communities in Nigeria are smaller in area than the urban communities. As the village communities are small, the population is also low. The density of population of a typical rural area is low; the people have intimate relationships and face-to-face contacts with each other. In a village or rural community, everyone knows everyone.

Agriculture is the fundamental occupation of the rural people and forms the basis of rural economy. A farmer has to perform various agricultural activities for which he needs the cooperation of other members. Usually, these members are from his family. Thus, the members of the entire family share agricultural activities.

The rural people are in close contact with nature as most of their daily activities revolve around the natural environment. This is the reason why a member of a rural community is more influenced by nature than an urbanite. The residents of a rural community consider land as their real mother as they depend on it for their food, clothing and shelter.

Social interaction is another feature of a typical rural area. The frequency of social interaction in rural areas is comparatively lower than in urban areas. However, the interaction level possesses more stability and continuity. The relationships and interactions in the primary groups are intimate. The family fulfills the needs of the members and exercises control over them. It is the family, which introduces the members to the customs, traditions and culture of the society. Due to limited contacts, they do not develop individuality and their viewpoint towards the outside world is very narrow, which makes them oppose any kind of violent change.

The degree of social solidarity is greater in villages as compared to urban areas. Common experience, purposes, customs and traditions form the basis of unity in the villages.

Recreation is another important characteristic of a rural community as members of a community deserve to rest after the day’s work. There are different recreational activities people in a rural community participate in and these activities include: wrestling, telling and listening to folktales, playing board games etc.

Another characteristic feature of the rural society is the joint family system. The family controls the behaviour of the individuals. Generally, the father is the head of the family and is also responsible for maintaining the discipline among members. He manages the affairs of the family.

All of the above explained characteristics are what qualifies a village, community or an area to be called a rural area.