Rural America in the 2020s

Though the media has often gone to the overly simplified urban/rural divide for op-eds, profiles, and political debates, rural America—just like its more populated counterpart—is not a monolith. There is not one rural America, rather there are many, each being reshaped by intersecting forces such as climate disasters, policy changes, and economic restructuring. Shannon Monnat and John J. Green’s comprehensive edited volume explores the causes and impacts of change in rural America—demographic shifts in race, age, and family composition, environmental and infrastructure challenges, and economic and social transformations in the ways people make their living and their lives. Taken together, the editors and contributors show that there are many kinds of rural America, each with different trajectories, yet bound by shared constraints and common strengths.

Contributors are Lionel J. Beaulieu, Kristina Brant, Kathryn J. Brasier, Matthew M. Brooks, Shelley Clark, Joseph F. Donnermeyer, Weston M. Eaton, Roberto Gallardo, Shaun A. Golding, Lori M. Hunter, Leif Jensen, Kenneth M. Johnson, Paige Kelly, Kristen Koci, Amanda McMillan Lequieu, Linda Lobao, J. Tom Mueller, Peter B. Nelson, David J. Peters, Lisa R. Pruitt, Danielle Rhubart, Alexis Santos, Dante J. Scala, Rebecca Schewe, Tim Slack, Yue Sun, Alexander Theophilus, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad, Madelyn Verno, Mildred Warner, Richelle L. Winkler, and Xue Zhang.