From fox-hunting to farming, the vigor with which rural activities and living are defended overturns received notions of a sleepy and complacent countryside. Alongside these developments, the rise of the organic food movement has helped to revitalize an already politicized rural population. Over the years 'rural life' has been defined, redefined and eventually fallen out of fashion as a sociological concept - in contrast to urban studies, which has flourished. This much-needed reappraisal calls for its reinterpretation in light of the profound changes affecting the countryside. First providing an overview of rural sociology, Hillyard goes on to offer contemporary case studies that clearly demonstrate the need for a reinvigorated rural sociology. Tackling a range of contentious issues, this book offers a new model for rural sociology and reassesses its role in contemporary society. Table of Contents Introduction 1. The History of Rural Sociology; Tönnies; community studies; Williams; Newby 2. New Issues in Rural Sociology and the cultural turn 3. The social impact of the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease epidemic 4. The UK Hunting Debate: political protests and countrysports 5. Game Shooting in the UK 6. Representing the Rural: gamekeeping and images of farming in children's literature Conclusions The Future of Rural Sociology