Social Exchange Theory of Rurality

Theories Related to Rurality

This week we transition to theories to help us understand rurality. Please review all the material, as it will place rurality in context. 

Introduction: Theories

Why do we care about theories?

Let’s start with the basics. When you get up in the morning and think about eating breakfast before you go to work or school, you probably are thinking: "If I eat breakfast, it will help me to do better in school. Or, if I eat breakfast, I may gain weight… or, if I eat breakfast, I’ll be more awake." All of these are theory-based.  There are theories that explain and predict performance based on nutrition, protein intake, blood sugar levels. There are theories about weight gain--some tied to specific foods, others to calories, others to different groups of foods. You probably have certain theories about food that you hold based on your experiences, your education, your culture.

We are simply NOT theory-free. We choose to act, and choose HOW to act, based on our ideas about what will happen if we act that way.

So what do theories do? According to Robbins, Chatterjee and Canda (1998, p. 1) theories:

· explain and predict human behavior;

· explain and predict the impact of larger structures on behavior;

· explain and predict social problems;

·  guide pract

·   inform policy;

·direct research;

· give credibility to a profession;

· are socially constructed and idealogical.

Thus, theory is a systematic set of interrelated statements intended to explain something on what is rather than what should be. In other words, science cannot settle debates on value, only tested assumptions can settle debates.

So why do we need a good theory for rural practice? To do all of the above. A good theory for rural practice, then would explain rural behavior, predict what rural people and rural organizations will do, guide our practice in rural communities and with rural people, and explain both problems in living and solutions that may be used to help people. Finally, a good rural theory can help inform practice, policy and research. 

So what theories should we use? Remember, theories are only theories until the assumptions of these theories are tested. That is, does it explain the problem in totality or partially?

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