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Rural studies: A new paradigm that integrates previously separated disciplines

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  • Jan Douwe Van der Ploeg
Jan Douwe Van der Ploeg
Wageningen University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/rea-15324

Published 2024-12-18

Keywords

  • Neo-institutional Analysis,
  • make-or-buy,
  • rural development,
  • rural studies

How to Cite

Van der Ploeg, J. D. (2024). Rural studies: A new paradigm that integrates previously separated disciplines. Italian Review of Agricultural Economics (REA). https://doi.org/10.36253/rea-15324

Copyright (c) 2024 Jan Douwe Van der Ploeg

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Rural studies are the theoretically informed and empirically grounded integration of disciplines that, until recently, were widely separated. This separation came with different grammars, mutually contrasting problem definitions and different methodological instruments that together resulted in a scattered understanding of countryside, farming, and the processing and distribution of food. The article discusses the main features of rural studies and especially explores the theoretical, institutional and historical backgrounds of these features. It argues that the specificity of agriculture strongly impacts its study and theoretical representation - as much as the resulting theories contribute to shaping the unfolding of agricultural activities over time.

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