Sociology 3 Report: Redefining Rural America and Social Changes

This sociology report analyzes the news article 'Redefining Rural America' by Olugbenga Ajilore and Zoe Willingham, focusing on the social and economic changes required in rural areas of the United States to ensure equitable delivery of healthcare and social services. The report highlights the importance of rural America in providing resources, while also pointing out the impoverished conditions and the impact on the social determinants of health. It discusses the lack of quality healthcare, awareness, and the need for policy changes to address disparities and promote sociocultural prosperity. The report links these issues to concepts of economies and social change, recommending better policy making to dissolve social and cultural differences between rural and urban populations, improve healthcare access, and address socioeconomic issues. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for policy and regulation to address the socioeconomic and healthcare-related issues of rural populations, and suggests future research questions regarding the impact of equity in policy making and education on the health and quality of life in rural America.

RUNNING HEAD: SOCIOLOGY
SOCIOLOGY
Name of Student
Name of University
Author note

1
SOCIOLOGY
News article citation and link: Ajilore, O., & Willingham, Z. (2019). Redefining Rural
America - Center for American Progress. Retrieved 13 December 2019, from
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/reports/2019/07/17/471877/redefining-
rural-america/
The news article ‘Redefining Rural America’ By Olugbenga Ajilore and Zoe
Willingham is about the social and economies changes that are required to be bought and
undertaken in the rural areas of United States so that there is equity in the delivery of health
and social care services to all parts of the American society (urban and rural communities)
(Fitchen, 2019). The news article starts with the expanse of the American rural areas and its
importance in providing the resources to the urban people of the country. The news article
highlights the fact that rural America makes up about 97 percent of the total land mass of
America and it inhabits not only the elucidated land mass but also highlights the water,
energy, and recreation, food are also provided by the rural environment and societies of
United States of America (Cramer, 2017). While the rural areas imparts the cardinal share of
survival and socio-environmental resources for the urban and upper classes of the American
societies living in the modern cities and towns - a reciprocal support and fulfilling of care
needs of these rural people has to be done by the legal framework of America, that is by the
American government but in the real world scenario, this is never the case. The news article
‘Redefining Rural America’ focusses on the deep impoverished conditions of rural areas and
people in this part of America passing their day to day lives in poverty. As they have been
living in the poor living (environmental and social) conditions – the social determinants of
health of these rural Americans are being affected chiefly and greatly by these poor and
distressed rural living conditions. This has led to distortions of the social determinants of
rural health. The news article points to lack of quality care in these rural areas and lack of
awareness of the rural Americans to be the main reason behind the presentation of this

2
SOCIOLOGY
unjustified situation – where the rural sections of United States lack accessibility to a high
quality health care services. Other than these, the news article highlights the discussion and
debate on whether to treat the rural communities of America homogenously or to deal with
African Americans, the disabled people in a different manner and more so, how the economy
and the health service delivery has to be bettered from policy making to policy execution – in
order to maintain equity and promote the overall American sociocultural prosperity.
Linking to the concepts of ‘Economies and Social Change’, it has been learned that
although the rural society contributes greatly and in fact cardinally to food, water and land
resources of the country – still there exist a strong sense of class, power and party difference
between the rural and urban sections of united states of America. The study recommends
better policy making and regulation makings in the framework that is aimed and focused on
dissolution of social and cultural differences between the rural and urban people and taking
good care of the rural people, as much as the government takes care of the rights, privileges
and essence of living of the educated and more aware American people living in urban
communities of united states.
There is lack of knowledge, awareness, accessibility to quality health care services
that has rendered a low quality of life in the rural sections and because of this and other low
economic and sociocultural reasons, there is an increased level of racial and cultural
discrimination with the African America, disability and people with different other sexual
preferences (Thiede, Lichter & Slack, 2018). The news article focusses and recommends on
righting the policy making by the government administrators who must direct the laws with
more preferences towards equity social and health care, above any other thing. The news
understands the needs of the people living in rural areas of United States of America and
encourage the idea of providing more economy betterment opportunities by equity and
strength based policy making.

3
SOCIOLOGY
Hence, it can be concluded saying that not only the economy and rights of the rural
people of America needs to be bettered but better policies and regulations also needs to be
added so that the government and the legal framework of united states of America can
address the socioeconomic issues and the health care related issues of rural people living in
rural parts of United States of America. The questions that are necessary for a future research
are – 1) how does incorporating equity in policy making improves the health needs and social
needs of the rural people? How education and awareness campaigns does improves health
and quality of life of the rural people living in rural parts of United States of America?

4
SOCIOLOGY
References
Ajilore, O., & Willingham, Z. (2019). Redefining Rural America - Center for American
Progress. Retrieved 13 December 2019, from
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/reports/2019/07/17/471877/
redefining-rural-america/
Cramer, K. (2017). The Politics of Rural Resentment.
Fitchen, J.M., (2019) Endangered spaces, enduring places: Change, identity, and survival in
rural America. Routledge.
Thiede, B. C., Lichter, D. T., & Slack, T. (2018). Working, but poor: The good life in rural
America?. Journal of Rural Studies, 59, 183-193.