Locality and Inequality by Linda M Lobao

Locality and Inequality by Linda M Lobao

This book explores how the recent restructuring of farming and industry has affected economic and social equality in the United States. The author explains how the farm sector has undergone a dramatic restructuring with profound effects. Moderate-size family farms, the mainstay of American agriculture, have declined during the postwar period and are now under severe financial stress. Large-scale industrialized farms - "the factories in the field," often run by corporations - continue to expand their share of agricultural sales while small farms operated on a part-time basis appear to be replacing traditional family farming.

Lobao shows that public concern about farm restructuring is indeed warranted and that the nation now appears to be losing its most beneficial farms as well as industries. While local and regional social and economic forces and state policy can be brought to bear on these trends, Lobao particulary focuses on how community empowerment and broad-based political coalitions offer the most promise for fundamental change.

"The work is quite readable and extremely useful for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals" — A. Gary Dworkin, University of Houston

"I suspect that this will be read favorably by many political scientists concerned with locality and policy. Lobao does a nice job of relating the research to policy recommendations." — William W. Falk, University of Maryland at College Park

Linda M. Lobao is Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology at The Ohio State University.