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Rural exodus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rural exodus (or rural flight) is a term used to describe the migratory patterns that normally occur in a region following the mechanisation of agriculture. In such a situation, there tends to be a movement of peoples from rural areas into urban areas. This is related to the fact that with mechanization (or any other change in the method of production which increases productivity) fewer people are needed to bring the same amount of agricultural output to market.
The term is used in the United States especially to describe the flight of people from rural areas in the Great Plains, where, historically, farmers have had difficulties in developing agriculture and have had to migrate to urban areas. An example of this is the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, where people had to flee because of large dust storms. This problem persists to the present day in the western parts of Great Plains states such as Nebraska and Kansas.
Rural flight from the Great Plains has been mentioned in various fiction books, like in John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath, in which a family from the Great Plains migrates to California during the Dust Bowl period of the 1930s.
The phenomenon of rural flight is also well-known in developing countries, where many people in the countryside live below the poverty line. They migrate to cities to find employment or to get money by begging.
When people move to rural areas from large towns and cities, they sometimes have unrealistic expectations of local services (e.g. medical and transport facilities), or do not fit in well with the local culture (for example, being less willing to socialize with their neighbors than is the local convention). The term "urban exodus" has been coined by those who perceive this to be a problem. The definition may also include a form of rural gentrification, in which the presence of wealthier immigrants from more populated areas raises property values and housing prices for long-time residents. While this phenomenon might be beneficial for property owners willing to sell at higher prices, it also tends to raise property taxes and make it more difficult for locals to afford housing (of particular concern to low-income residents and renters).