Once considered bastions of social stability and political and cultural conservatism, rural communities across the developed world are currently undergoing far-reaching change. Young people are leaving virtually all rural towns in droves, while some rural areas are gaining large numbers of people escaping the cities. The restructuring of farming is affecting the economic and employment bases of country towns. Some areas, depending upon location, have seen new groups (e.g. environmentalists, gay and lesbian groups, communes) establish themselves, thereby provoking local conflict and contestation. In this unit we consider the changing nature of Australian rural society - and the place-based communities which comprise it - through an examination of: what 'the rural' is; the changing relationship between rural communities and farming; the depiction of 'the rural' in popular culture and the media; and how local demographic change and national political ideology is affecting the long-term viability of service provision in rural communities. Students will develop a deeper understanding of the contemporary political, demographic, social and planning-related issues facing Australian rural communities.