Small Town

Are small rural communities the friendly and easy-going places to live they often claim to be? Are the elderly in rural environments better off than their city peers? These and other questions are addressed in this Australian community study which examines age and gender inequality in all major spheres of community life. It concentrates on the costs and benefits of living in one of Australia's 350 smaller communities. The book is based on fieldwork spanning 15 years. The attempt is made throughout this book to be as comparative as possible, relating small town findings to those of earlier community studies and, wherever possible, to the relevant specialist literature such as that in the fields of feminist studies and friendship and voluntary organizational activity.