Oxford and the Rural Problem: Being the First Sidney Ball Memorial Lecyure December 1, 1920 (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover
Synopsis
Rural reform in focus: an in-depth look at better farming, better business, and better living
This edition presents Horace Plunkett’s landmark address on the rural problem and how universities, farmers, and communities can lead reform. It traces neglected countryside and shows how Ireland’s cooperative approach shaped a national program that many countries study today.
The talk blends historical perspective with practical steps, drawing on Irish experience to illuminate contemporary farming, economics, and social life. It argues that agriculture is not just a industry but a business and a way of living, and that lasting progress comes from organization, cooperative action, and village initiatives supported by universities and public institutions.
- Threefold plan: better farming, better business, and better living, with agriculture treated as industry, enterprise, and life.
- A detailed look at Ireland’s cooperative movement: thousands of dairying societies, vast membership, and significant turnover that underpins rural progress.
- The role of Barnett House, Oxford, and university leadership in guiding rural study, planning, and coordinated social action.
- Emphasis on local organization, village social councils, and the need for co-operative structures to sustain vibrant rural communities.
Ideal for readers curious about early 20th‑century rural reform, cooperative movements, and the impact of Irish policy on broader debates about farming, economy, and community life.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
