Method of Rural Change

Alongside the study of the foregoing factors which bring about change in the rural community it is also necessary to know the factors by means of which social organization or political parties create change in the rural community. The description of these will also make evident as to which method should be employed in bringing about the desired change in the rural community in developing the rural welfare work. Sims and other prominent sociologists have enumerated the following among these kinds of methods.

1. The Method of Reasoning: Some people have confidence in reasoning with the village people in an effort to bring about some change in the rural community. This method does have some benefit but its major defect is that the people who make use of it do not themselves do anything actively and thus their words not carry enough weight.
2. Demonstrative Method: Thus, more importance is attached to the demonstrative method than to the method of reasoning, for it sets examples to the villagers. For example, advocacy about the utility of any agricultural implement cannot be as beneficial as making use of it in some farms. As a result of viewing its functions the farmers will themselves take interest in it and adopt it.
3. Compulsory Method: As is obvious from its name this method resorts to enforcing the change compulsorily upon the rural population. In other words, the population is obliged to accept the desired change, and it is obvious that only the government can employ this method. The states have made quite extensive use of it. For example, many states in Indian have forced the villagers to behave gently towards untouchability make it to be a crime. The advantage of this method is that the changes are effected quickly but it suffers from the drawback that it cannot create internal change. Internal change can be brought about only by the reasoning and demonstrative method.
4. Social Pressure Method: Social organizations and institutions makes most use of the method of social pressure in controlling or transforming the conduct of the individuals. As is obvious from its name, this method obliges the individual by exerting social pressure upon him. For example, the caste panchayat of the villages obliges the members of the caste to accept their decision by threatening social excommunication or extradition. This method certainly does prove quite effective due to men’s sociability but it too suffers from an inability to achieve internal transformation. The first two methods are more appropriate for an internal change.
5. Contact Method: It is a common fact that changes in men occur through contract. A person adopts many mannerisms from the people with whom he come into contact and among whom he comes into contact with urban communities. Change in the mode of living dress, customs and values is seen when the tribal villagers come into contact with Hindu and Christian culture, when the uncivilized people come into contact with the civilized people and when the villagers come into contact with Western culture.
6. Education Method: Education is an extremely important factor in the development of the personality of the individual. It is very essential to pay attention to the proper education of the child besides watching his inherited tendencies according to the aim for which the child or the parent is striving for. The same fact is more or less true with regard to communities as well. In Indian efforts are being made to introduce change in the villages through basic education and social education etc. and much success is also apparently villagers it is necessary to impart proper education.

There are limitations to each of these methods for creating change in the rural communities and thus any method alone cannot serve the purpose. For this reason need is often felt for using more than one method. In order to achieve the desired changes in the direction of rural development reasoning needs to be supplemented by demonstration. Where some people are not prepared to take the trouble of understanding it, it is proper to introduce the compulsory and social pressure methods. In every change, education complementary to it should be impaired. In this way the desired changes in the rural community can be attained only by understanding all these method and making use of them according to need and occasion.