Rural Population and Services: Shifting Prospects for Mutual Sustainability

Abstract

Service provision is a critical link between rural settlements and rural people; services support people and people support services. However, this seemingly simple statement masks a complex and shifting reality. Dealing first with the notion of complexity, service provision embraces the activities of public, private and voluntary (‘third sector’) providers. In some jurisdictions, the division of labour amongst the three sectors is relatively clear, with the public sector responsible for physical infrastructure, health and education services, the private sector for a range of retail, commercial and communication services, and the voluntary sector for an amorphous array of social and recreational services. Yet in other jurisdictions, the alignment of services and provider type is less predictable. Thus, in sectors like health the needs of rural populations may be met by a mix of public, private (‘for-profit’) and voluntary (‘non-profit’) providers. Indeed, the blurring of sectoral boundaries is arguably a major feature of contemporary trends in rural service provisioning, and is associated in many instances with a purposeful thrust toward privatization.