The central purpose of this paper is to enquire into how rural societies, groups and individuals across Europe experience social change and social exclusion. Social exclusion is a multi-dimensional, dynamic concept which refers to a breakdown or malfunctioning of the major societal systems that should guarantee the social integration of the individual or household. These include the democratic and legal system, which promotes civic integration, and the family and community system, which promotes interpersonal integration. Recent work in England and Scotland provides evidence of the processes and system failures lying behind social exclusion in a rural context and suggests that there may be substantionally different pathways to social exclusion and insertion in a rural context. Research issues arise of how these processes and pathways vary between areas, and how they connect to the broader forces operating at macro and meso levels, and to local action. Finally, a research agenda is proposed.
