Basic aspects of rural social infrastructure development

Mikhailovna Yarkova

doi:10.5937/intrev2003098y

Abstract

The social infrastructure of rural areas is of particular importance when considering issues of both an economic and social nature. Both production and non-production rural areas necessitate the availability of social facilities. The main purpose of social infrastructure facilities nowadays and in the past of rural and urban areas development is to meet the needs of the population. At the same time, social infrastructure defines the basis for the level and quality of life of civil society. Its condition is an indicator of the territorial development and provides opportunities for innovative development and investment attraction. For many years now, the rural social infrastructure has been in poor condition in Russia. Problems are observed in the living conditions of citizens, in elements of residential properties improvement, undeveloped system of medical and educational services, unavailability of cultural and leisure facilities, and so on. Due to such a negative state of the rural social sphere, problems arise with the demographic situation and the production sphere in terms of the inability to attract highly qualified personnel. The Program for the Sustainable Development of Rural Territories developed by the Government of Russia holds back the general, intensively negative situation, and is fundamentally changing it in some regions of the country. The paper presents the results of the implementation of the main Program directions and gives some recommendations on its further implementation and development of the rural social infrastructure.

Highlights

The development of rural areas is currently important and is determined by the considerable attention on the part of state authorities from the standpoint of socio-economic development of those areas
Almost all business entities engaged in agricultural production as part of industrial and economic activities are located in close proximity to rural territories
The term “infrastructure” is understood as a whole system of interrelated industries and activities that are not related to production, but designed to service the manufacturing sector and contribute to the scientific, technical and social development of territories [10]

Summary

Introduction

The development of rural areas is currently important and is determined by the considerable attention on the part of state authorities from the standpoint of socio-economic development of those areas. Some agricultural producers have a negative impact on the state of economic activity through a shortage of highly qualified personnel, and of the workforce as a whole [13]. All this negatively and conclusively affects the social component of rural development. Rural areas are mostly characterized by underdeveloped social infrastructure The reasons for such conditions in rural areas are often the following: remoteness from regional centres, i.e., their peripheral nature; the absence or scarcity of facilities in the service sector; lack of transport accessibility to various services – educational, medical, domestic, cultural, etc

Research Methodology

Research Results

Conclusions and Proposals