For citation:
Bunyaev M. B., Antipova E. A. About conceptual distinction between rural and urban in the context of stadial theory. Izvestiya of Saratov University. Philosophy. Psychology. Pedagogy, 2026, vol. 26, iss. 2, pp. 120-126. DOI: 10.18500/1819-7671-2026-26-2-120-126, EDN: CFWEJI
About conceptual distinction between rural and urban in the context of stadial theory
Introduction. The main topic of the article is conceptual difference between rural (village&hamlet) and urban (town&city) in the worldview of Russian civilization through referring to Alvin Toffler’s conception of The Third Wave. Theoretical review. In the horizons of stadial theory rural and urban are forms of settlement and they are the stages of ascending from savagery to civilization. Village and town are not only stable space locations for a human being, but also the stages of essential evolution of settlements. The main and typical form of spatial distribution of peoples of agricultural civilization is dwelling in compact settlements, surrounded by vital necessary amount of cultivated land. At this early stage of civilization urban and rural were not related as contradicting concepts. They were a single entity as inhabited districts. The industrial society created city as a special artificial space that must be brought to the forefront. This act became the foundation for conceptual and essencial difference between town and village. With the advent of the Third Wave, new forms of settlements are emerging, which are currently presented as pilot projects of “cities and villages of the future”. Conclusion. Each of the three Waves has had a significant impact on the ways to accomodate a human being in a space.
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