The field of Rural Sociology and community development is a study of human societies and social groups in rural areas. Rural sociologists focus on the study of social life in rural areas. They continue to develop theory and knowledge and produce information relevant to policy and local development. Rural Sociology focuses on environmental well- being, sustainable development of natural resources, social and community quality of life, and diffusion and impacts of technologies. The programme provides expertise for students to focus on agriculture and the environment or social change and rural development. It augers well with the current government’s push for decentralization and rural development through initiatives like the constituency development fund (CDF). These call for human resource with specialized knowledge and skills in rural development.
The Bachelor of Arts in Rural Sociology and Community Development is an interdisciplinary degree which equips students with the skills necessary to create positive change in the economical, health, social, political, and cultural aspects of rural communities. Rural Sociology focuses on understanding and addressing issues specific to rural communities, including agriculture, rural livelihoods, and infrastructure. It focuses on the social, economic, and environmental issues facing rural communities and prepares students to design and implement development initiatives that foster sustainable and inclusive growth. The program also focuses on the importance of applying critical thinking skills, cultural understanding, and social responsibility to create change while providing numerous hands-on learning opportunities and internships. This is designed to acquaint students with the theories and methods of sociological inquiry necessary to analyze the complex diversity of social life in rural areas. The programme is designed to equip students with a deep understanding of the social dynamics, challenges, and opportunities within rural communities. This program integrates the study of rural social structures with practical skills for community development, aiming to produce graduates who can contribute effectively to improving the quality of life in rural areas. The programme nurtures students’ abilities to think critically and reason logically, to write and speak persuasively, and to apply hands-on empirical analysis to a range of intellectual, social and policy questions which apply to rural communities. Moreover, course content is designed to enhance students’ appreciation for and understanding of local, global and multicultural diversity as well as the socio-historical bases of a range of social issues and social problems that affect people in rural areas. Therefore, it provides students with the tools to systematically study rural society, social stability, change and development; to understand the patterns and structures that shape social interaction in rural areas. To identify the means through which individual choices are influenced by larger social structures in the country and vice-versa; to critically interpret social patterns from multiple perspectives; and to understand cultural variation and human diversity in rural communities.
The Bachelor of Arts in Rural Sociology and Community Development operates under direct entry whereby a student is admitted into the first year of a four year programme as a quota student and will do one course in a minor program in any of the other thirteen social science and humanities disciplines - Development Studies, Economics, English, Gender Studies, French, History, Linguistics and African Languages, Philosophy, Political Science, Population Studies, Psychology, Public Administration, and Zambian Languages. Graduates with a Bachelor of Arts in Rural Sociology and Community Development will identify the roles they should play in research, advocacy, social administration, political action, social development planning, policy formulation and implementation in rural areas.
4 years