Why Join the Rural Sociological Society and How to Become a Member

Updated

The Rural Sociological Society (RSS) is a professional association founded in 1937 that promotes the generation, application, and dissemination of social scientific knowledge to enhance the quality of rural life, communities, and the environment in North America and beyond. Joining makes sense if you are a researcher, practitioner, extension expert, student, or advocate who wants to connect with others working on rural people and places, contribute to a long-standing tradition of inquiry and action, and engage through the Society's journal, annual conference, research and interest groups (RIGs), and policy work. The site describes these as the main ways members participate, but it does not publish membership tiers, dues, or a sign-up form in the material available here, so you will need to check the membership section of ruralsociology.org for current details.

What the Society offers members

RSS organizes its work around three core activities, each of which is a reason to join:

  • Peer-reviewed journal — Rural Sociology: The Society's leading research journal advancing rural studies. Members contribute to and engage with scholarship through it.
  • Annual conference: A yearly gathering where rural scholars connect, share, and collaborate.
  • Research and Interest Groups (RIGs): Focused communities tackling a wide range of rural issues, letting members work on specific topics with like-minded colleagues.

Beyond these, the Society describes policy engagement and advocacy for rural people and places as part of its work, so members can expect opportunities to inform policy as well as scholarship.

Who joins

The Society brings together researchers, practitioners, extension experts, students, and advocates committed to understanding and supporting rural communities. Its stated values are rigorous scholarship, free inquiry, civil discourse, and social inclusion, and it affirms the dignity and rights of all people. If your work or study touches rural life, livelihoods, demography, community structures and economies, technology, environmental conditions, agriculture, or food systems, you are in the intended audience.

How to become a member

The available site material does not include the membership form, dues, or category names, so the reliable path is:

  1. Go to ruralsociology.org.
  2. Find the membership section (the site's "Become a Part of RSS" area is the entry point it highlights).
  3. Review the membership options and requirements listed there.
  4. Complete the join process described on that page.

Because pricing and login requirements are not stated in the source material, do not assume membership is free or that no account is needed — confirm both on the membership page before proceeding.

A practical way to decide

If you mainly want access to Rural Sociology and the annual conference, membership is the standard route to both. If your priority is collaborating on a specific rural topic, look at the RIGs first and check whether the group you want is active before joining. If you are a student or early-career scholar, the conference and RIGs are the fastest ways to build a network, but verify any student-specific terms on the membership page rather than assuming they exist.