Critical Rural Theory: A Decade of Influence on Rural Education Research☆

Rural education researchers have long been interested in the impact of increasing urbanization, with its attendant shifts in policy, culture, and capital mobility, on rural people and communities, but their findings have existed largely to the side of “mainstream” research examining urban and suburban populations. With the publication in 2011 of Critical Rural Theory: Structure, Space, Culture, scholars acquired a new theoretical tool for inquiring into processes of place‐making, identity formation, curricular design, and policy implementation. This article establishes key elements of the theory as they have been applied in both K‐12 and higher education research, giving attention to current gaps in the literature as well as future directions for theoretical elaboration. Essential areas of focus include critical rural theory's applications in K‐12 curricula and policy studies as well as research on community capitals, college transitions, and intersectional identity in higher education contexts.