SERVICE-LED RURAL-DEVELOPMENT - DEFINITIONS, THEORIES, AND EMPIRICAL-EVIDENCE

Two opposing views of service-led development contend, on the one hand , that services can be a propulsive force in rural economic developmen t and, on the other, that services are neither independent of, nor a r eplacement for, older forms of rural industrialization such as agricul ture, mining, and manufacturing. Both views fail to account for the du alistic nature of rural services growth, which does not mirror the dev elopmental experience commonly associated with services in the nation' s cities. This article reviews the literature on services and economic development, summarizes definitions, discusses national growth of rur al services and recent trends, examines models of spatial distribution of services, and identifies gaps in existing knowledge.