Levels of Micro, Mezzo, and Macro in Rural Communities
Social workers dealing with rural communities must be highly aware of the different dynamics at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of said communities. On the micro level, rural communities tend to have a personal and unique way of life that those outside the community may not understand or may find confusing or odd. At this level, the culture of the community is evident in the food they eat, the music they listen to, their recreational activities, and their language (Daley, 2015). Not having an understanding of these elements of a rural community as a social worker will most likely lead to one being isolated by the community. On the mezzo level, rural communities usually have complex relationships within the community. Even though rural communities are closely knit together, a social worker must keep in mind that there are complex relationships within said community (Daley, 2015). In addition, social dynamics are at this level, and bonding and forming strong social networks and community ties can be both a resource and a barrier.
One of the key lessons at the macro level is that a social worker should develop an understanding of the power structure within a rural community. To effectively advocate for and implement changes, social workers must identify and navigate the formal and informal networks of influence. Significant power structures in rural communities mostly include local government, law enforcement, educational institutions, community leaders, faith-based organizations, community groups, landowners, and local businesses and employers.
In my opinion, working in a rural area is more challenging than working in an urban setting for two main reasons. One to be able to work effectively in a rural area, one has to be accepted by the community, which can be challenging as some communities may not be as welcoming to strangers, which is not the case in urban settings. Secondly, rural areas have a higher likelihood of scarce resources, which makes social work more difficult. Diversity in rural settings depends on the location of the rural area. For instance, there is racial and ethnic diversity in Southern and Western United States, which have significant populations of Black, Hispanic, Native American, and immigrant residents. Economic diversity is not, however, common, as there are almost always two social and economic classes in rural settings. In their career, a social worker should expect to see diversity in various forms, including racial and ethnic, economic, age, cultural, and religious diversity. Awareness of various forms of diversity is crucial because recognizing it enables one to implement tailored interventions that meet the unique needs of different groups.
There are several different types of rural communities in America. One is exurban communities, which refer to rural communities located near an urban area. Second destination communities are tourist-dependent communities, which refer to rural areas that attract tourists for various reasons (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2007). Third is production rural communities, or resource-based communities, which refers to rural areas that depend on industries like forestry, mining, and fishing. The fourth category is agricultural communities, which are rural areas that focus mainly on farming and agribusiness; such communities often have strong ties to the land and traditional lifestyles (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2007). The last category is indigenous communities, which refers to rural areas that are home to Native American reservations.
References
Daley, M. R. (2015). Rural social work in the 21st century. Lyceum Books.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2007). Best Practices to Enhance the Transportation-Land Use Connection in the Rural United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/23149.
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Question 
Answer fully and cite your sources to back up what you are writing about.
Discussion Board 2:
Review the different levels, Micro, Mezzo and Macro. Discuss what you have learned regarding people living in rural communities with these 3 levels. Do you think working in a rural community is easier than working in an urban community? Is Diversity something that we see in rural communities?
Levels of Micro, Mezzo, and Macro in Rural Communities
What type of diversity should a Rural Social Worker expect to see in their career? Is this something we need to be aware of, or is this something that is a non-issue? Discuss the different types of rural communities we see in the United States. Think about the questions above and incorporate them into your answer.