Development and rurauty - In France, since World War II, rural development has known great changes. In this paper, we review the evolution of the rather complex relationship between development and rural ity, that has strongly influenced the contemporary society and has given rise to a constant concern of the public policy. Three stages have been identified. The first one corresponds to the opening up of rural people and areas to « modernity ». The second one sees the expansion of agricultural development to the detriment of rural development. At last the third period opens new prospects linked to the current assets of rural areas.
