When 85% of the French population currently lives in ‘urban areas’ and farmers represent less than 2% of the workforce, what is the interest in studying the political and cultural situation of rural areas? Does the rural minority present sociologically significant characteristics in terms of training, education and access to leisure activities and culture in particular, while largely being under the influence of towns? By concentrating on the practices of rural populations, this chapter presents an overview of rural studies, an area of study which has witnessed a renaissance in recent years. Through the analysis of different forms of confrontation between local and elective belonging, it shows that social, political and cultural conflict has taken on profoundly new forms in contemporary rural areas.