Global financial crisis, unemployment crisis, and rural partnerships crisis

Abstract

The Australian rural community has a history of being influenced by global market forces (Eversole & Martin 2006). The Australian Government has pursued policies to prepare rural communities for competition in the global economy, leaving rural communities vulnerable to the forces of globalization (Woods 2007) (Beer & Clower 2005). A global financial crisis collapses overseas markets and the demand for local production, raising unemployment in the rural community. The influence between rural communities and globalization is often unidirectional, with rural communities unable to provide influence at national and global levels (Eversole & Martin 2006). Policy decisions, which influence the rural community in times of crisis, are often prepared at national and international levels (Eversole & Martin 2006). Reconsidering the process of policy formulation during current times can intervene to alleviate crisis in rural communities.