Opening with an overview of capacity building perspectives and their application to rural contexts, Rural Social Work is organized into five sections that follow the foundation curriculum of social work education: Conceptual and Historical Foundations, Human Behavior and Rural Environments, Practice, Policy, and Research. Incorporating the themes of capacity building and the strengths perspective, this book illustrates the importance of  moving away from a defecit perspective and build on community assets that are already present. The editors have gathered a stellar list of contributors that includes not only well-known authors but also emerging scholars. In addition, a well-known scholars will serve as "lead teachers" for each section, providing an introduction that guides readers in the integration of the capacity-building theme.