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A theoretical framework is provided to understand a cultural group's definition of and relationship with nature and the environment. The framework draws on a social constructionist perspective that includes aspects of phenomenology and symbolic interactionism to define "land- scape" as the symbolic environment created by a human act of conferring meaning on nature and the environment. This landscape reflects the self- definitions of the people within a particular cultural context. Attention is directed to transformation of the physical environment into landscapes that reflect people's definitions of themselves and on how these landscapes are reconstructed in response to people's changing definitions of' themselves. Case studies from sociology and anthropology illustrate the social construction of nature and the environment. A discussion of the applied implications of the theoretical framework in social impact assess- went and the global implications in the shifting power struggle over competing landscapes concludes the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research methods used in empirical research reported in Rural Sociology from 1936 to 1985 are examined. Trends in research procedures are reviewed for each of the five decades of the journal's existence. One major trend identified is the movement away from descriptive analyses of social phenomena toward more complex quantitative models. This movement has been accompanied by increased methodological homogeneity in sources of data, data collection techniques, and a focus on the individual as the unit of analysis to the neglect of social structures and social processes. Measurement, sampling, and analysis continue to be problematic areas, although new approaches to measurement and analysis appear promising. Implications of the trends for the development of substantive knowledge in the field are drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]