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The article presents discussion by various sociologists during the fourth working session of the First World Congress for Rural Sociology held in Dijon, France. Sociologist Antonio M. Arce from Costa Rica briefly commented on Pakistani sociologist A.M. Khan's paper entitled "Impact of changes in agriculture on political life in Asia". These comments refer to three different aspects of the paper and are expected to stimulate discussions from the audience. The paper tries to analyse the dynamic relationship between agricultural development efforts and political ferment in Asia and how this interdependence relates to the residues of Western colonialism and the emergence of Russian and Chinese communism. Another sociologist R. Bičanič from Yugoslavia discussed about the interference of politics in sociology. He also discussed the point dealing with the revival of rural sociology in socialist countries, particularly Poland, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. The rural exodus linked with accelerated industrialization has become so intense that agriculture is threatened with a depleted labour force, and this leads to a policy of income parity with industrial workers for agricultural producers also which may have wider political implications.

The article reports that in Paris and other French cities, there are three priestly roles, which can be recognized by the observant sociologist. They are that of the conservative or traditional role in the old-style parish; that of the priest in the new missionary type parish; and that of the priest-worker who is extra parochial, within the limits of some established parish. This paper is an attempt to sketch the broad outlines of these three roles. For practical purposes it will be necessary to draw them up as ideal types. The concept of role will be used throughout. The labels given to the three roles will be found currently in the literature of this subject, as well as in the terminology of the French priests themselves. First of all, it is very large geographically. It spreads, in most cases, over several districts each of which is quite likely to possess its own culture. Within this collection of districts the parish forms a separate sector, as it were, with its base in the parish church. This sector of perhaps 3 to 5 thousand souls is shut up within it and takes means to safeguard and preserve its isolation. The positive values which the priest who functions in this type of parish holds both the elite of his closed, parochial group not only determine his social role, but affect, of necessity, his status and function in the parochial milieu.

The article presents discussion by various sociologists during the third working session of the First World Congress for Rural Sociology held in Dijon, France. Sociologist T. Lynn Smith appreciated the conference, in view of the role that has been played by the study of the community, including both the very important work of community delineation and that of understanding society in miniature, in the development of our discipline, this present emphasis is highly justified. Indian sociologist A.R. Desai told that most of the Western rural sociologists were ignoring the fundamental historical dimension of the problems of under-developed countries, were adopting a defective static-analytic method based on certain inadequate typological models like folk-urban, ascriptive-achieving and others. Sociologist Jan Tauber from Czechoslovakia told that Czechoslovakia belongs to the Eastern socialistic countries, which collectivized their agriculture and nationalized their forests. Co-operatives of agricultural production and state farms are working on more than 90% of agricultural land.

This article recounts the effort of Pierre Guillaume Frederic Le Play in organizing an industrial product exhibition in Paris, France in 1854 and 1855. An Imperial Commission was appointed by the French government to make the necessary arrangements and Le Play occupied a seat upon it. In August, 1854, only a few months before the date fixed for the opening of the industrial product exhibition, the Imperial Commission was superseded. The preparations were pushed on with vigor and Le Play himself worked with untiring energy. The threatened fiasco was averted, and the second Great Exhibition was triumphantly opened early in May 1855. The Exhibition which had come so near to failure proved a brilliant success.

The article discusses various issues related to the field of social sciences, urbanism and planning. It would be premature to lay down a complete programme for the research projects in the area. The efforts made in France at the moment, by the General Commission for Town and Country Planning, in liaison with sociologists, demography experts and economists, are enabling people to advance to another stage. The comparison with experiments in other countries can be made gradually. But, before the lines of work are demarcated more exactly project researchers believe that sociologists must keep in front of them as their main object, the fulfillment of needs and aspirations of different strata of the population, starting with the least privileged, and having as their main preoccupation the gradual liberation of man, within the framework of an organically conceived society. Town planning should therefore be dominated by the desire to use all the available techniques to create the framework best fitted to the social structures, and not to change social structures and behavior patterns to fit a technical evolution people should no longer be able to control.

The article presents discussion by various sociologists during the second working session of the First World Congress for Rural Sociology held in Dijon, France. Canadian sociologist Helen C. Abell told that the central theme of the congress has been the impact of changes in agriculture on society in developed and developing countries. The existence and use of television and other mass media is a reflection of the industrialization and concomitant urbanization characteristic of developed countries. Regardless of the stage of economic development in a country, change in agricultural values and goals is initiated in the urban sector of society. Another sociologist has referred to the industrialization process as the possible starting point for the analysis of changing values in rural society. Nigerian sociologist E.B.E. Ndem suggested that in dealing with changes in goals and values of the peasant community of Nigeria attention must be focused on the motivating factor. This factor is, in general, extraneous to the internal social system. European colonizers, missionaries, commercial personnel etc. all acting collectively or individually, have been the main vehicle of social change.