Theoretical Problems of Rural Territories Exploration as an Integral Socio-ecological-economic Systems

Long-term existence of a number of social, economic, and environmental problems of rural territories in Ukraine stipulates the necessity of researches on features of their functioning and development as well as on searching of innovative businesses patterns in rural areas, on enhancement of social capital and improvement of the environment. Researches on how certain economic industries work in rural sites are of high importance, and first of all those concerning tourism and recreation being good alternatives to traditional agrarian industry. In the last two decades, the definitions of rural territories were transformed crucially, and analysis of theoretical and methodological principles of functioning and development of rural territories as integral socio-ecological-economical systems incorporates review and clarification of the definition. Nowadays there is no single theoretical-methodological and practical approach to interpret sense and principles of rural territories functioning both in Ukraine and outside. The majority of “rural territories†definitions try to incorporate as many aspects as possible, although comprehensive and multilevel definitions usually do not certainly provide clear vision of essential and specific characteristics of rural territories. Current conditions of rural development require to reject out-of-date approach to regard rural territories exclusively as resource basis for agrarian industry and accept conceptions which combine functions of social development with economically efficient multifunctional production and protection of environmentally sound status of rural territories. It is proposed to consider rural territories as an economic-geographical space that has appeared as a result of anthropogenic transformations of natural landscapes into complex multifunctional formation. Its key elements are spatial-resourceful basis for agrarian industry, natural surrounding, and live space for human society. In spite of diversity of applied approaches, the forming of paradigm of sustainable socio-ecological-economic development of rural territories stays urgent. Starting point for the paradigm is capability of rural territories for self-regulation of its vital functions being accompanied by market-oriented management over agrarian industry gets more and more attention. Taking into consideration higher levels of administration inhere in more complicated management, the tasks on elaboration of the national strategy of rural territories development and realization of unitary policy of the development of rural sites attract attention of economists and decision-makers.