Excessive mobility of village populations

Despite vigorous efforts by some rural communities to attract and hold permanent residents, the pattern of residency in other villages may be remarkably mobile as every weekend those who work or study in urban centres return to their village, where they may take part in its social life but play little role in its economic vitality. The daily exodus of students of middle and upper schools and adults working in nearby industry leaves the village virtually empty during the day. Because of the anticipated temporary return of relatives, many houses have several guest rooms well-equipped but unused. Full-time year-round village residents are outnumbered several times over by those who still consider the village as their home, but they are seldom present to lend their support to effective development. All of these factors lend a sense of impermanence and incompleteness to the social fabric, resulting in a sense of inertia, a feeling that the permanent residents are simply acting as caretakers for those who come only occasionally.