Applied Rural Sociology looks into the socio-cultural, institutional, and political contexts of rural development. It aims to provide an understanding of the social structures, decision-making, value systems and motivation, innovative methodologies, agricultural practices and learning systems of the farm households. It also looks at the roles of rural based organizations in development planning, information dissemination and technology transfer and socio-cultural patterns associated with production.

ARS priority R&D areas include the improvement of sociological information system; alternative modalities for effective R&D delivery system; community/rural organizations, development programs and local governance; security mechanisms of rural households , and social impact assessment.

The area of information systems should lead to the improvement of sociological database. This will particularly be on rural social structures, institutions, cultures, and social organizations. The development of the knowledge base in ARS is important if the discipline is to respond effectively to the challenges posed by changing times. Thus, ARS R&D tools and methodologies must evolve and new ones must be developed in the areas of ex ante and ex post analysis; process documentation; and collection, generation and analyses of data.

In the area of governance, R&D activities should look into the sociopolitical context of effective R&D delivery system, including structures and institutional linkages, competency level and skills requirement of rural development professionals and other practitioners to respond to the changing demands of the work environment.