Villages are small in size, which permits more personalised relationships. It is not unusual for members of a village to know all or most other members by sight. This creates a close-knit social environment where everyone is familiar with each other.

The social structure in villages tends to follow a more traditional pattern. Institutions like caste, religion, and other forms of customary or traditional social practice are stronger in rural areas. For these reasons, change is slower to arrive in villages than in towns.

The subordinate sections of society have much less scope for expressing themselves in rural areas. The lack of anonymity and distance in the village makes it difficult for people to dissent because they can be easily identified and 'taught a lesson' by the dominant sections.

The relative power of the dominant sections is much greater because they control most avenues of employment and most resources of all kinds. The poor have to depend on the dominant sections since there are no alternative sources of employment or support.

Given the small population, it is difficult to gather large numbers for dissent, and such efforts cannot be hidden from the powerful and are quickly suppressed. Thus, if there is a strong power structure already in place in a village, it is very difficult to dislodge it. The social order in rural areas is stronger and more resilient.