The purpose of the research is to extract as many common factors as possible which are associated with resistance to change. Two peoples are selected for study, the Navajo Indians and the Trappist monks, both of which are rural and have an extensive history spanning at least several centuries, but which differ radically otherwise. The 2 major perspectives used are cultural and communal. The author's personal contact with both of these people has extended over more than 2 years--living 3 months with the Navajos (in Many Farms, Arizona) in 1965 and 2 months in one of the many monasteries in the United States. Both peoples show that rural "Gemeinschaftlich" systems can exist effectively with industrial technology. Material traits show the least resistance to change, ideas and values the most. Resistance is selective among both peoples. From the cultural perspective, the core to resistance is found in the religious, sexual-familial, and language systems. The communal perspective also includes the sexual-familial systems, and in addition, spatial factors (particularly isolation) and cooperation--all of which show resistance to change. Both peoples lack conflict-regulating mechanisms, and this is also seen as a factor in resistance. Women are more conservative than men in both cases. The suggested rank-order of importance of these factors in resistance to change is as follows: religion, sex, language, space, and cooperation. These 5 factors emerged as most conspicuous from the comparison study of the 2 rural peoples. (Author/FF)