Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Transformative Power Of The 2030 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, Anna Wasescha, Christa Otteson, Sarah Casey

The Foundation Review

West Central Initiative, a mostly rural community foundation and regional development organization in Minnesota, integrated the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals into its strategic plan in 2019. This article explores how aligning the U.N. goals with the foundation’s “nested strategy” of local, regional, and global goals has aligned and energized the disparate functions of the organization.

This article describes the strategic planning process that led to adoption of the goals, articulates how they have helped evolve the interplay of economic development and philanthropy, and identifies lessons learned from the first two years of working with the goals.

Focusing on …

Pivoting Rural Community-Based Fine Arts Programs For Youth Due To A Global Pandemic, Heather Olson Beal, Cc Conn, Lauren Burrow, Amber Wagnon, Chrissy Cross Ph.D.

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

This personal experience essay features five women professors who, as engaged scholars, seek to continuously respond to the needs of their local community by volunteering their time and expertise to offer educational programs that focus on creative arts and academic assistance for K–12 students. This piece explores the opportunities and obstacles we experienced in using virtual platforms, during the 2020 global pandemic, in order to re-envision our civic responsibilities to engage communities beyond our previous place-based programs.

Process Evaluation Of The Early Implementation Stages Of Thenational Diabetes Prevention Program Through Kentucky Cooperative Extension: Perceptions Of Adopters And Potential Adopters, Nicole Breazeale, Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Katherine Counts, Lovoria B. Williams

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

With the growing demand for lifestyle change programs that prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes onset, community organizations with broad reach should be explored for national dissemination of the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP). This study evaluates the early implementation of the NDPP through Cooperative Extension in four Kentucky counties and explores the feasibility of scaling up the program to additional counties. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 12 Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Agents – four who were participating in the pilot (adopters) and eight who had no experience with the NDPP (potential adopters). Five …

Sexual Violence In Rural Places: Policy Implication For First-Responding Law Enforcement Officers, Viviana Lizarraga, April Terry

Academic Leadership Journal in Student Research

Sexual violence is a public health issue impacting many Americans, with girls and women disproportionately victimized. While sexual offenses remain underreported, media has recently spotlighted high-profile cases. However, understanding sexual assaults in rural areas remains absent in mainstream conversation. Studies show rural communities are not smaller versions of their urban neighbors as they harbor old-fashioned values, maintain secrecy, and rely on informal social controls that influence how citizens respond to sexual violence, including law enforcement. Yet, existing literature on law enforcement responses to sexual violence are mostly centralized in urban areas with a focus on the investigative process—ignoring rural dynamics …

Geospatial Analysis Of Rurality And Food Banks In Appalachian Ohio, Cooper T. Johnson, Rebecca Fischbein, Kristin Baughman

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Food insecurity is a problem for individuals across Ohio, including those living in Appalachia. Adequate access to resources that help combat food insecurity is important for these populations.

Purpose: To examine how rurality relates to food insecurity and need for food resources, as well as availability of those resources including food pantries and soup kitchens, in 15 northern Ohio Appalachian counties.

Methods: A cross-sectional study with a geographical analysis was conducted using data from the American Community Survey census data, County Health Rankings data, and regional foodbank websites.

Results: Rural counties had a higher ratio of potential clients per …

Establishing Peer Recovery Support Services To Address The Central Appalachian Opioid Epidemic: The West Virginia Peers Enhancing Education, Recovery, And Survival (Wv Peers) Pilot Program, Stephen M. Davis, Amanda Stover, Herb Linn, Jon Dower, Dan Mccawley, Erin Winstanley, Judith Feinberg

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Central Appalachia has been disproportionately affected by the opioid epidemic and overdose fatalities. We developed West Virginia Peers Enhancing Education, Recovery, and Survival (WV PEERS), a program based on peer recovery support, to engage individuals using opioids and link them with a range of services.

Methods: Community partners providing services to individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) were identified and collaborations were formalized using a standardized memorandum of understanding. The program was structured to offer ongoing peer recovery support specialist (PRSS) services, not just a one-time referral. A website and cards describing the WV PEERS program were developed and …

Community Dynamics And Crime In Rural West Virginia Communities, Holly V. Ryczek, Robert Nicewarner

Mountaineer Undergraduate Research Review

There is a tendency for sociologists and criminologists to study crime in urban contexts rather than in rural areas and places outside small towns. Therefore, some suspect that theories of urban crime do not necessarily fit these rural areas. For example, collective efficacy in urban neighborhoods has been found to be inversely related to crime and fear of crime. In rural areas, this connection has been difficult to study because rural places are structured differently than urban neighborhoods. In this study, we expand the notions of collective efficacy in neighborhoods by introducing community dynamics. We show how latent psychodynamic processes …

A Qualitative Study: Small Business Merchandising Strategies In Rural Minnesota, Jacqueline Parr, Marilyn Bruin

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This study was motivated by a desire to develop strategic guidelines tailored to solve the unique problems small, rural retailers face in today’s competitive retail environment. Because there is limited understanding of the actual experience of rural retailers’ operations and experiences, it was necessary to explore and accurately capture the experience from participants’ perspectives. The objective of the study was to provide an in-depth understanding of the rural small retailer’s perceptions of the business environment, merchandising strategies, challenges, and opportunities. In-depth interviews were conducted with eight small business owners from a rural county in Minnesota. A criterion-based sampling approach was …

The Value Of Education Between Two African American Male Populations In A Rural Southern Community, Quentin R. Tyler, Stacy K. Vincent, Tiffany C. Monroe

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

This study identified perceptions of education by low performing and college track African American males in a rural town in Southern Kentucky. Through the lens of Critical Race Theory and Symbolic Interactionism, the researchers explored how 16 young men value a secondary and postsecondary education. Selected by their administrator at two high schools, the males were identified as college track or low performing. The findings revealed that both groups identify racial relations as a barrier to educational achievement; however, college track males believed education would assist in overcoming racial divides. Additional findings highlight a difference in perception based upon the …

Assessing Rural And Urban Community Assets And Needs To Inform Extension Program Planning, Lendel Narine, Amanda D. Ali, Paul A. Hill

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

A needs assessment is a useful tool for prioritizing community needs and allocating resources. Prioritizing community needs helps ensure Extension programs are relevant and targeted towards specific audiences. This study prioritized normative needs of urban and rural Utah residents using a needs assessment framework. Convenience data were gathered from 1,043 adult Utah residents, and the raking method was used to weigh the sample by selected population characteristics. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and nonparametric statistics) were used for data analysis. A calculated Point-Score represented the difference between residents’ perceived importance and satisfaction of various community assets. Results showed affordable housing, affordable medical …

Male-To-Female Sexual Violence In Rural Communities: A Sociological Review, Walter Dekeseredy Dr.

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The extant sociological literature on male-to-female violence in rural communities reveals that the bulk of the empirical work on this problem focuses mainly on non-lethal physical assaults, such as beatings. Much more research on sexual violence is sorely needed. The main objective of this review is twofold: (1) to describe the current state of international sociological knowledge about male sexual violence against adult women and (2) to suggest new directions in research and theory.

Halfway To Everywhere: What Churches Can Learn About Community Vibrancy From Its Professional & Entrepreneurial Women, Catherine L. Holland

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Poll Finds Rural Residents More Hesitant To Get Vaccinated, Tim Marema

Journal of Appalachian Health

Rural residents are more hesitant than their metropolitan counterparts to get a Covid-19 vaccination, even though rural areas have higher rates of infections and deaths from the coronavirus.

A Description Of Covid-19 Lifestyle Restrictions Among A Sample Of Rural Appalachian Women, Michele Staton, Martha Tillson, J. Matthew Webster

Journal of Appalachian Health

Background: COVID-19 has led to swift federal and state response to control virus transmission, which has resulted in unprecedented lifestyle changes for U.S. citizens including social distancing and isolation. Understanding the impact of COVID-19 lifestyle restrictions and related behavioral risks is important, particularly among individuals who may be more vulnerable (such as rural women with a history of substance use living in Appalachia).

Purpose: The overall purpose of this study was to better understand the perceptions of lifestyle changes due to COVID-19 restrictions among this vulnerable group.

Methods: The study included a mixed methods survey with a convenience sample of …

A Latent Profile Analysis Of Rural Women Who Use Drugs And Commit Crimes, Michele Staton, Amanda M. Bunting, Erika Pike, Danelle Stevens-Watkins

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The majority of rural Appalachian women in jail meet criteria for a drug use disorder and need treatment. Using a latent profile analysis of a random sample of rural women in Appalachian jails (N=400) the current study established groups of women based on criminal history, drug use in the commission of crimes, and role of the partner’s drug use in the commission of crimes. Analysis found five distinct profiles of rural women based on involvement of criminal activities as a function of drug use severity. Results suggest that among criminally involved rural women, severity of drug use is a critical …

Demographic, Psychosocial And Perceived Environmental Factors Associated With Depression Severity In A Midwest Micropolitan Community, Jason D. Daniel-Ulloa, Barbara I. Baquero, Christine M. Kava, Mayra L. Smith-Coronado, Nicole L. Novak, Dan Sewell, Adriana Maldonado, Heidi L. Haines, Claudia Gates, Edith Parker

Health Behavior Research

The purpose of this study was to inform a community-engaged partnership concerned with mental health in their community by exploring factors associated with depression among a sample of residents in a micropolitan city in a rural state. Social and contextual factors are important influences on depression risk, but most research in this area has focused on urban settings. Micropolitan areas (midsize rural communities centered around a population core of 10,000-50,000 people) are home to the majority of rural residents and this specific social and economic context may have unique influences on depression risk. Using a random-digit-dial sampling method, adult residents …

Well-Being Among Older Adults In Mississippi: Exploring Differences Between Metropolitan, Micropolitan, And Noncore Rural Settings, Carolyn E. Adams-Price, Joshua J. Turner, Margaret Ralston

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

It is a common belief that older adults in rural areas have high subjective well-being, despite often experiencing greater poverty and having access to fewer resources than older adults who live in urban areas, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the “rural-urban paradox.” However, research does not consistently find high well-being in rural areas, which might be due to research not distinguishing between very rural and semi-rural (or small town) settings. This study compares the subjective well-being of older adults in micropolitan and noncore counties with the well-being of older adults in metropolitan areas in Mississippi (n = 659). Preliminary …

Scaling Rural Access: One Foundation’S Partnership To Expand Fafsa Completion Across Mississippi, B. Tait Kellogg, Ann Hendrick, Kierstan Dufour, Patricia Steele

The Foundation Review

This article highlights Get2College, a program by the Woodward Hines Education Foundation that provide financial aid counseling to Mississippi high school students, and outlines a study that assessed efforts to scale the FAFSA completion initiative to increase the number of students statewide who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Get2College’s approach to scaling involved a partnership with the state’s rurally based community colleges and leveraged their established support networks to expand its outreach to the state’s often underserved students and increase FAFSA completion rates among that population.

In rural states like Mississippi, underresourced groups are sometimes left …

Partnering For Postsecondary Success In Rural Texas, Allison Pennington

The Foundation Review

Although students living in rural areas perform academically on par with their peers, they are less likely to complete a postsecondary credential due to geographic, economic, and other barriers. Greater Texas Foundation, a private grantmaker focused on postsecondary student success in Texas, fosters rural collaborations as part of its philanthropic strategy.

This article reflects on lessons learned by foundation staff from this strand of work. It describes innovative models for postsecondary support developed by the foundation’s rural partners, discusses the need to balance direct program support and capacity building, and emphasizes the importance of visiting rural communities in person.

To …

Rural Community Dynamics: Implications For School Counselors, David J. Bright

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Research shows that rural students face increasing challenges to academic, social-emotional, and career success. An understanding of student culture, background, and needs is required for a school counselor to advocate for all students. Research into the needs of rural students is lacking when compared to other populations. Research suggests that poverty, geographic isolation, cultural isolation, lack of school and community resources, and barriers to educational success as factors influencing the development and success of rural students. This article reviews the available literature and provides implications for rural school counseling practice and future research.

Place Based Education As A Tool For Rural Career Development, David J. Bright

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Rural career development is rarely studied despite a large portion of American students attending school in a rural area. Rural career development is affected by factors such as student attachment to place, access to professional role models, local economic development, school funding, and geographic proximity to professional industries and higher education. A Critical Pedagogy of Place (Gruenewald, 2003) empowers students to critical explore the spacial and social constructs of their local area.Given that school counselors are in a unique position as career development and social justice advocates, this article explores the use of a Critical Pedagogy of Place as an …

Rural Prison Siting: Problems And Promises, Matthew D. Vanden Bosch

The Mid-Southern Journal of Criminal Justice

Abstract

Building prisons in rural areas is not a new phenomenon, though it has been increasing significantly in recent decades. During a massive boom to prison building in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, many of those new prisons were built in rural areas. While rural areas had once generally been staunchly against prisons being built in their areas, their general economic collapse following the exit of manufacturing and other industries left them vulnerable. This, combined with the promises made to them about the economic benefits to be gained from welcoming prisons into their areas, made rural regions much more receptive …

Moving Upstream: An Intersectoral Collaboration To Build Sustainable Planning Capacity In Rural And Appalachian Communities, Laura Milazzo, Holly Raffle, Matthew Courser

The Foundation Review

As part of an effort to address health inequities in Appalachian and rural Ohio, the state’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services developed an upstream intersectoral health innovation that specifically addressed the lack of infrastructure and other capacity issues that create barriers to obtaining federally funded prevention services among communities with the highest need for those services.

The department partnered with two nonprofit organizations and a university to create a performance-based, stepping-stone investment strategy that provided monetary awards to community organizations and included intensive, customized training and technical assistance that promoted capacity- building for data-driven strategic planning.

This article …

Empowering Rural Participation And Partnerships In Morocco’S Sustainable Development, Yossef Ben-Meir

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This essay explores the vast potential for participatory and sustainable human development in Morocco. Though Morocco is a country with many diverse resources, it remains burdened by severe levels of poverty and illiteracy, and now growing social discord. There have recently been increased public calls for participatory development programs designed and implemented by and for local people. The essay identifies six existing Moroccan Frameworks intended to initiate decentralized human development programs, and critically examines their efficacy. Ultimately, the purpose of the article is to suggest a new model to implement these Frameworks with maximum impact. The six Frameworks deal with …

Removing Race: How Context And Colorblindness Influence Conceptualizations Of Equity In A Third Grade Rural Classroom, Jacob Bennett

Race and Pedagogy Journal: Teaching and Learning for Justice

The ways teachers both perceive and design supports for her/his/their students are likely influenced by a variety of factors. In this qualitative study, I analyze the ways context and praxis, defined as a teacher’s morally informed beliefs about teaching, influenced supports developed for marginalized students in a rural school setting. Over two years of interviews and one year of observations, patterns emerged related to connections between the teacher's beliefs regarding colorblindness, individuality, and the development of instructional and emotional supports for students. I end by discussing recommendations for researchers to understand connections between teachers’ praxes and practice related to developing …

Toward Effective Rural Community Development In Black Belt Counties: Conceptual And Methodological Issues, Andrew Zekeri

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

The objectives of this paper are to (1) specify what “rural”, “community”, and “development” mean, and (2) what should be the essential steps to be taken to achieve an effective rural community development. Rural is a territorial concept, and it means an extent of dispersion of people in a local ecology. Community is a natural disposition among people who interact with one another on different matters that compromise a common life. Development is an organized intentional effort of local people to work together towards a shared goal. Community development is building the capacity of community residents to act effectively …

Serum Cotinine Versus Parent Reported Measures Of Secondhand Smoke Exposure In Rural Appalachian Children, Samrat Yeramaneni, Kimberly Yolton, Kurunthachalam Kannan, Kim N. Dietrich, Erin N. Haynes

Journal of Appalachian Health

Background: Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in Appalachian children and associated adverse effects is understudied and not well documented. This study assessed the prevalence of SHS exposure in Appalachian children by parental self-report and internal biological measure.

Methods: SHS exposure was determined in children residing in rural Appalachian communities during their participation in the Communities Actively Researching Exposure Study between 2009 and 2013. Parents reported the number of smokers in the household and number of cigarettes smoked/day. Children ages 7-9 provided a serum sample for cotinine analysis. Parent reported measures and child serum cotinine measures of SHS exposure were compared with …

Women Ascending To Leadership Positions In Rural Nonprofit Organizations, Jose Carbajal, Kristin Bailey-Wallace, Bonita B. Sharma, Tiffany Bice-Wigington, Wilma Cordova, Shanta Scott, Aparecida De Fatima Cordeiro Dutra

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This study investigates women’s experiences as they ascended to leadership roles in nonprofit organizations in rural communities, primarily in East Texas. The aim of this study is to understand the lived experiences of women in top management as they ascend into leadership positions, as the characteristics and experiences of effective leaders in rural nonprofits may differ from those of urban nonprofit agencies. There is limited research regarding women’s leadership experiences in rural nonprofit organizations. Using a phenomenological inquiry approach, we interviewed 32 women currently serving in leadership roles in rural nonprofit organizations. The research question guiding this phenomenological study was: …

Stigma As A Predictor Af Parental Willingness To Seek Mental Health Services For Their Children In Rural America, Reed M. Smith

ELAIA

Stigma exists in some capacity towards mental illness. This stigma is a barrier to mental health services for some people. Rural populations are known to have more stigma than their urban counterparts. This is on top of already lacking access to mental health services. This especially affects children. Polaha and Williams (2015) found stigma to be negatively correlated with willingness to seek help in rural parents. This study sought to explore this relationship in a more generalized sample. I posted a survey on Amazon Mechanical Turk that screened for rural parents of children under the age of eighteen. It included …

The Relationship Between Admission Criteria And Pre-Service Teacher Preparedness For A Small Rural Educator Preparation Provider, Gerald Mihelic, Chancey Bosch, Kim Boyd, Mary Lou Miller

Administrative Issues Journal

Pre-service teacher preparedness is a measurement of a teacher candidate’s ability to become an effective teacher (Clark, Byrnes, & Sudweeks, 2015). A growing number of Educator Preparation Providers’ (EPPs’) accrediting agencies are insisting that to improve pre-service teacher preparedness, EPPs must increase the rigor of their admission criteria. However, the research is inconclusive regarding whether a relationship exists between admission criteria and pre-service teacher preparedness. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the Educator Preparation Provider’s (EPP’s) current teacher education program admission criteria and pre-service teacher preparedness measurements to determine if the EPP should increase …