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Articles 1 - 18 of 18
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
The Loss And Persistence Of Black-Owned Farms And Farmland: A Review Of The Research Literature And Its Implications, Jess Gilbert, Gwen Sharp, M. Sindy Felin
The Loss And Persistence Of Black-Owned Farms And Farmland: A Review Of The Research Literature And Its Implications, Jess Gilbert, Gwen Sharp, M. Sindy Felin
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
This paper reviews 115 articles and books published since 1971 that comprise almost all of the scholarly research on black farmers and land loss. It provides a general overview as well as discussion of the benefits of landownership for the black community. Several causes of black land and farm loss are reviewed: forced sales due to "heir property," lack of access to government programs, and continuing racial discrimination by lenders and government agencies. A number of the works cited provide possible ways to slow the loss of black-owned land, including strategies to increase the profitability of individual farms and increased …
The Martin County Project: A Student, Faculty, And Citizen Effort At Researching The Effects Of A Technological Disaster, Stephanie Mcspirit, Sharon Hardesty, Robert Welch
The Martin County Project: A Student, Faculty, And Citizen Effort At Researching The Effects Of A Technological Disaster, Stephanie Mcspirit, Sharon Hardesty, Robert Welch
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
This research note describes two simultaneous events: the Martin County coal waste disaster of October 2000 and our own research efforts in Martin County, Kentucky, in studying the effects of the disaster on the impacted community. Our research was unique in that we involved a large team of undergraduate students in our field and data collections efforts. We also applied more democratic and participatory methods than has been typical in the "techno-disasters" research. We believe that our expanded method has allowed us to glean insights and understanding into the effects and political dynamics of the Martin County coal waste disaster. …
Lagoons, Litter, And The Law: Cafo Regulation As Social Risk Politics, Larry L. Burmeister
Lagoons, Litter, And The Law: Cafo Regulation As Social Risk Politics, Larry L. Burmeister
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
The restructuring of the animal agriculture industry in the United States, a response to globalization dynamics within the world economy, has created a new social risk profile which did not exist in this industry prior to the adoption of factory farm technology. Analysis of the CAFO [concentrated animal feeding operation] regulation debate in Kentucky illustrates the political economy genesis of social risk politics accompanying this new technology. The politics of regulatory efforts to ameliorate such risk, an increasingly frequent occurrence in the risk society era, are examined in a recent attempt to promulgate a CAFO regulatory regime in Kentucky. This …
Passing The Cluck, Dodging Pullets: Corporate Power, Environmental Responsibility, And The Contract Poultry Grower, Joseph J. Molnar, Thomas Hoban, Gail Brant
Passing The Cluck, Dodging Pullets: Corporate Power, Environmental Responsibility, And The Contract Poultry Grower, Joseph J. Molnar, Thomas Hoban, Gail Brant
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
Broiler production is concentrated in a few southem states where farmers are highly dependent on contract arrangements for income and livelihood. Poultry is the first animal industry to industrialize and its model of contract farming has been emulated by other animal industries. Environmental standards are becoming increasingly stringent and many farmers are faced with crossroad decisions about investments in dead bird and manure disposal facilities. Asymmetrical power relationships shift waste management responsibilities to growers in a number of ways. This paper details maneuvers poultry integrators use to avoid environmental risk and transfer it to their contract growers. Corporations "pass the …
Social Capital, Structural Conditions, And Mortality: A Study Of Nonmetropolitan Counties In Mississippi, Domenico Parisi, Steven Michael Grice, Michael Taquino, Duane A. Gill
Social Capital, Structural Conditions, And Mortality: A Study Of Nonmetropolitan Counties In Mississippi, Domenico Parisi, Steven Michael Grice, Michael Taquino, Duane A. Gill
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
In this study, we examine the extent to which structural conditions that favor investment in social capital affect mortality across nonmetro counties in Mississippi. To this end, we focus on four county structural conditions: (1) place of residence within county boundaries, (2) civic infrastructure, (3) economic conditions, and (4) county regional location. The results clearly indicate that structural conditions that favor investment in social capital lead to lower mortality. Specifically, concentration of disadvantage conditions has an independent effect on mortality. That is, its effect operates independentIy of other structural conditions. In contrast, the effects of place of residence and civic …
Globalization, Broiler Production, And Community Controversy In East Texas, Douglas H. Constance
Globalization, Broiler Production, And Community Controversy In East Texas, Douglas H. Constance
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
The poultry industry was the first livestock commodity sector to adopt an industrial organizational model. In recent years the pouItry industry has expanded beyond national boundaries into a globalized system of production. The globalization of agriculture and food is a frequent topic of discussion for researchers interested in rural society. A common focus of these discussions is the consequences of corporate penetration on rural areas and the ways local communities respond to such corporate actions. This paper uses the case of the introduction of large-scale broiler production in East Texas combined with a sociology of agriculture and food conceptual framework …
Bribing Biodiversity: Corruption, Participation, And Community-Based Management In Venezuela, Brooke Ann Zanetell, Barbara A. Knuth
Bribing Biodiversity: Corruption, Participation, And Community-Based Management In Venezuela, Brooke Ann Zanetell, Barbara A. Knuth
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
Widespread alarm over the continuing decline of marine and freshwater fisheries has prompted research on the theory and practice of community-based management (CBM). Considering the suite of possible CBM benefits--including local involvement, compliance with regulations, reduced enforcement costs, and sustainable resource use--it is understandable that CBM projects are on the rise. However, there is insufficient examination of the challenges to CBM and the context-specific feasibility of grassroots stewardship. In response, we applied an assessment framework to a Venezuelan fishery to evaluate the feasibility of CBM and to identify barriers to its fruition. We used a variety of methods in concert …
Contextualizing Cash Assistance And The South, Julie N. Zimmerman
Contextualizing Cash Assistance And The South, Julie N. Zimmerman
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act creating the most recent welfare reform and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. Unlike Aid to Families with Dependent Children, which was an income-based entitlement program, with TANF came time limits, sanctions for noncompliance, and requirements that recipients participate in "work or work-related activities." TANF is also a block grant program. As a result, not only did program requirements change, but they can now vary from state to state. This article provides a regional context for this special issue of Southern Rural Sociology by …
Welfare, Work, And Well-Being In Metro And Nonmetro Louisiana, Joachim Singelmann, Theresa Davidson, Rachel Reynolds
Welfare, Work, And Well-Being In Metro And Nonmetro Louisiana, Joachim Singelmann, Theresa Davidson, Rachel Reynolds
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
This paper examines the extent to which persons in the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) have been able to leave the TANF program. The analysis is based on the Louisiana Welfare Survey which is a panel study of 1,000 persons (500 in New Orleans and 500 in two labor market areas in northeastern Louisiana) who in 1998 and 1999 had been on welfare. The original respondents have been reinterviewed annually, with the fifth and final wave currently (May 2002) in the field. The findings reported in this paper are based on the first three waves of the panel survey, …
The Impact Of Welfare Reform On Rural Alabamians, David L. Klemmock, Lucinda Lee Roff, Debra Moehle Mccallum, John T. Stern
The Impact Of Welfare Reform On Rural Alabamians, David L. Klemmock, Lucinda Lee Roff, Debra Moehle Mccallum, John T. Stern
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
This exploratory study compared Alabama welfare leavers from two types of rural counties with those from two types of metropolitan counties. It was based on telephone interviews conducted during the summer of 1999 with a random sample of 4 16 people who had left TANF between July and November 1998. There were no statistically significant differences among leavers by county type in the likelihood they were employed and, if employed, in the rate of pay, number of hours worked weekly, or the types of benefits available at the job. Although many respondents no longer received benefits they had received while …
Racial Disparities And Welfare Reform In Mississippi, Curtina Moreland-Young, Kristie Roberts, Jody Fields, Royal Walker Jr.
Racial Disparities And Welfare Reform In Mississippi, Curtina Moreland-Young, Kristie Roberts, Jody Fields, Royal Walker Jr.
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
This research is a part of a much larger study which has been conducted on the implementation of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Welfare Reform in the state of Mississippi. The study on the implementation of TANF employs qualitative and quantitative approaches to data collection and analysis. One of the quantitative components of that study is a statewide survey of former and current TANF and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients which includes 1688 respondents. This number represents roughly 10 percent of the 15,000 families on welfare in the state of Mississippi (the most available data). …
Food Security Of Low-Income Single Parents In East Alabama: Use Of Private And Public Programs In The Age Of Welfare Reform, Patricia A. Duffy, Ginger Grayson Hallmark, Joseph J. Molnar, Latoya Claxton, Conner Bailey, Steve Mikloucich
Food Security Of Low-Income Single Parents In East Alabama: Use Of Private And Public Programs In The Age Of Welfare Reform, Patricia A. Duffy, Ginger Grayson Hallmark, Joseph J. Molnar, Latoya Claxton, Conner Bailey, Steve Mikloucich
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
Despite a strong economy, the use of private, nonprofit food assistance is increasing. To determine how single parenthood affects the use of both public and private food assistance, a sample of food bank clients and low-income, food-needy non-clients in East Alabama was interviewed. Overall, single-parent food-pantry clients indicated higher levels of food insecurity than other groups, but the non-clients who were not single parents also indicated high levels of need. Although 42 percent of food bank clients were single parents, results showed that married couples with children were more highly represented among the food bank clients than among food-needy individuals …
Time Limit And Sanction Effects Of The Texas Tanf Waiver, Tami Swenson, Steve White, Steve Murdoch
Time Limit And Sanction Effects Of The Texas Tanf Waiver, Tami Swenson, Steve White, Steve Murdoch
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
Key provisions of the Texas TANF waiver, Achieving Change for Texans (ACT), allowed the state to implement variable time limits, sanctions, and geographically-targeted work assistance programs. An innovative aspect of ACT was the provision that the state's variable time limits did not begin until a case was notified of an available slot in the job assistance program. Thus, state time limits were directly linked with the provision of job services while sanction penalties were applicable to the entire caseload. In this paper, we examine the time limit and sanction effects on the duration of cash assistance for all families that …
Raising A Flag Of Caution In The Race For Community-Based Approaches To Rural Welfare Reform: Early Findings From Texas, Miguel Ferguson, Dennis Poole, Diana Dinitto, A. James Schwab
Raising A Flag Of Caution In The Race For Community-Based Approaches To Rural Welfare Reform: Early Findings From Texas, Miguel Ferguson, Dennis Poole, Diana Dinitto, A. James Schwab
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
President George W. Bush's executive order establishing the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives heightens expectations that local organizations will provide superior services to support the objectives of welfare reform and address poverty. However, this expectation raises concerns about the capacity of community-based organizations (CBOs) to effectively implement reform projects in nonmetropolitan areas with limited access to important support services. This paper addresses these questions using early findings from an evaluation of four locally-organized welfare reform projects in rural Texas. We find that the reform projects experienced shortcomings in management, funding, and community involvement that appear to limit …
The Regionalization Of Poverty: Assistance For The Black Belt South?, Ronald C. Wimberley, Libby V. Morris
The Regionalization Of Poverty: Assistance For The Black Belt South?, Ronald C. Wimberley, Libby V. Morris
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
Rural poverty is largely regional. The nation's primary region of rural poverty is the Black Belt South that stretches through 11 states from Virginia to Texas. In this area, like in other rural expanses of the United States, urban places typically fall within state lines while rural areas run across state lines and create multistate regions of rural poverty. The federal government provides block grants to address many of the public assistance needs of state populations. State-level block grants may be appropriate for serving urban areas within states, but they do not address regional-level poverty and welfare requirements across multistate …
Southern Rural Family Economic Well-Being In The Context Of Public Assistance, Bonnie Braun, Frances C. Lawrence, Patricia H. Dyk, Maria Vandergriff-Avery
Southern Rural Family Economic Well-Being In The Context Of Public Assistance, Bonnie Braun, Frances C. Lawrence, Patricia H. Dyk, Maria Vandergriff-Avery
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
As Congress considers reauthorization of public assistance legislation in 2002, researchers are challenged to provide data about the economic well-being of rural, low-income families. This paper provides findings from three southern states (Kentucky, Louisiana, and Maryland) currently participating in a 15-state, longitudinal study monitoring the economic well-being of rural families in the context of welfare reform of cash and food assistance. Initial findings reveal that even families using assistance to supplement their earned income fall short of self-sufficiency. These families are at-risk of living in economic crisis, or critical hardship, with inadequate earned and unearned income to meet their basic …
Tanf/Welfare Client Decline And Community Context In The Rural South, 1997-2000, Domenico Parisi, Diane K. Mclaughlin, Michael Taquino, Steven Michael Grice, Neil R. White
Tanf/Welfare Client Decline And Community Context In The Rural South, 1997-2000, Domenico Parisi, Diane K. Mclaughlin, Michael Taquino, Steven Michael Grice, Neil R. White
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
This article examines the extent to which declines in welfare rolls relate to five major dimensions of community: (1) local demographic composition, (2) local labor market conditions, (3) local civic capacity, (4) local spatial characteristics, and (5) changes in local economic opportunities. Results based on data from the Mississippi Department of Human Services indicate that demographically, economically, and socially advantaged communities were more likely to experience high declines in welfare rolls. Rurality was associated with lower likelihood of high declines in welfare rolls across Mississippi counties. Clearly, a combination of a stronger local economy and social support in a local …
The Promise And Peril Of Charitable Choice: Religion, Poverty Relief, And Welfare Reform In The South, John P. Bartkowski, Helen A. Regis
The Promise And Peril Of Charitable Choice: Religion, Poverty Relief, And Welfare Reform In The South, John P. Bartkowski, Helen A. Regis
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
This study analyzes narratives of welfare reform and faith-based poverty relief articulated by religious leaders in rural Mississippi congregations. These congregations are situated in and around Mississippi's Golden Triangle Region, a locale that includes a diverse group of small and mid-sized towns, as well as remote rural areas. As a state with entrenched social disadvantage, a thriving religious economy, and the nation's first faith-based welfare reform program, Mississippi is an ideal locale to study this important issue. We begin by discussing the charitable choice provision in welfare reform legislation. This legal provision bars discrimination against religious organizations as social service …