Sociology Commons^™

Community Development In Rural America: Sociological Issues In National Policy, Kenneth P. Wilkinson

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Definitions of the concepts of rural, community, and development suggest problems for a policy of rural community development. An effective policy must address two barriers to development of community among residents of rural areas: 1) deficits in access to resources for meeting common needs and 2) severe inequalities in access to resources that are available. Rurality encourages community development when these barriers are low. The aim of policy should be to attack rural barriers while cultivating rural potentials for community development.

Satisfaction Among Ecological Management Workers, Theodore D. Fuller, Donald J. Shoemaker

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This paper explores levels and correlates of job satisfaction for a series of occupations concerned with ecological management in Virginia. To enhance job satisfaction, a careful balance must be maintained between organizational requirements and individual needs. Fortunately, organizational factors over which the manager can exert considerable control (specially, dimensions of bureaucratization) are more consistently related to job satisfaction than are individual factors (extent of job training, evaluation of job training, education, and job tenure).

Agricultural Service Firms: Organizational Characteristics And Linkages To Production Agriculture, Thomas A. Lyson

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Using data from the 1978 Census of Agriculture and the 1978 Census of Agricultural Services, this paper examines some of the organizational characteristics of firms in seven agricultural service industry subgroups. Using the 48 contiguous states as units of analysis, an ecological analysis attempts to identify structure characteristics of farm systems that give rise to, and foster development of, off-farm agricultural service firms. Results show that considerable variation exists in the organizational and labor force characteristics across the seven industry subgroups. Other findings indicate that the spread of agricultural services in a state is positively associated with the proportion of …

Agrarian And Political Attitudes Among Small-Scale Farmers: A North Carolina Case Study, Michael D. Schulman, Regina Luginbuhl

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This paper examines the agrarian and political attitudes of a sample of predominantly black, small-scale farmers from three North Carolina counties. Factor analysis identifies agrarian (agrarianism) and political-economic attitudes (socio-political powerlessness and stratification system illegitimacy). Regression analysis identifies the social bases of agrarianism and its relationship to socio-political powerlessness and stratification system illegitimacy. Agrarianism has a differential impact upon the legitimation of economic and political inequalities among this regionally specific segment of small farm strata.

Adoption Of Irrigation Technology: The Effects Of Personal, Structural, And Environmental Variables, Don E. Albrecht, Howard Ladewig

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

During the past decade, there has been a growing interest in expanding the list of factors affecting the adoption and diffusion of agricultural technology. It has been suggested that most previous research efforts have been insensitive to contextual variables and institutional constraints. The physical environment has been suggested as one contextual variable that has been largely ignored in past adoption-diffusion research. The present study tested for the relative effects of a site-specific indicator of the physical environment (saturated thickness), as well as personal attributes and farm structural characteristics for the adoption of irrigation innovations in the Texas High Plains. The …

Comments On "Some Observations On Rural Sociology And Its Prospects", Kenneth P. Wilkinson

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Some Observations On Rural Sociology And Its Prospects, R. J. Hildreth

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Rural sociology developed largely in the land grant-USDA complex. The current status of rural sociology is briefly examined. The new agenda of rural sociologists probably will include such areas as sociology of agriculture, sociology of natural resources. and the sociology of development and economic change. The environment in which sociology will work on its new agenda, the land grant-USDA complex, is in disarray. The causes of the disarray are various academic chauvinisms. Chauvinism of philosophic orientation, disciplines, administrative structures, and academic excellence create the need for a new covenant for academe to serve society. Modest suggestions for rural sociology include …

Rural Sociology Research In The Land Grant Setting, Preston E. La Ferney

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

A brief historical view of rural sociology as a discipline reveals an intense introspection--a preoccupation--with the role, identity, image, effectiveness, and contribution of rural sociologists and their research in the land grant setting. As one outside the discipline, the author examines the history of rural sociology and the current and/or perceived role of rural sociologists in Agricultural Experiment Station research. Finally, some perceptions are offered as to possible ways in which the discipline might improve overall effectiveness within the land grant community.

Our Authors, James H. Copp

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Acknowledgement, James H. Copp

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of #Metoo: A Review Of Leaders With Supervisor Power On Employee Motivation, Mary Kovach

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

This manuscript intends to advance existing research, specifically, in gender dissimilar supervisor-employee workplace dyads by integrating #MeToo with our existing knowledge concerning supervisor power and employee motivation. With the #MeToo movement re-energized in 2017, power in leadership positions was redefined. As a result, power held by a supervisor is likely to influence outcomes based on gender and the employees’ source of motivation. Supervisors who believed they were successful through influence were more likely to exhibit power to achieve success. However, employees’ source of the motivation was a moderating factor in those outcomes. Meaning, outcomes were dependent on the type of …

Migration To The Us Among Rural Puerto Ricans Who Inject Drugs: Influential Factors, Sources Of Support, And Challenges For Harm Reduction Interventions, Roberto Abadie, Patrick Habecker, C. Gelpi-Acosta, Kirk Dombrowski

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Background: While PWID of Puerto Rican origin have been migrating to the US for decades, the range of factors influencing their migration to the US and the resources they draw on to do so are not well understood. This is particularly true for rural Puerto Rican PWID, and the present study is the first empirical research to document migration patterns among this population. The specificities of their migration raise important challenges that need to be documented in order to implement more effective harm reduction policies at home (Puerto Rico) and abroad (US).

Methods: This paper draws from data obtained employing …

Experiencing Financial Aid At A Historically White Institution: A Critical Race Analysis, Liane I. Hypolite, Antar A. Tichavakunda

Journal of Student Financial Aid

While scholars have looked at the intersection of financial aid and various identities, little work has examined how, if at all, race and racism are imbued into financial aid in higher education using qualitative inquiry. This paper begins that work by using a Critical Race Theory lens to analyze how, in the seemingly colorblind structure and process of financial aid, race matters. Using interview data collected from 35 Black juniors and seniors at a selective, historically White institution (HWI), the authors examine how race has informed students’ perceptions of themselves, their families, and their futures through their experiences with financial …

Crushing Debt Or Savvy Strategy? Financial Literacy And Student Perceptions Of Their Student Loan Debt, Gail Markle

Journal of Student Financial Aid

Almost three quarters of American college students use loans to fund their college education, although according to public discourse student debt is a critical problem. Grounded in social reproduction theory and consumer socialization theory this study examines the influence of financial literacy on students’ college financing decisions, perceptions of student loan debt, and education-related behavior. A sample of 429 undergraduate students selected using systematic cluster sampling from a large public university in the southeast completed a survey containing closed and open ended questions. Participants reported moderate levels of financial literacy (72.3%) and student loan awareness (62.7%). Only 20% of students …

Programs And Strategies For Community Resilience In A Metropolitan Area Public Library: A Case Study, Andreas Vårheim

Proceedings from the Document Academy

This paper reports a case study on community-oriented public library programs in a metropolitan Texan city. A main purpose of the paper is to report the findings from this explorative case study on the relationship of a public library system with its communities from a community resilience perspective. The study is a part of a research project aiming at creating empirically-based knowledge on the role of public libraries in forming community resilience. The description of specific library programs is a basis for further study of the mechanisms contributing to community resilience. Community resilience enables communities to face major environmental change …

Public Perceptions Toward The Current Economy: A Report To The U.S. Congress, King-To Yeung

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

This is an instruction of a writing assignment for a Sociology course on survey research. The assignment asks students to decipher survey results from a national poll. Findings are given to students, presented in tables and figures. Students will write a report on these findings for the U.S. Congress (an imagined audience).

What Intellectual Empathy Can Offer Information Literacy Education, Andrea Baer

Libraries Scholarship

This chapter explores the roles that affect, social identity and beliefs play in how people engage with information about politically- and emotionally-charged issues and the implications for information literacy education, particularly in politically polarized times. Considering research from cognitive psychology and education, I also suggest ways to move beyond traditional approaches to information literacy that tend to focus on logic and “objectivity” while neglecting the significance of personal beliefs and social identity to information behaviors. I give particular focus to philosopher Maureen Linker’s concept of "intellectual empathy" – “the cognitive-affective elements of thinking about identity and social difference” (Linker, 2014, …

A Data Science Approach To Defining A Data Scientist, Andy Ho, An Nguyen, Jodi L. Pafford, Robert Slater

SMU Data Science Review

In this paper, we present a common definition and list of skills for a Data Scientist using online job postings. The overlap and ambiguity of various roles such as data scientist, data engineer, data analyst, software engineer, database administrator, and statistician motivate the problem. To arrive at a single Data Scientist definition, we collect over 8,000 job postings from Indeed.com for the six job titles. Each corpus contains text on job qualifications, skills, responsibilities, educational preferences, and requirements. Our data science methodology and analysis rendered the single definition of a data scientist: A data scientist codes, collaborates, and communicates – …

Systems Isomorphisms In Stochastic Dynamic Systems, Rajesh Venkatachalapathy

Dissertations and Theses

The identification of isomorphisms between disparate systems is an important focus of systems science. Such isomorphisms have not only conceptual and pedagogical value to systems science, but they also provide pragmatic value to specific disciplines by suggesting new ways to model familiar phenomena and by serving as reference models that show how even simple models can generate complex behavior. Specifically, this dissertation looks at certain classes of stochastic dynamic systems (SDS) and shows that similar equations can model phenomena in sociology and psychology. In both disciplines, what is modeled by these SDS isomorphisms is a certain type of reliability, defined …

Book Review: Our Towns: A 100,000 Mile Journey Into The Heart Of America, Keith Morton

eJournal of Public Affairs

Book review of James and Deborah Fallows, Our towns: a 100,000 mile journey into the heart of America

Examining The Role Of Integration Experiences In Shaping Immigrants’ Post-Migration Food Choices And Eating Practices In Ontario, Canada, Eunjeong Eugena Kwon

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Despite the extensive literature on immigrants’ post-migration dietary transitions and their implications for long-term health and well-being, little research has been conducted to link these processes to their integration experiences. This dissertation contributes to the current literature by examining the interrelationship between immigrants’ integration experiences – especially their economic integration – and their post-migration food choices and eating practices.

The first integrated article (Chapter 2) draws on qualitative interviews with 38 recent immigrants in two Ontario cities (Toronto and London) in Canada. First, this chapter focuses on illustrating recent immigrants’ general experiences in managing their post-migration food choices and eating …

Resignation Or Resistance? Examining The Digital Privacy Attitudes And Behaviours Of East Yorkers, Kaitlyn Cavacas

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Digital technologies have become enmeshed in everyday life causing the public to become exposed to potential privacy risks through data collection and aggregation practices. Further, the upsurge in use of social networking platforms has also created opportunities for privacy violations through institutional and social surveillance. Employing a qualitative thematic analysis, this study explores how adults (N=101) living in East York, Toronto, navigate privacy through their use of the internet and digital services. Participants expressed feelings of mistrust, loss of control, resignation, and perceived self-unimportance with regards to their digital data. Importantly, others noted their desire and attempts to …

Brief Literature Review On Conscientiousness And Responsivity To Cbi Programming, Ernest M. Oleksy

The Downtown Review

This article reviews the literature of how individual differences (specifically trait conscientiousness) may contribute to ex-offender responsivity to reentry programming. By studying if individual differences (e.g. personality traits) contribute to specific responsivity, programming can be determined to be ineffective for the general population and redesigned in a manner that is beneficial for the largest number of clients. To that end, this literature review provides a conceptual foundation for potential future studies, based on what previous researchers have found in their own studies. With this knowledge, future researchers will be better equipped to make sense of findings once they analyze their …

The Heterogeneity And Change In The Urban Structure Of Metropolitan Areas In The United States, 1990–2010, Stefan Leyk, Deborah Balk, Bryan Jones, Mark R. Montgomery, Hasim Engin

Publications and Research

While the population of the United States has been predominantly urban for nearly 100 years, periodic transformations of the concepts and measures that define urban places and population have taken place, complicating over-time comparisons. We compare and combine data series of officially-designated urban areas, 1990–2010, at the census block-level within Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) with a satellite-derived consistent series on built-up area from the Global Human Settlement Layer to create urban classes that characterize urban structure and provide estimates of land and population. We find considerable heterogeneity in urban form across MSAs, even among those of similar population size, indicating …

Middle East, North Africa, South Asia Initiative Report, Portland State University. Cultural Resource Centers, Wafaa Almaktari, Bo Koering, Kevin Thomas, Shanice Clark, Stacie Taniguchi, Cynthia Carmina Gómez

Cultural Resource Centers Reports and Resources

The Middle East, North Africa, South Asia (MENASA) Initiative was created to address a lack of resources and services to support the MENASA student population at Portland State University (PSU). Formed by a group of undergraduate and graduate MENASA students, and supported administratively by the Cultural Resource Centers, the MENASA Initiative is a student-centered effort with the goal of creating a MENASA Student Center to match the other five Cultural Resource Centers (La Casa Latina Student Center, the Multicultural Student Center, the Native American Student and Community Center, the Pacific Islander, Asian, and Asian American Student Center, and the Pan-African …

Getting Out: Bruce Bryant’S Climb To Redemption Inside Prison, Rachel M. Rippetoe, Sean Sanders-Mills

Capstones

Bruce Bryant, 50, was convicted of the murder of 11-year-old Travis Lilley in June 1996. Bryant maintains he never fired a weapon that day in 1993. But he recognizes that his lifestyle as a young person — he started dealing drugs when he was 14 — contributed to an environment in which a stray bullet could take a young life. And for that reason, he’s spent most of his 25 years in prison working to help young people.

With at least 12 more years on his sentence, Bryant is now asking the governor for early release, with the hope that …

Aging Intimately, Niamh Mcdonnell, Giulia Hjort

Capstones

We’re both familiar with grief after the loss of family members over 75. This project is our way of giving back in a small way by listening, but also as a way of remembering the people we unexpectedly lost. Each person we’ve met on this journey has inspired us in their own way, with their stories of resilience through grief and aging. All of our collaborators on this project are constantly learning, taking risks, and moving forward through loss and pain. They aren’t defined by their age. Rather, they embrace it with a willingness to reinvent their approach to romance …

Latinx Millennials Won’T Surrender To Tech-Industry Bias, Josefina F. Bruni

Capstones

Organizations like Techqueria, which seek to improve the odds of Latinx in the tech labor market, have been popping up since 2014 among minorities and other marginalized social groups, with names like LGTBQ in Tech, Blacks in Technology, Latinas in Tech and Lesbians Who Tech. They’re free, fluid and informal, with members constantly exchanging information and support. While they offer many opportunities for face-to-face gatherings, they are powered by social media.

Some of these collective efforts are no more than Slack workspaces. Others cross multiple platforms or even have web pages. Some have even incorporated. But all …

Among America’S Oldest, Opioid Overdoses Are On The Rise, Emma Davis

Capstones

Often overlooked in coverage of the opioid crisis, American seniors have experienced a dramatic increase in addiction in the last two decades. Drug overdoses in adults ages 55-64 have risen six-fold since 1999, according to the Center for Disease Control, and emergency visits due to opioid misuse tripled among those over 65 from 2006-2014, a study from Towson University found. This print and video piece investigates how heroin and prescription opioid use among older adults in New York City has contributed to the overdose rate; the consequences of opioid restrictions for geriatric pain patients; and the treatment options for seniors …

Notes From The Editorial Office (Volume 34, Issue 2), John J. Green

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Notes from the Editorial Office for Volume 34, Issue 2