Rural Sociology Commons^™

Are Rural People More Anti-Immigrant Than Urban People? A Comparison Of Attitudes Toward Immigration In The U.S., Carlos E. Garcia, Theresa Davidson

Carlos Eduardo Garcia

Immigration to the United States has increased markedly in the past two decades, including significant growth in rural areas. Using General Social Survey data we compare rural and urban attitudes toward immigration in the United States. Our analyses reveal that, first, overall opposition is more pronounced in rural areas. Second, notions of a distinct American identity matter for urban, but not rural, residents. Third, beliefs about immigration are salient predictors in both regions. Fourth, political ideology is a determinant exclusively among rural residents, whereas political affiliation is a determinant solely among urban residents. Fifth, race and education level are significant …

Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey (Nasis) 2012-2013 Methodology Report, Bureau Of Sociological Research

Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey (NASIS)

This report presents a detailed account of the design and fielding of the 2012-2013 Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey (NASIS). Users of the 2013 NASIS data will find it an important reference source for answers to questions about methodology. The Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey was conceived as a vehicle both for producing current, topical information about Nebraskans and also for monitoring change in quality of life. As in earlier surveys, NASIS 2013 was a joint effort of the Department of Sociology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and a variety of public agencies. While the final responsibility for the …

Growing Up In Rural India: An Exploration Into The Lives Of Younger And Older Adolescents In Madhya Pradesh And Uttar Pradesh, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Iram Saeed, Archana Sarkar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This technical report describes the situation of adolescents according to a baseline assessment conducted in selected villages in India. The objectives of the assessment were to explore the attitudes, practices, and behaviors of adolescent girls, their adolescent brothers and if married, their husbands, with regard to sexual and reproductive matters, including HIV; their perspectives on adolescent girls’ and boys’ vulnerability to HIV and ways in which it can be mitigated; and the perspectives of parents and other critical adults in the community on the vulnerability of adolescent girls and boys to HIV. Results will be used to: (1) enhance adolescent …

Ripples From The East Coast Stream: Contributions From Migrant Hispanic Workers To Maine’S Wild Blueberry Industry, Vaishali Mamgain

Maine Policy Review

Interviews with 46 Hispanic migrant workers in the wild blueberry industry in Maine revealed they harvest different crops in several states and come to Maine at the end of the “East Coast Stream.” Although workers varied in productivity (and hence income), overall the group earned good income and contributed significantly to the Maine economy as workers and consumers. Based on these findings, governmental laws and policies are discussed in terms of their potential impact. A consideration of Maine’s aging population and interviews with employers demonstrate these workers’ importance: without them employers say, the wild blueberry industry would not be competitive.

Rural-Urban Migration And Mental And Sexual Health: A Case Study In Southwestern China, Xiushi Yang

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Massive rural–urban temporary migration has taken place amid China's rapid economic growth and development. Much has been written about the economic causes and consequences of this massive migration; less studied are the potential health and behavioral impacts of migration on migrants. Using data from a population-based sample survey conducted in southwestern China, this paper examines the potential impact of rural–urban migration and post-migration urban living on migrants' mental health and sexual risk behavior. The results suggest that regardless of places of origin and destination temporary migrants had on average poorer mental health and riskier sexual behavior than non-migrants. Compared to …

Gender Disparities In Self-Employment In Urban China's Market Transition: Income Inequality, Occupational Segregation, And Mobility Processes, Qian Forrest Zhang

Qian Forrest ZHANG

This paper presents the first quantitative analysis of gender disparities in self-employment in urban China. It documents the extent of gender income inequality in self-employment. By disaggregating self-employment into three occupational classes, it shows the gender segregation within self-employment—women were concentrated in the financially least rewarding segment—and identifies it as a main source of the gender income inequality. It examines a range of determinants of participation in self-employment—family structure, family background, and career history—and how their gender-specific effects contributed to gender segregation. Although using data from a 1996 national survey, this study captures two key processes that shaped the structure …

A Demographic Analysis Of Metro/Nonmetro Differences In Adult Normal Weight, Overweight, And Obesity, P. Johnelle Sparks, Susanne Schmidt

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Overweight and obesity prevalence is increasing throughout the United States, and these two health conditions seem to disproportionately affect certain segments of the adult population. To date little research has examined adult differences in normal weight, overweight, and obesity by metropolitan or nonmetropolitan residential status while controlling for important demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and health status characteristics. This research helps to fill this gap. We used data from the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to empirically assess predictors of overweight and obesity risk for all adults and then by residential location. Multinomial logistic regression techniques were used to estimate …

A Portrait Of Rural Health In America, Jin Young Choi

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

introduction to special issue

Assessing Barriers To Health Care Services For Hispanic Residents In Rural Georgia, Michele Vitale, Conner Bailey

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Since the 1990s, many Hispanics have been relocating to the rural South and their permanency (although beneficial to the economy) poses new challenges at the institutional level. One area of major concern is the adequate provision of health care. Our article evaluates the socioeconomic, cultural, and geographic/transportation barriers that Hispanic residents face when seeking primary health care services in Toombs County, Georgia. Data were acquired through personal interviews with Hispanic residents, local health professionals, and key community informants by using a combination of opportunity sampling and a snowball approach. Results indicate that the local health system and the county as …

Ruptured Identity Of Male Farmers: Subjective Crisis And The Risk Of Suicide, Anthony Hogan, Edward Scarr, Stewart Lockie, Brett Chant, Sylvia Alston

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Suicide among male farmers is frequently discussed in the literature. While a wide range of factors are associated, a coherent theoretical framework that incorporates the various factors associated with male farmer suicide has not been developed. Moreover, the insights offered to date have not opened a more systemic approach to prevention. Drawing on substantive contributions from sociological theory, this paper proposes a framework for progressing understanding of the causes of this phenomenon and offers insights for prevention. The paper argues that ontological security is central to identity and social competence, and that loss of the coherency of identity and the …

Partnering To Enable Active Rural Living: Pearl Project, Deborah H. John, Barbara Mccahan, Suzanne Gaulocher

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Rural residents in communities face opportunities and obstaclesfor physical activity (PA), health, and wellbeing that differ from those experienced in non-rural settings. Yet, rural people’s interpretations of PA and experience of the PA environment are understudied. This study utilized a descriptive case study approach in three rural New Hampshire communities and engaged rural residents in community participatory action research of the experiential factors that enable or prevent PA for adults and youth in their communities. Qualitative data were collected using photo mapping surveys, participant observations, interviews, and focus groups, analyzed using a constant comparative method, and triangulated across multiple sources. …

The School Neighborhood Environment For Childhood Obesity In A Rural Texas Community, Jin Young Choi, David Pate

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This paper examines the school neighborhood environments related to childhood obesity in a rural community in Texas, focusing on the assessment of three aspects: socioeconomic characteristics, food environment, and physical activity environment. Different methodological approaches were employed to characterize the aspects of the school neighborhood environments. Most public schools in the community were located in low-income neighborhoods. There were disproportionately high concentrations of fast food restaurants and convenience stores within the active travel-to-school zone. Most of the students who lived in the active travel-to-school zone did not walk or bike to school, and student safety was identified as the predominant …

Rural Appalachian Health Care Providers' Perceived Barriers To Intimate Partner Violence Screening In Primary Care, Jamie Tedder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a major problem in the United States. There are many health concerns associated with IPV (e.g. chronic pain, gynecological problems), leading researchers to examine the detection and management of IPV in primary care settings. However, a disproportionate amount of this research has focused on the detection and management of IPV in urban primary care clinics, with the detection and management of IPV in rural primary care being largely understudied. The current study addresses this gap in the literature by describing the screening practices and barriers to screening reported by rural providers as well as differences …

Constraints In Adoption Of Moongbean Production Technology In Sundarban, West Bengal, Ganesh Chandra

Ganesh Chandra

The new agricultural technologies are considered to be the prime mover to the process of agricultural development in India. Understanding farmers’ perceptions of a given technology is crucial in the generation and diffusion of new technologies and farm household information dissemination. Pulses in India have long been considered as the poor man’s only source of protein. Moongbean (green gram) is one of the important pulse crop in India, plays a major role in augmenting the income of small and marginal farmers of Sundarban. Constraints are the circumstances or causes, which prohibit farmer to adopt improved farm technology. This constraint study …

The Russian Village, Urban Infrastructure Issues, And The Vertically Integrated Agriculture Model, Phillip Imel

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Russia’s population total has been in decline since 1992 and this is most evident in the villages of Russia. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the large farm collectives, many villages’ raison d'être ceased to exist. Today people continue to leave the villages for what they consider to be the better economic promise of the larger cities. There are serious societal and infrastructure issues related to the village exodus to the larger municipalities. In this paper, a vertically integrated agriculture model is examined as one step towards a more vibrant village economy. A vertically integrated model based upon …

Coös County Youth And Out-Of-School Activities - Patterns Of Involvement And Barriers To Participation, Erin H. Sharp

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This fact sheet draws from surveys administered to a cohort of 416 participants in 7th grade in 2008, again when they were in 8th grade in 2009, and most recently as 10th graders in 2011 to look at patterns of participation in structured activities over time and whether male and female students differ in these patterns of participa¬tion. It also draws from questions added to the 2011 survey of 10th graders to examine Coös County youths’ perceptions about what kinds of barriers have kept them from getting more involved in structured out-of-school activities.

Author Erin Hiley Sharp reports that female …

Quality Of Life In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: 2011 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Connie I Reimers-Hild, PhD, CPC

Nebraska appeared to survive the recent economic recession better than most other states. The state's unemployment rate has been one of the lowest in the nation in recent years. The agricultural economy has also been strong. Farm income levels reached record levels in 2010 and are expected to remain strong this year. Given the challenges and uncertainties of recent years, how do rural Nebraskans believe they are doing and how do they view their future? Have these views changed over the past sixteen years? How satisfied are they with various items that influence their well-being? How happy are rural Nebraskans? …

Animal Welfare: Perceptions Of Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans: 2011 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, Connie Reimers-Hild

Connie I Reimers-Hild, PhD, CPC

The manner in which food animals are produced, shipped and processed has been in the news lately. Specifically at question is whether or not current livestock practices adequately ensure the welfare of food animals. With a sizable animal agriculture production sector in the state of Nebraska, this is an important issue. How do rural Nebraskans feel about animal welfare issues? Do their opinions differ by age, education or their experience with livestock production? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions. This report details 2,490 responses to the 2011 Nebraska Rural Poll, the sixteenth annual effort to understand rural …

Community Life In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Current Perceptions And Future Strategies: 2011 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, Connie Reimers-Hild

Connie I Reimers-Hild, PhD, CPC

Recent community level Census data show that most small communities in Nebraska experienced population decline since 2000. However, most of the larger communities experienced population growth during this same time period. Various economic development strategies could be employed by communities to grow their population and economies. Given these conditions, how do rural Nebraskans feel about their community? Are they satisfied with the services provided by their community? Are they planning to move from their community in the next year? Have these views changed over the past sixteen years? How do rural Nebraskans believe various economic development strategies would impact their …

The Digital Age: Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans’ Use Of Technology 2011 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca Vogt, Randolph Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, Connie Reimers-Hild

Connie I Reimers-Hild, PhD, CPC

Over the past decade, people have increasingly used the Internet for shopping, social networking, government services, learning and education. Are rural Nebraskans using the Internet for these applications? What do they believe are the benefits and drawbacks of these applications? In addition, people are increasingly using mobile devices to connect to the Internet. Are rural Nebraskans using their cell phones to access the Internet? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions. This report details 2,490 responses to the 2011 Nebraska Rural Poll, the sixteenth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions …