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Civic and Community Engagement

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Articles 1 - 8 of 8

Full-Text Articles in Rural Sociology

It Takes A Community: Civic Life And Community Involvement Among Coös County Youth, Justin R. Young Oct 2012

It Takes A Community: Civic Life And Community Involvement Among Coös County Youth, Justin R. Young

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief explores the extent to which Coös County youth are involved in a variety of civic-related activities, with particular attention to the demographic and attitudinal factors associated with such participation. Author Justin Young reports that approximately 75 percent of Coös County youth report involvement in at least one type of civic-related activity. The types of activities varied by year in school. Eighth grad¬ers were more involved in 4-H, Scouts, church groups, and community center events, while twelfth graders volunteered more often and participated in community-service clubs. Forty percent of youth volunteered within the past year, and a third are …


Forging The Future: Community Leadership And Economic Change In Coös County, New Hampshire, Michele Dillon Jul 2012

Forging The Future: Community Leadership And Economic Change In Coös County, New Hampshire, Michele Dillon

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

Author Michele Dillon conducted a case study of community change in Coös County, New Hampshire, for two-and-a-half years (June 2009-December 2011) to investigate how local community leaders in Coös assess the initiatives, challenges, opportunities, and progress in the North Country during this time of economic transition. Her primary data-gathering method included personal interviews with community leaders, supplemented by observation, documentary, and survey data. Dillon discusses how there is a strong consensus among community leaders that Coös needs to work together as a county with a unified vision and voice while respecting the specific character, strengths, and needs of each local …


The Local Agricultural Community Exchange: Outcomes And Lessons Learned From A Public-Private Initiative To Revitalize A Downtown Community, Michele Cranwell Schmidt Feb 2012

The Local Agricultural Community Exchange: Outcomes And Lessons Learned From A Public-Private Initiative To Revitalize A Downtown Community, Michele Cranwell Schmidt

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief describes a revitalization project in Barre, Vermont, led by a public-private partnership involving the Agricultural Community Exchange, the Central Vermont Community Action Council, and the private businesses that operated out of the storefront. The Nancy Nye Fellowship, through the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire, supported the evaluation of the project from 2007 to 2010. After four years of operation, the market, café, and Gallery closed due to economic hardship. Author Michele Schmidt, the 2008 recipient of the Nancy Nye Fellowship, examines the impact the initiative had on community revitalization and economic development, and she cites …


Teen Stress And Substance Use Problems In Coös: Survey Shows Strong Community Attachment Can Offset Risk, Karen T. Van Gundy, Meghan L. Mills Nov 2011

Teen Stress And Substance Use Problems In Coös: Survey Shows Strong Community Attachment Can Offset Risk, Karen T. Van Gundy, Meghan L. Mills

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief explores how social stress and community attachment are related to problem alcohol and drug use for girls and boys in Coös County, New Hampshire. The brief uses survey data from the Coös Youth Study, which includes self-reported information from 564 Coös youth who were in seventh and eleventh grades in 2008, and who were surveyed again one year later (in 2009) when they were in eighth and twelfth grades. Nearly one-fourth of youth in Coös County (22 percent of boys and 23 percent of girls) reported at least one alcohol or drug use related problem. The authors note …


Community Strength And Economic Challenge: Civic Attitudes And Community Involvement In Rural America, Michele Dillon, Justin R. Young Jun 2011

Community Strength And Economic Challenge: Civic Attitudes And Community Involvement In Rural America, Michele Dillon, Justin R. Young

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

Residents in rural areas that are rich in amenities report a positive outlook about their community strength and civic engagement, with nine out of ten saying they would work together to solve a community problem. However, residents in chronically poor rural communities are less likely to trust, get along with, and help their neighbors.


Enduring Ties To Community And Nature: Charting An Alternative Future For Southeast Alaska, Jessica D. Ulrich, Thomas G. Safford Feb 2011

Enduring Ties To Community And Nature: Charting An Alternative Future For Southeast Alaska, Jessica D. Ulrich, Thomas G. Safford

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

Like much of rural America, Southeast Alaska is confronting the social implications of both population declines and the downturn in natural resource-based industries. Although many residents have chosen to leave Alaska in the last decade, the majority have stayed. Strong social cohesion and intimate ties to the natural amenities of the region are what sustain rural Alaskans. It is these connections to people and place that may ultimately enable residents to create renewed and more resilient Alaskan communities. Examining the challenges faced by Southeast Alaska, this brief discusses ways to encourage community groups and governmental agencies to work collaboratively to …


No Place Like Home: Place And Community Identity Among North Country Youth, Genevieve R. Cox, Corinna J. Tucker Jan 2011

No Place Like Home: Place And Community Identity Among North Country Youth, Genevieve R. Cox, Corinna J. Tucker

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief explores the link between rural youths’ identification with their community, their self-esteem, and their future plans. The panel study of New Hampshire’s Coos County youth offers a snapshot into the dynamics of a population that is developing its identity in a region that is undergoing an identity transformation of its own. Place identity may be influential in how individuals think of themselves and their futures, particularly for youth in the process of forming an identity. The study reveals the importance of developing community programs and activities for youth that create social ties to form a positive identification with …


Youth Opinions Matter: Retaining Human Capital In Coos County, Cesar J. Rebellon, Nena F. Stracuzzi, Melissa Burbank Apr 2010

Youth Opinions Matter: Retaining Human Capital In Coos County, Cesar J. Rebellon, Nena F. Stracuzzi, Melissa Burbank

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

As Coos County youth age, their attachment to their communities may deteriorate. This brief presents new data from the Coos Youth Study. This research indicates efforts to keep young people in Coos may benefit from efforts to show students that their views matter to adults in their communities.