Environmental Concern And Its Relationship To Community Attachment And Satisfaction In Southern West Virginia, Terence Asitibasi

All Theses

Extractive industries, especially coal, in the Appalachia region, have contributed to severe environmental challenges. Over the past years, residents in these areas faced increased health risks and damage to natural landscapes, impacting on how connected they are attached to their communities and overall satisfaction with their quality of life. Previous studies have examined these issues but with a focus on amenity-rich rural west, low amenities, urban-suburban, tourist-dependent and Great Lakes regions; this study looks at southern West Virginia, a coal-dependent region. And as such fills that gap by exploring how environmental concerns - combined with a longstanding reliance on coal …

Volume 40, Issue 1

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Developing Leadership Capacity In A Rural, Farm-Dependent Community, Taylor J. Shackelford, Lauren L. Cline, J. Shane Robinson

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The exodus of youth from rural communities after high school graduation is a growing concern to the resiliency and vitality of rural, farm-dependent counties across the United States. These communities suffer from the outmigration of their youth, which leads to a lack of available future leadership capacity. The purpose of the study was to determine the knowledge and skills needed for youth to engage in civic leadership at the local level. In addition, we wanted to support youth with mentors comprised of current adult leaders in the community. Therefore, we also identified the skills needed for adults to mentor youth …

Community Viability And Attitudes Toward Mental Illness: Rural Insights For Community-Based Care, Carrie N. Baker, Sarah A. Bush

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Access to mental healthcare varies greatly in rural, suburban, and urban communities. The community viability indicator (CVI) and the community attitudes to mental illness (CAMI) scale are tools for understanding a community’s health and viability and their receptiveness toward people with mental illness. This study of US adults (n = 1,028) in rural, urban, and suburban communities aimed to describe the relationship between community viability and community attitudes toward mental illness and determine the effect of community type on CAMI scores. Results revealed positive associations between community attitudes toward mental illness and community viability for rural and suburban community members. …

Investigating Appalachian Medical Students’ Perceived Supports And Inhibitors To Their Aspirations Using Habitus And Capital, Jason Hedrick, Erin Mchenry-Sorber

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This study examined Appalachian medical student aspiration facilitators and impediments. Using semi-structured interviews from ten medical students, findings were analyzed with habitus, and cultural and social capital, with an emphasis on Appalachia as place. Parents established postsecondary expectations early. Family circumstances were influential, including relatives in healthcare, or attending private school. Success with STEMM and haphazard healthcare interactions stoked further interest. However, families approached medical school from a risk narrative, reconsidering what was a part of their child’s imagined future. Physician interactions often provided mixed guidance and resulted in students questioning their career trajectory. Findings confirm and highlight the value …

Foster Care, Substance Use, And Social Determinants Of Health In South Carolina: A Geographic Approach, Patricia Carbajales-Dale

All Dissertations

Foster care is a critical intervention for vulnerable children, with approximately 400,000 children entering the system annually in the United States. Parental substance use, second only to neglect, is now a leading cause of foster care entry. While previous research has explored the relationship between socioeconomic factors and foster care, few studies have incorporated spatial approaches at the neighborhood level to understand how factors such as economic inequality, healthcare disparities, and substance use influence foster care entries. This study addresses that gap by integrating spatial analysis and machine learning techniques to examine the geographic and social dynamics underlying foster care …

Adaptation And Coping Mechanisms To Financial Constraints Among Socially Disadvantaged Farmers In South Carolina: A Qualitative Study, Akanksha Rathi

All Theses

Abstract

Throughout American history, Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (SDFRs) have faced systemic discrimination, often leading to their intentional exclusion from federal programs. This has contributed to a decline in the number of farms operated by SDFRs. Even though certain policies led to a gradual increase in their numbers, the average acreage of SDFR-owned farms has diminished over time. Recognizing the impact of racial disadvantages on the diminished participation of SDFRs, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has instituted programs specifically tailored for minority farmers, offering financial aid and outreach initiatives. However, persistent and emerging barriers continue to impede …

An Intergenerational Study Of The Entrepreneurial Nature Of Agritourism Operators, Will Culler

All Dissertations

Economic and non-economic trends have left farm operators of all ages contemplating enterprise diversification strategies to create advantages and to ensure their farms' sustainability for future generations. One such strategy is agritourism, in which a visitor to a working farm or other agricultural setting interacts with the farm landscape or participates in an agricultural process for tourism or leisure purposes. This study aims to contribute to academics, researchers, extension educators, practitioners, and farm service providers who offer training and resources to better equip current and future agritourism operators. The study tested the general hypothesis that agritourism operators' entrepreneurial goals and …