Rural Sociology Commons^™

New Traditions: Retrospective And Prospective, G. Richard Wetherill

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

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.

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

Pathways For Equity In Development: Exploring The Past And Informing The Future Through The Rural Social Sciences, John J. Green

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

In reflecting on the fiftieth anniversary of the Southern Rural Sociological Association (SRSA) and planning for the next fifty years, this SRSA Presidential Address focuses on development. Rural social scientists have the potential to contribute to the pursuit of great equity in development, and examples are shared from applied research experience in Mississippi.

Perceptions Of Local Leaders In Shale Energy Communities: Views On Influence, Inclusion, And Trust (A Research Note), Gene L. Theodori, Karen M. Douglas

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Data collected from random samples of residents and absentee landowners in two counties in the Eagle Ford Shale region of South Texas were used to examine the perceptions regarding influence, inclusion, and trust of local leaders and other stakeholders in the area. Additionally, two hypotheses pertaining to the association between individuals’ perceptions of inclusion by local governments—both city and county—and individuals’ levels of trust in those governments as sources of information about the positive and negative impacts of shale oil and/or natural gas development were tested and supported. Substantive descriptive and statistical analyses are reported.

The Relationship Between Length Of Community Tenure And Residents’ Volunteering At Community Events: Results From The Metro Atlanta Speaks Survey, Ramesh Ghimire, Jim Skinner

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Volunteering at community events could be associated with length of community tenure as residents with longer years of “tenure” might have a greater sense of community belonging, greater social capital (e.g. social networks and trust), and greater familiarity with regional cultures, compared to new residents. Using the Metro Atlanta Speaks survey conducted in 2015 and 2016, this study finds that residents’ volunteering at community events is significantly and positively associated with their length of community tenure in metro Atlanta counties. Other sociodemographic characteristics, such as age, gender, education, income, and children in the household also significantly influence residents’ volunteering at …

Use Of The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Moca) In A Rural Outreach Program For Military Veterans, Michelle M. Hilgeman, Eugenia M. Boozer, A. Lynn Snow, Rebecca S. Allen, Lori L. Davis

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a free, easily accessible screener ideal for rural areas where resources are limited. We examined administration and scoring by Veteran Community Outreach Health Workers (VCOHWs); compared positive screening rates using two cutoff scores; and examined predictors of education-adjusted scores in N = 168 rural military Veterans from the Alabama Veteran Rural Health Initiative. Accuracy of administration (95 percent) and scoring (68 percent) was calculated and recommendations are offered. Higher than expected rates of positive screens were observed (40 percent using 24/30 cutoff) in this relatively young (M = 55 years) community-dwelling sample. Age, education, …

An Examination Of The Characteristics And Perceptions Of School Resource Officers In Rural And Urban Oklahoma Schools, Valerie H. Hunt, Melissa A. Taylor, Brett Fitzgerald, Eric D. Button, Brinck Kerr

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Fueled by concerns about school violence, the number of School Resource Officers (SROs) in the United States has soared. SROs are law enforcement officers who work in elementary and secondary schools and who are tasked to increase school safety. As of 2016, 48 percent of US public schools had SROs, compared to less than one percent in the 1970s, yet there are few studies that measure their effects. In particular, the literature largely ignores rural/urban differences. This study uses survey data from SROs working in public schools in Oklahoma to understand their roles and to determine if there are differences …

A Virginia Mountain City Responds To The Challenge Of Improving Health Outcomes, Robert S. Cowell Jr.

Journal of Appalachian Health

In 2012, Roanoke Virginia was becoming a city of haves and have-nots, a place where many were benefitting from revitalization underway but too many were seeing their situation grow worse and becoming even more entrenched. Poverty with levels as high as 50% in some neighborhoods; life expectancy sometimes 14 years shorter than those living just one or two neighborhoods over; and lack of access to fresh food, medical care, and economic opportunities—all within view of the largest hospital in the region was unacceptable.

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Adult Food Security And The Relationship With Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Residents Of Appalachian North Carolina, Manan Roy, Erin Bouldin, Maggie Bennett, Adam Hege

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: The Appalachian region has worse health outcomes than the remainder of the United States. These disparities are often linked to the underlying social and environmental determinants of health. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poor health outcomes across the lifespan and have a significant impact on future social determinants as an adult, including food security status.

Purpose: To explore the relationships between ACEs and food security among adults in the Appalachian counties of North Carolina and make comparisons with the rest of the state.

Methods: Researchers used North Carolina’s 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data; namely, …

Roanoke's Collective Public Health Activities, Michael Lytton

Journal of Appalachian Health

Roanoke is addressing problems that confront many small and medium sized cities in the U.S., especially disparities in health and life expectancy between neighborhoods. These disparities are often legacies of decades of racial and economic segregation, resulting in low-income or disinvested communities. Typically, such neighborhoods have fewer parks, higher vacancy rates and less stable affordable housing stock, inadequate public transit systems, too few clinics, too many fast food restaurants and insufficient access to high quality schools. In Roanoke these are the northwest and southeast quadrants, both federally designated Medically Underserved Areas, and characterized by a large proportion of the city’s …

The Promises And Perils Of Radio As A Medium Of Faith In A Q’Eqchi’-Maya Catholic Community, Eric Hoenes Del Pinal

Journal of Global Catholicism

Because their parish is large, dispersed, and overwhelmingly rural, FM radio is one of the few reliable means through which the Q’eqchi’-Maya Catholics of San Felipe in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, can communicate with each other en masse. Yet, because it is a one-way medium, it is also impossible to gauge how its intended audience is responding, or if is even there to receive broadcasted messages. Drawing on ethnographic material collected in 2005 (on the use of radio broadcasting to call together ritual participants) and 2016 (on an ultimately failed attempt to launch a radio station to serve rural parishioners), …

Introduction: Mediating Catholicisms: Studies In Aesthetics, Authority, And Identity, Eric Hoenes Del Pinal, Marc Roscoe Loustau, Kristin Norget

Journal of Global Catholicism

No abstract provided.

Overview & Acknowledgements, Mathew Schmalz

Journal of Global Catholicism

No abstract provided.

Notes From The Editorial Office (Volume 34, Issue 1), John J. Green

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Robert Wuthnow, The Left Behind: Decline And Rage In Rural America (Book Review), Peter A. Kindle

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

“I Have A Job... But You Can’T Make A Living”: How County Economic Context Shapes Residents’ Livelihood Strategies, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Jessica A. Carson

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This study explores how rural residents’ livelihood strategies are shaped by community economic and population characteristics. We use qualitative data from interviews and focus groups with low-income residents and social service providers (N=85 participants) in two rural New England counties to understand livelihood strategies within rural places. We then employ quantitative data to understand how these strategies are shaped by local historical labor markets and demographic characteristics. Although one county attracts wealthy retirees, with corresponding work opportunities in the service sector, and the other is remote and losing population, low-income workers in both places are struggling to make ends meet. …

The Nonmetro Vote And The Election Of Donald Trump, Don E. Albrecht

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Securing an overwhelming majority of the rural vote was vital to Donald Trump’s surprise win in the 2016 presidential election. This article provides an analysis of the relationship between rural/urban residence and 2016 voting patterns. The Trump campaign’s unique emphasis on economic and racial issues attracted large numbers of voters from groups threatened by rapid cultural, economic, and demographic change occurring in the US. Prominent among threatened groups is the rural, white working class. The analysis reveals that rural counties where a large percentage of the residents were white, with low levels of education and working in the goods-producing industries, …

Marshallese Migrants And Poultry Processing, Jin Young Choi, Douglas H. Constance

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This descriptive study investigates the work and health conditions of Marshallese poultry-plant workers in Northwest Arkansas, a global center of the poultry industry. Poultry processing is very dangerous work including numerous human rights and ethical concerns. Processing work has historically been carried out by marginalized workers, such as women, minorities, and immigrants. The Marshallese, one of the Pacific Islander groups, are the latest wave of migrants sourced as processing workers. A survey was conducted with a site-based, convenience sample of current and former Marshallese poultry-plant workers. The final analysis was based on a total of 198 questionnaires. The study showed …

Nebraska Residents’ Perceptions Of Drought Risk And Adaptive Capacity To Drought, Michelle L. Edwards

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of drought in certain regions, including Nebraska. While differences in ecological and social vulnerability impact drought response, scholars argue that perceptions of risk and adaptive capacity also play a role in predicting adaptation responses. Drawing on Grothmann and Patt’s model of private proactive adaptation to climate change, based on protection motivation theory, I examine Nebraska residents’ perceptions of drought risk and adaptive capacity to drought at two spatial levels, the community and the region, as well as the predictors of these perceptions. Multivariate analyses demonstrate that rural residence positively predicts …

Benefits To Qualitative Data Quality With Multiple Coders: Two Case Studies In Multi-Coder Data Analysis, Sarah P. Church, Michael Dunn, Linda S. Prokopy

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Qualitative research methods contend with debates surrounding subjectivity and bias. Researchers use a variety of techniques to help ensure data trustworthiness. One such technique is to involve multiple coders in data analysis. The deliberative nature of codebook development among multiple coders produces rich data analysis that may not otherwise be achieved with a single (or even two) researcher(s). In this manuscript, we make a plea for researchers and journals to include data analysis procedures and descriptions in published literature. In addition, we illustrate minimal reporting of qualitative data analysis processes through a synthesis of 21 years of agricultural best management …