Rural Sociology Commons^™

Agricultural Concentration: An Analysis By Commodity, Don E. Albrecht

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

One of the most striking consequences of the industrialization of agriculture in the United States is the extent to which production is becoming increasingly concentrated on a relatively few farms. In this study, a human ecological perspective and nationwide census data at the county level from 1982, 1987, and 1992 were used to explore concentration in the dairy, hog, and beef cattle industries. Wide differences were found in the extent of concentration from commodity to commodity and from county to county. It was found that in counties where the production of one commodity is highly concentrated, the production of other …

Editor's Note, Glenn D. Israel

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Geographic Information Systems: A Tool For Rural Community Research, Sarah Dewees, Timothy Collins

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Because of their traditional application in the environmental and geological sciences, geographic information systems are not usually considered to be useful tools for rural community research or analysis. The 1990 census made socio-economic data available at the block-group level, however, and this has facilitated the mapping of socio-economic variables in small areas. Insight, explanation, and understanding can come from seeing data in their spatial context. Citizen researchers in the Jackson County, KY, Empowerment Zone used block-group level data in maps of their county to study socio-economic patterns in their communities. This paper provides an example of a way to use …

Violence Prevention In Georgia's Rural Public Schools: Perceptions Of School Superintendents, Chet Ballard

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

A survey of school superintendents in 81 public school systems in rural Georgia was conducted to describe strategies being pursued to prevent school violence and promote a safe and disciplined learning environment. Among the surveyed superintendents, there was widespread recognition of school safety as a high priority item and evidence of use of law enforcement and technology to deter violence in schools. Descriptive data analysis suggests that school size and county economic conditions relate to school superintendents’ assessment of school safety and potential for violence. This research addresses a void in the literature on violence in rural schools and provides …

The Challenge Of Welfare Reform: Earnings And The Cost Of Living In Rural Kentucky, Julie N. Zimmerman, Lorraine Garkovich

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The passage in 1996 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Act may well mark the single most consequential social legislation of this decade, especially for rural southern families, for it marked a fundamental shift in the welfare system in the U.S. No longer focused on hardship relief, cash assistance now has a work-first focus, with mandatory work requirements and lifetime limits for recipients. Underlying this legislation have been four assumptions about the nature of the labor market and welfare recipients' characteristics and opportunities. This article examines the utility of these assumptions, especially in the context of the regional and …

Perceived Barriers To Labor Force Participation Among Welfare Recipients In West Virginia, Melissa Latimer

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This research utilizes data collected by the Children's Policy Institute (CPI) of West Virginia in 1993 to identify perceived barriers to labor force participation for families with children receiving AFDC and/or Food Stamps. By merging data on West Virginia from several county-level data sources with the CPI data, this multi-level research identifies the major barriers West Virginia welfare recipients perceive as limiting their labor force participation (i.e., as explaining their current unemployment status). This research also examines how the barriers identified vary among welfare recipients.

A Sociological Perspective Of The Mobile Home In Appalachian Eastern Kentucky, Travis Lance George

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Sociology by Travis Lance George on December 2, 1998.

Leaving The Good Life: Predicting Migration Intentions Of Rural Nebraskans, Rebecca Filkins, John C. Allen, Sam Cordes

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Much has been written about the population turnaround in the nonmetropolitan United States in the 1990's. While only 45% of the nonmetropolitan counties experienced population growth during the 1980's, it was estimated that nearly 74% of the these counties grew between 1990 and 1994 (Johnson, 1996). However, over one-half of Nebraska’s nonmetropolitan counties have continued to experience population declines between 1990 and 1997 (Population Estimates Program, Population Division, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Washington, DC). The question then remains, “Why are people moving from nonmetropolitan counties in Nebraska?” This paper attempts to answer that question by analyzing the migration intentions …

First-Class Versus Pre-Canceled Postage: A Cost/Benefit Analysis, R. Filkins, John C. Allen, Sam Cordes

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

This paper examines the costs and benefits of using first-class postage compared to non-profit, pre-canceled postage in inducing response to a self-administered mail questionnaire. An experiment was conducted with the outgoing postage for the 1998 Nebraska Rural Poll. Twenty-five percent of the outgoing questionnaires were mailed with first-class postage, with the remaining seventy-five percent having non-profit, pre-canceled postage affixed. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in response rates between the two groups, there were no differences in demographic characteristics between the two postage groups, and the use of non-profit, pre-canceled postage resulted in substantial cost savings.

Nebraska’S Changing Agriculture: Perceptions About The Swine Industry, John C. Allen, Rebecca Filkins, Sam Cordes, Eric Jarecki

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

The livestock industry has been restructuring during the past several decades, resulting in fewer and larger farms as well as some vertical integration. One particular livestock sector, hogs, has received much attention in Nebraska during the past year. An increase in the applications for new hog confinement facilities has caused concern for some rural residents. Some are worried about environmental damage, while others are concerned about economic implications for smaller farms. However, supporters of these facilities point to additional jobs and other economic benefits they can bring to a community. Given these issues, how do rural Nebraskans feel about large-scale …

Rural Nebraskans’ Perceptions Of Tax Restructuring And Local Schools, John C. Allen, Rebecca Filkins, Sam Cordes, Eric J. Jarecki

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

School finance in Nebraska has been altered dramatically in recent years. School districts have been required to reduce their property tax levy to $1.10 per $100 in valuation this year. In addition, the formula for state aid has been changed. Many schools are scrambling to make changes to reach this levy lid. Some are considering cutting programs, cutting staff or even consolidation to deal with the limited funding. Many of these changes in school funding have resulted from a demand by Nebraskans for lower taxes and controlled government spending. Given these issues, how do rural Nebraskans feel about the current …

Community Life In Rural Nebraska: Trends And Comparisons, John C. Allen, Rebecca Filkins, Sam Cordes, Eric Jarecki

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Nebraska’s rural communities have undergone many changes in recent years. The development of a global economy and pressures to consolidate services and government offices are some of the challenges that rural communities are currently facing. How have these changes affected rural Nebraskans’ perceptions of their communities? Do their perceptions differ by the size of their community, the region in which they live, or by their occupation?

This report details results of 4,196 responses to the 1998 Nebraska Rural Poll, the third annual effort to take the pulse of rural Nebraskans. Respondents were asked a series of questions about their community …

Rural Nebraskans’ Quality Of Life: Trends And Contributing Factors, John C. Allen, Rebecca Filkins, Sam Cordes, Eric J. Jarecki

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Nebraska’s economy and population have shown growth during recent years. Agricultural producers are experiencing change as well with the implementation of a new farm program. How have these changes affected rural Nebraskans at a local level? How do they perceive their quality of life? Do their perceptions differ by the size of their community, the region in which they live or by their occupation?

This report details results of 4,196 responses to the 1998 Nebraska Rural Poll, the third annual effort to take the pulse of rural Nebraskans. Respondents were asked a series of questions about their general well-being and …

Improving The Quality Of Child Care In The Rural South, Margaret E. Griffin, R. Dwight Hare, Patrica A. Baggerly, Melinda M. Leftwich, Sue Standifer, Susan A. Elkins

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A collaborative of six social service agencies and a state university determined that the single most pressing need of families in a 14-county, rural area was child care. The Training Resource Center, developed through a W K. Kellogg Foundation grant, worked with day care licensing and early childhood professional groups to develop a plan to address the systemic nature of the problem of how to improve the quality of child care. Programs developed included training, mentoring, NAEYC accreditation, and a resource library. After 15 months, some programs show the possibility of sustainability.

The Nation In The Village: War And Migration In Narratives Of Egyptian Peasants, Reem Saad

Faculty Book Chapters

The second of two issues, this volume covers aspects of Egyptian society. Contributors include: Donald Cole, Soraya Altorki, Asef Bayat, Eric Denis, Enid Hill, Ziad Bahaeddin, Malak Rouchdy, Linda Herrera, Jim Napoli, Hussein Amin, Mahmoud al-Lozy, Cynthia Nelson, and Shahnaz Rouse.

Nebraska’S Changing Agriculture: Perceptions About The Swine Industry, Rebecca J. Vogt

Nebraska Rural Poll

Rural Nebraskans’ Quality of Life: Trends and Contributing Factors

Rural Nebraskans’ Perceptions Of Tax Restructuring And Local Schools, Rebecca J. Vogt

Nebraska Rural Poll

The Rural Workplace and Technology Utilization: Results from the 1997 Annual Nebraska Rural Poll

Community Life In Rural Nebraska: Trends And Comparisons, Rebecca J. Vogt

Nebraska Rural Poll

Rural Development Strategies for Nebraska: Results from the 1997 Annual Nebraska Rural Poll

Rural Nebraskans’ Quality Of Life: Trends And Contributing Factors, Rebecca J. Vogt

Nebraska Rural Poll

Community Life in Rural Nebraska: Results from the 1997 Annual Nebraska Rural Poll

Review Of The Prairie Schoolhouse By John Martin Campbell, Sally Salisbury Stoddard

Great Plains Quarterly (through 2013)

John Martin Campbell, in this fine book consisting of sixty black and white, well conceived photographic plates and explicative text, has created an evocative picture of the prairie schoolhouses, the age from which they sprang, their environment, and the people for whom these formulaic structures fulfilled many functions. Older folks who grew up in the largely poor, rural areas of the vast American prairies will easily identify with Tony Hillerman's anecdote in the foreword, and they will surely experience a deep nostalgia and a profound sadness for the decay of the schoolhouse concept as well as the decay of the …

Barriers To Effective Programming Of Rural Gifted And Talented Students, Linda K. Moehring

Graduate Research Papers

Gifted and talented students in rural areas have barriers that are specific to them. Through a review of literature on gifted and talented students in rural schools this writer has determined five barriers to effective educational programming: (1) Anti-intellectualism as a societal attitude; (2) isolation of rural gifted students; (3) the all-encompassing role of the gifted and talented teacher; (4) inadequate curricular or programming opportunities; and (5) lack of funding.

The review and analysis of literature on the rural gifted and talented include the recommendation that much more research needs to be conducted in the area of service to rural …

Industrial Development In Indonesia, Development For Whom?: A Case Study Of Women Who Work In Factories In Rural West Java, Peter J. Hancock

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research was conducted in order to address two major research questions: 1) To what extent and in what ways are a cohort of female factory workers in Sundanese West Java influential in the cultural, social and economic development of the geographic area in which they live and more specifically within their own households? 2) To what extent does the Indonesian state support or inhibit such development? In order to answer these and other secondary research questions I conducted qualitative and quantitative research. I used a theoretical framework which directed the methodology, questionnaires and both qualitative and quantitative data was …