Rural Sociology Commons^™

The Concept Of Social Exclusion And Rural Development Policy, F. Dale Parent, Bonnie L. Lewis

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Since the early 1970s rural research and public education programs have been intensified in efforts to improve living conditions and strengthen community life in rural America (Southern Perspectives 2000). During much of the 1990s, the nation, including the rural South, experienced a growing economy, a booming stock market, and declining unemployment rates (Gibbs 2001). However, many serious social problems traditionally associated with the rural South remain to this day (Gibbs 2001). This paper introduces the concept of social exclusion, used extensively in European countries and now part of the European Union's official lexicon. Social exclusion is defined as the process …

Faith Based Initiatives And Black Churches: Relationships In A Small City, Said Sewell Iii

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This exploratory study examined characteristics of black churches in a small southern city that affected the likelihood that such churches would play an active role in faith-based community services. A formal mail survey of church ministers in black Protestant churches in this city was employed. Results were discussed in light of federal policies that promote faith-based initiatives to meet local social service needs. The results indicated that the majority of the black churches in this study were active in addressing local needs through indirect (sermons, lobbying local governments) rather than direct (program development and implementation) means. Among a range of …

New Opportunities For Social Research On Forest Landowners In The South, John Schelhas, Robert Zabawa, Joseph J. Molnar

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Many of the issues of importance to forest management and policy have important social components. Yet, in the South, social research on forests has lagged behind economic and biophysical research. In this paper we identify some important new opportunities for social research on forests in the South, focusing on non industrial private forests because they represent the majority of the South's timberland. We identify six important areas for social research. One, research on diversity of forest land owners and how different landowners relate to and use their forests. Two, social relationships of forest landowners, including household and family structure and …

One Step Further: Women's Access To And Control Over Farm And Forest Resources In The U.S. South, Sarah T. Warren

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The ownership and management of forested land by women in the United States has been largely unexamined. It may be inappropriately discounted, especially in regions such as the South, where private land ownership is extensive and forest industry is an important component of the economy. Here several data sources on female forest and woodland owner/operators are examined, focusing on the southern U.S. states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. It is clear that female-operated farms and farmlands are increasing, and that female farm operators employ different land use strategies from their male/other …

One Engineer And A Dog: Technological Change And Social Restructuring In Alabama's Pulp And Paper Industry, Peter R. Sinclair, Conner Bailey, Mark Dubois

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

We apply a commodity systems analysis to examine a series of changes that are transforming Alabama's pulp and paper industry. Alabama is a critical area for investigation because it lies at the heart of North America's principle pulp and paper production zone. Industry restructuring is a complex process involving the reorganization of capital and corporate ownership, as well as changes in technologies, which affect the labor process. For example, a recent spate of corporate mergers has resulted in concentration of mill ownership and has accelerated the prevalence of sub-contracting. Indeed, the expansion of sub-contracting into new realms raises the fundamental …

Historical Analysis Of Timber Dependency In Alabama, Glenn R. Howze, Laura J. Robinson, Joni F. Norton

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Almost every part of Alabama is heavily forested and by most standards the forest products industry is the state's leading industry. A significant portion of the total employment and the majority of the manufacturing employment of these counties are in forest product enterprises, criteria used here to define timber dependent counties. This paper will use the historical demographic, economic, and agricultural census data to trace the development of timber dependency in rural counties in Alabama. Understanding the social and land use history is critical in examining timber dependency in Alabama today. Conclusions will be drawn between rural and timber dependent …

Regional Comparisons Of Timber Dependency: The Northwest And The Southeast, Joni F. Norton, Glenn R. Howze, Laura J. Robinson

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

We perform a comparison of the timber dependency and socioeconomic characteristics of timber dependent counties for three states in the Northwest region (Idaho, Oregon, and Washington) and three states in the Southeast region (Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi) of the United States. The purpose of this research is to examine whether two forested areas of the United States experience timber dependency in similar ways. This research defines timber dependent counties as those with 20 percent or more of the total employment in forest-based industries. Questions related to forest-based employment patterns and socioeconomic correlates of timber dependency are examined. Tests of difference …

Public Interests In Private Property: Conflicts Over Wood Chip Mills In North Carolina, Sarah T. Warren

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The controversy over chip mills in North Carolina is part of a larger public discussion of forest policy throughout the southern Appalachians, Ozarks, and Ouachitas. Chip mills have become a symbol of forest resource exploitation in the southern Appalachians, and many studies and commissions have been established for analysis of the conflict. In this paper I describe the tensions that have arisen between new public views of appropriate property use and more traditional views of natural resource use. Based on the results of a social impact assessment conducted in the summer of 1999 as part of a broader study on …

Public Perceptions About Biotechnology, Don E. Albrecht

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Biotechnology represents a new generation of scientific and technological advancements and has the potential to result in profound changes in twenty-first century agriculture. Since the general public are the consumers of biotechnology products, public acceptance is vital. This article presents the results of a survey of a random sample of Texas residents on two significant issues. First, to what extent is the general public supportive of biotechnology, and second, are there some segments of the population that are more supportive of biotechnology than other segments. Survey results make it apparent that the Texas general public has a clear mandate about …

Working Together: Rural Nebraskans’ Views Of Regional Collaboration, John C. Allen, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Some people support regional collaboration because they believe it better enables communities to increase the region’s economic vitality and quality of life. However, others worry that such collaboration threatens individual communities’ identities and limits citizens’ access to services. How do rural Nebraskans view regional collaboration? Do they support combining certain services with neighboring communities or counties more than others? Are they already purchasing their goods and services outside their local community?

This report details 3,087 responses to the 2003 Nebraska Rural Poll, the eighth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions about regional …

An Economic Development Benchmarking System For Rural Michigan, George A. Erickcek, Brad R. Watts

Reports

Economic performance and conditions of Michigan's rural regions are compared and contrasted to a comparison group of similar rural regions in neighboring states, as well as to urban areas.

Rural Nebraskans' Opinions On Raising Taxes To Fund Education And Public Aid, John C. Allen, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

The state legislature has been debating several approaches to solve the shortage of money for the state budget. They have passed various tax increases as well as made reductions in the level of services provided. What do rural Nebraskans support doing to solve the budget issue for state aid, higher education and public aid? Which goods and services do they favor imposing the sales tax on? Do their opinions differ based on the size of their community or their age?

This report details 3,087 responses to the 2003 Nebraska Rural Poll, the eighth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. …

Individual And Community Well-Being: Perceptions Of Change In Rural Nebraska, John C. Allen, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Nebraska’s economy has continued to struggle during the past year. In addition, many rural communities are experiencing population decline. How have these changes affected rural Nebraskans? How do rural Nebraskans perceive their quality of life? Do their perceptions differ by community size, the region in which they live, or their occupation? How do they feel about their community? Are they planning to move from their community in the next year?

This report details 3,087 responses to the 2003 Nebraska Rural Poll, the eighth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions regarding their individual …

An Ethnographic Description Of Latino Immigration In Rural Arkansas: Intergroup Relations And Utilization Of Healthcare Services, Deborah O. Irwin

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Recent growth of Latino immigration in the rural south resulted in a 337 percent increase in the Latino population in Arkansas from 1990 to 2000 (Broadwater 2001; U.S. Census Bureau 2000). The purpose of this study was to examine perspectives of both the established non-Hispanic resident and new immigrant Latino regarding the "accommodation" processes occurring and the inherent changes both groups experience. This paper describes a rural/urban comparison of two issues: 1) intergroup relations between new Latino immigrants and the established non-Hispanic resident population, and 2) utilization of healthcare services by Latinos. Methods for this study included key informant interviews, …

Pines In Lines: Tree Planting, H2b Guest Workers, And Rural Poverty In Alabama, Josh Mcdaniel, Vanessa Casanova

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The southeastern United States has become the most important timber producing region in the country. Despite increases in productivity, questions remain regarding the industry's role in developing, or failing to develop, rural communities in many of the poorest areas of the South. This article examines the recruitment and employment of migrant and guest workers for forest management work, specifically tree planting and reforestation. Based on semi-structured interviews with 35 H2B guest workers and 18 labor contractors the article analyzes the linkages between forest management labor recruitment, poverty, local labor markets, and timber productivity in the State of Alabama. We describe …

Extension Services In The Transition From Post-Communist Agrarian Systems: The Case Of The Plant Protection Stations In Ukraine, Keith M. Moore, Edwin G. Rajotte, Charles Pitts, Igor Dolinniy, Olena Cholovska

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This paper addresses the transition of Ukrainian Plant Protection Stations (PPS) from technical agencies in the Soviet command economy to a public service for farmers in an emerging market economy. It opens with an overview of the circulation of agricultural knowledge and information in Soviet agriculture. During the transition, the fundamental knowledge-based problem for agricultural sector actors has been to recognize distinct private and public sectors which balance market incentives with the maintenance of social welfare and allow for adaptive decision-making with respect to technical, environmental, social, and financial trade-offs. Two annual surveys of plant protection stakeholders designed to improve …

Mexican Immigrant Communities In The South And Social Capital: The Case Of Dalton, Georgia, Rubén Hernández-León, Victor Zúñiga

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

During the 1990s, the South became a major new destination for Mexican and other Latino settled immigration. This paper contends that as Mexican immigrants have moved in sizable numbers to atypical destinations, they have also mobilized social capital and funds of knowledge from the historical concentrations of Latino settlement (i.e., Los Angeles and Chicago) to new areas, such as the South. Using qualitative and descriptive quantitative data collected in Dalton, Georgia, a small city located in the southern Appalachia region, this article shows how previously accumulated social capital and funds of knowledge are facilitating settlement with collective and individual level …

From Goldschmidt To Globalization: The Southern Model And Rural Development, Douglas H. Constance

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

2003 SRSA Presidential Address

Camas Calientes: Housing Adjustments And Barriers To Social And Economic Adaptation Among Georgia's Rural Latinos, Jorge H. Atiles, Stephanie A. Bohon

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

We examined conditions among Latinos in rural Georgia, using Morris and Winter's (1978) model for housing adjustment and adaptation, in order to develop a framework for extending the segmented assimilation model into the literature on residential assimilation. Morris and Winter's model is predicated on the notion that persons who suffer from multiple normative deficits will deviate from housing norms. We argue that significant deviations from housing norm's may lead to delayed incorporation or, at worst, downward assimilation. Using unstructured interviews with key informants and focus groups with Latino residents in four rural counties, we find that Latino immigrants in rural …

Latinos In The South: A Glimpse Of Ongoing Trends And Research, Rogelio Saenz, Katherine M. Donato, Lourdes Gouveia, Cruz Torres

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Since the late 1980s, there has been a tremendous amount of reshifting in the Latino population of the United States. This movement has resulted in the increasing settlement of Latinos in areas of the country that have historically not had Latino populations, particularly in rural settings. In particular, areas in the South and Midwest have experienced significant growth in the Latino population. This article provides an overview of this growth in the South using data from the 1990 and 2000 censuses. In addition, the article provides a brief description of the accompanying articles that are featured in this special issue …

Perceptions Of Safety And Crime In Rural Nebraska, John C. Allen, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

There is a common perception that rural areas are generally safer compared to urban areas. However, many changes are occurring in rural Nebraska. Increased media attention has been given to methamphetamine use in rural areas of the state. Given all that, how safe do rural Nebraskans feel? Do they believe crime has increased in their community? Do their opinions differ by their region, size of their community or their occupation?

This report details 3,087 responses to the 2003 Nebraska Rural Poll, the eighth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions about personal safety. …

Nebraska Rural Physician Satisfaction & Retention Survey: Appendix A: Survey (With Results), Suzanne M. Minarick, John C. Allen

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

This paper examines the factors that influence the satisfaction and retention of family and general practice physicians in Nebraska’s 87 non-metropolitan counties. Extensive research has previously been done in the area of rural physician recruitment. This research project compares the existing research with current trends in physician recruitment. In addition, it provides further insight into the less-thoroughly studied area of rural physician retention.

Satisfaction with practice-related and lifestyle factors is measured and compared with the level of influence of those same factors in the initial practice selection decision. Demographic characteristics are also considered in the analysis of data and resultant …

Nebraska Rural Physician Satisfaction & Retention Survey: Appendix A: Survey (With Results), Suzanne M. Minarick, John C. Allen

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Abstract of accompanying report: This paper examines the factors that influence the satisfaction and retention of family and general practice physicians in Nebraska's 87 non-metropolitan counties. Extensive research has previously been done in the area of rural physician recruitment. This research project compares the existing research with current trends in physician recruitment. In addition, it provides further insight into the less-thoroughly studied area of rural physician retention.

Satisfaction with practice-related and lifestyle factors is measured and compared with the level of influence of those same factors in the initial practice selection decision. Demographic characteristics are also considered in the analysis …

The Impacts Of Migration On Establishment Of Social Capital And Environmental Degradation In Kibwezi, Kenya, Eveily Freeman

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Community Correlates Of Rural Youth Violence, D. Wayne Osgood, Jeff M. Chambers

Center on Children, Families, and the Law: Faculty Publications

Rates of crime and delinquency vary widely across communities, and research going back many decades provides a good understanding of the nature, correlates, and probable causes of these community differences. Unfortunately, previous studies have been limited in an important way. Virtually all studies of communities and crime are based on large urban areas, almost totally excluding nonmetropolitan areas—that is, rural areas and smaller cities and towns. The findings in this Bulletin help to fill some gaps in the research by examining variations in rates of juvenile violence across nonmetropolitan communities in Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, and South Carolina.

Social disorganization is …

Agroecosystems Analysis From The Grass Roots: A Multidimensional Experiential Learning Course, Mary Wiedenhoeft, Steve Simmons, Ricardo Salvador, Gina Mcandrews, Charles A. Francis, James W. King, David Hole

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

An intensive, experiential travel course in Agroecosystems Analysis was conducted in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska (United States) during summers of 1998 and 1999. The intended student audience was advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students. Pretravel readings and a week-long series of farm visits, which consisted of in-depth interviews with the farmers and their families, prepared student teams to analyze and evaluate the production, economic, environmental, and social sustainability of 10 farms. Students shared their analyses both orally and in written reports. Based on a multifaceted student evaluation process, we found that participants were highly motivated, strongly engaged with the course …

Relationship Between Community Satisfaction And Migration Intentions Of Rural Nebraskans, Rebecca J. Vogt, John C. Allen, Sam Cordes

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Though many non-metropolitan counties in the United States experienced population gains in the 1990's, many of the non-metropolitan counties in the Great Plains continued to experience population declines. Thus, the reasons that people are moving need to be explored. This paper examines possible reasons by analyzing the relationship between community satisfaction and migration intentions of non-metropolitan Nebraskans. Data used for this analysis were from an annual survey mailed to 7,000 residents living in non-metropolitan counties in the state. The survey data were analyzed at two levels. First, demographic comparisons were made between those who planned to stay in their communities …

Inside Unlv, Gian Galassi, Jennifer Vaughan, Carol C. Harter, Carolyn Sabo

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Educational Decision-Making, Gender, And The Question Of Sustainable Development In Rural Kenya, Nathan Ziegler

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Incorporating Local Knowledge Into Population And Habitat Viability Assessments: Landowners And Tree Kangaroos In Papua New Guinea, Philip J. Nyhus, J Williams, J Borovansky, O Byers, P Miller

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.