Rural Sociology Commons^™

Sociology Of Agriculture And Food Beginning And Maturity: The Contribution Of The Missouri School (1976-1994), Alessandro Bonanno

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Sociology of agriculture and food (SAF) is one of the most visible substantive subareas in Rural Sociology and a growing subarea in Sociology. While the studying of agriculture has always been a part of Rural Sociology, it was in the 1970s that the process that led to a clear and formal distinction between Rural Sociology and SAF began. SAF grew stronger in the 1980s and became established in the 1990s. This paper reviews salient theoretical and historical events that engendered the establishment and growth of SAF as a separate substantive area from Rural Sociology. Additionally, it reviews its development in …

2009 Srsa Presidential Address: Modification And Adaptation In Rural Sociology: Part I, Gene L. Theodori

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The 2009 Southern Rural Sociological Association Presidential Address

Contested Globalization Of The Agrifood System: A Missouri School Analysis Of Sanderson Farms And Seaboard Farms In Texas, Douglas H. Constance

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The Missouri School of Agrifood Studies began with a focus on the power of agribusiness corporations in relation to quality of life of farmers and their related communities. The poultry industry was the first commodity studied, with later research into other commodity sectors and then the global dimensions of this process. In this paper I continue the Missouri School agenda by focusing on the entry of the poultry firm Sanderson Farms and the hog firm Seaboard Farms into Texas. This paper combines a sociology of the agrifood system conceptual framework with two case studies of agribusiness expansion in Texas to …

Masculine Identity Work Among Missouri Noodlers: Community Providers, Pleasure Seeking Comrades, Family Men, And Tough Courageous Men, Mary Grigsby

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This qualitative research, based on interviews and participant observation conducted between 2005 and 2008, examines patterned variations in the masculine identity work of Missouri men noodlers between the ages of 18 and 90. Noodling or hand fishing is a folk tradition that involves submerging in lakes or rivers and feeling under the banks for holes where large catfish are spawning. The fingers are used as a lure to catch the catfish by hand. Noodling is contested terrain in which men with differing age cohort-based identity needs emphasize certain aspects from the tool kit of noodling culture over others. Cohort differences …

Bios Of Contributors To This Special Issue, Anna M. Kleiner, John J. Green

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

biographies of the contributors to this special issue of Southern Rural Sociology, in alphabetical order

Global Climate Change: Opinions And Perceptions Of Rural Nebraskans, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell, Miguel A. Carranza, Bruce B. Johnson, David J. Peters

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

It is predicted that the earth’s climate will change because of the buildup of greenhouse gases. However, the exact effect of these gases on the climate is difficult to predict. Given these conditions, what do rural Nebraskans think about global climate change? Do they think global climate change will impact them? What are their opinions about the causes and effects of global climate change? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions.

This report details 2,496 responses to the 2008 Nebraska Rural Poll, the thirteenth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions …

Place Matters: Challenges And Opportunities In Four Rural Americas, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Leslie R. Hamilton, Cynthia M. Duncan, Chris R. Colocousis

Carsey Publications

A survey of 7,800 rural Americans in 19 counties across the country has led to the Carsey Institute's first major publication that outlines four distinctly different rural Americas—amenity, decline, chronic poverty, and those communities in decline that are also amenity-rich—each has unique challenges in this modern era that will require different policies than their rural neighbors.

Edmonson County, Kentucky - New Deal Program Files (Mss 95), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and list of Civilian Conservation Corps applicants (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Collection 95. Administrative files, chiefly applications and correspondence, for three Edmonson County, Kentucky New Deal programs: the Civilian Conservation Corps, the National Youth Administration, and the Works Progress Administration.

Energy Use And Concerns Of Rural Nebraskans, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell, Miguel A. Carranza, Bruce Johnson, David J. Peters

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Energy prices have steadily increased during the past year. Rural residents are now faced with higher costs to drive and heat and cool their homes. Given these conditions, how much of a problem have rising energy costs been for rural Nebraskans? What are their opinions on future energy sources? What changes have they made or do they plan to make due to the price increases? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions.

This report details 2,496 responses to the 2008 Nebraska Rural Poll, the thirteenth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of …

Does The Corn/Soybean Farmer Have Time For Alternative Crops? [Abstract], Lori A. Hoagland, Laurie Hodges, Glenn A. Helmers, James R. Brandle, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Diversification of traditional row-crop farming in the Corn Belt is seen as advantageous in providing a wider economic base, decreasing economic risk associated with the link between commodity grain and cattle, increasing net farm income, and increasing biodiversity in the region. As farm size has increased to provide sufficient farm income, farm operations during the critical planting and harvesting windows are seen as limits to additional on-farm enterprises.

The Rise Of Agrarian Capitalism With Chinese Characteristics: Agricultural Modernization, Agribusiness And Collective Land Rights, Qian Forrest Zhang, John A. Donaldson

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The article discusses the agricultural transformation taking place in the rural areas of China. Details about the Chinese laws regarding rural reform and the effect they have had on rural Chinese farmers and families are included. The authors examine the expansion of agrarian capitalism in China and describe the rise of agribusiness in rural Chinese areas. The practices of Chinese agribusinesses and the Chinese land rights laws are explored. The relationships between individual farmers and agribusinesses is also examined.

Lessons Learned From Advocating Csas For Low-Income And Food Insecure Households, Susan Andreatta, Misty Rhyne, Nicole Dery

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This paper reports on the lessons learned from a project designed to connect local small-scale farmers with low-income households in the Piedmont Region of central North Carolina. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) arrangements were used to assist farmers by prepaying for fresh farm products. Building community through alternative food systems and civic agriculture underlies the project design of this CSA project. Payments to farmers were made by North Carolina’s food policy council. Selected low-income households received CSA shares of farm fresh products. Results focus on access to local, farm fresh products, changes in cooking practices of the CSA participants, as well …

Motivations For Participating In Community-Supported Agriculture And Their Relationship With Community Attachment And Social Capital, Joan M. Brehm, Brian W. Eisenhauer

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The social fabric of rural communities is continuing to change as we move toward a more globalized society and food economy, and the vitality of rural agricultural communities in particular may be declining (Berry 1999). In response to these changes, efforts are underway in many parts of the United States to counteract this global, industrial food system and by implication, increase the vitality and sustainability of rural communities. One effort that is gaining momentum is the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement, which involves local farmers and community members working together as partners to create a sustainable local food system. It …

Slow Food Lessons In The Fast Food Midwest, Heather Mcilvaine-Newsad, Christopher D. Merrett, William Maakestad, Patrick Mclaughlin

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

During the latter half of the twentieth century, the American food system was transformed by a technological revolution in American agriculture. While these changes provided benefits such as lower-cost food, it also generated concerns that the unconditional embrace of technology would harm rural communities and the environment. Additional concerns were raised about food quality and food safety. Through a case study of a rural Midwestern farming community, this paper examines how direct consumer to producer marketing strategies such as community supported agriculture (CSA) and the public’s current fascination with the heritage of farming may offer a subset of producers and …

Attendance At Religious Meetings And Community Involvement, Gene L. Theodori, Chyrel A. Mayfield

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Data collected in a general population survey from a random sample of individuals in two rural communities in Texas were used to examine the association between religious involvement and civic participation empirically. Support was found for the hypothesis that attendance at religious meetings is positively associated with community involvement. Results of the analysis of covariance also suggest that certain sociodemographic factors are significant predictors of community involvement. Possible implications of these findings for community developers, public leaders, Cooperative Extension Service personnel, and other practitioners are addressed. Recommendations for involving religious institutions in community development initiatives are also advanced.

Alternative And Conventional Agricultural Representations In The United States: Results From Two National Mail Surveys, 1992 And 2001, Gregory Fulkerson

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This article examines the ways in which perceptions of agriculture are represented by the American public. Presented here are descriptive and exploratory findings from two national mail surveys that asked Americans about their views of agriculture, food, and the environment. I focus specifically on views related to the structure of agriculture as well as those related to the use of technology in food production. The goals of this study are to identify which sociodemographic segments of the American public favor alternative over conventional attitudes and to determine how this has changed over time. Overall, support for both alternative structure and …

Produce Sections, Town Squares, And Farm Stands: Comparing Local Food Systems In Community Context, Stephen Gasteyer, Sarah A. Hultine, Leslie R. Cooperband, M. Patrick Curry

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

A growing literature has grappled with the emergence of local food systems as an alternative to the conventional agricultural model and assumes that the development of local food system venues, such as farmers’ markets, are positive community-building initiatives. Too often left out of this discourse are empirical assessments of the community characteristics that lend themselves to the success of farmers’ markets or similar initiatives. Further, when farmers’ markets are not significantly patronized by community members, does this necessarily mean that people do not value local produce? This article uses the results from surveys of farmers’ market consumers and case studies …

Sustainable Agriculture And The Social Sciences: Getting Beyond Best Management Practices And Into Food Systems, Jeffrey L. Jordan, Douglas H. Constance

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This paper introduces the special issue of Southern Rural Sociology and lays the groundwork for the rest of the papers. The genesis of this special issue flows from the efforts of the Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (S-SARE) program to bring more social science research into its portfolio of projects. Our concern is that by providing best management practices (Band-Aids) to a fundamentally unsustainable agricultural system, the sustainable agriculture movement (and SARE’s granting program) favors the environmental component at the expense of economic and social “legs” of the sustainable stool. While focusing on the history and work of …

The Role Of Southern Sare Projects In Enhancing The Quality Of Life In Rural Communities In The South, Keiko Tanaka, Victoria Mundy Bhavsar

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

As an institutional mechanism, funding agencies play a key role in actualizing perspectives about sustainable agriculture by funding research, education, and outreach activities. This paper examines trends in sustainable agriculture research and education projects funded by the Southern SARE program in the last 15 years. First, it analyzes key trends in the research foci of 174 projects, which demonstrate two main threads of thought and research in sustainability: one oriented toward addressing production issues and the other toward community issues. The paper then examines projects that use “quality-of-life measures” to guide their research processes and discusses common challenges that these …

Barriers To Entry Into The Specialty Red Meat Sector: The Role Of Food Safety Regulation, Michelle R. Worosz, Andrew J. Knight, Craig K. Harris, David S. Conner

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Historically, the rules governing red meat food safety in the U.S. were driven as much by global trade and industry rationalization as by food safety. Contemporary and historical documents, statutes, and regulations; a survey of producer and farmers’ market representatives; and key informant interviews show that these rules, and their implementation, have affected the current development of niche marketing opportunities. Three significant issues arise from this research: a) the elimination of the state meat inspections limits producer access to slaughter; b) the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) rule limits producer access to processing; and c) uncertainty at the …

On The Diversity Of Friendship And Network Ties: A Comparison Of Religious Versus Nonreligious Group Membership In The Rural American South, Jeremy Porter, Susannah M. Brown

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Social science has long been interested in the effects and predictors of community participation, especially regarding voluntary membership or civic participation. Likewise, the role of social institutions has been given much attention in understanding their possible effect as an outlet for both individual desires to become civically engaged as well the institution’s ability to shelter an individual and surround them with others like themselves. We use data from the 2000 Social Capital Benchmark Survey to examine the effect of group membership on the overall diversity of friendships. The diversity of friendships gives us a good proxy to the degree of …

Conventionalization, Bifurcation, And Quality Of Life: Certified And Non-Certified Organic Farmers In Texas, Douglas H. Constance, Jin Young Choi, Holly Lyke-Ho-Gland

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Organic agriculture has been advanced as a production system that improves environmental quality and supports rural community development. Recent developments in organics have called into question both assertions. Researchers have argued that the advent of national-level organic standards has contributed to the conventionalization and bifurcation of organics. Conventionalization refers to the process by which organic agriculture increasingly takes on the characteristics of mainstream industrial agriculture. Bifurcation refers to the process by which the organic agriculture adopts a dual-structure of smaller, lifestyle-oriented producers and larger, industrial-scale producers. This research examines the conventionalization and bifurcation theses through a comparison of certified organic …

Expanding The Marketing Opportunities And Sustainable Production Potential For Minority And Limited-Resource Agricultural Producers In Louisiana And Mississippi, Anna M. Kleiner, John J. Green

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The expansion of sustainable agriculture requires the development of alternative production techniques and marketing strategies. Unfortunately, just as with the dominant agrifood system, minority and limited resource producers are often not incorporated into planning processes. As an attempt to forge an alternative framework, this paper provides findings and recommendations from an exploratory planning project funded by the Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture and Education (SARE) program designed to bring together traditionally-underserved producers, their membership organizations, regional nonprofit organizations and universities, and a variety of customer interests. Participants worked collaboratively to identify opportunities and challenges associated with expanding access to diverse agricultural …

Conservation Use And Quality Of Life In A Rural Community: An Extension Of Goldschmidt's Findings, Jason Shaw Parker, Richard H. Moore

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Agricultural conservation offers environmental benefits to farm families and others in the community as well as those living downstream. Studies of farmer conservation behavior have concluded that Best Management Practice adoption is not explained by innovation-diffusion, rational choice and farm structure models alone. As suggested by findings from the Sugar Creek Watershed, additional factors contribute to a land owner’s motivation for implementing conservation practices that go beyond economic or self-interested behavior; these motivations extend conservation behavior to social acts of stewardship where adoption takes place more often on medium-sized family farms. In this paper, Goldschmidt’s findings relating farm size and …

Rural Life Census Data Center Newsletter: South Dakota's Child Poverty Change, Trevor Brooks, Saileza Khatiwada, Donna Hess

Census Data Center Newsletter Archive: 2007-2010

When people think of poverty in the United States, many picture inner-city ghettos with homeless men begging for money on a street corner. Yet poverty is often more severe in rural areas and affects children more than any other group (Tickameyer and Duncan 1990). In 2005, nearly all of the United States counties with the highest percentage of children in poverty were rural (O’Hare and Mather 2008).

Child Poverty In New Hampshire, Kristin Smith

Carsey Publications

No abstract provided.

The State Of Coos County: Local Perspectives On Community And Change, Chris R. Colocousis

Carsey Publications

Coos County residents are largely optimistic about their future despite significant economic challenges, especially in the Berlin/Gorham area. As part of a three-pronged effort to understand the ongoing changes in New Hampshire's North Country and surrounding counties, researchers at the Carsey Institute have surveyed more than 1,700 adult residents of Coos County, New Hampshire, and Oxford County, Maine.

Neagle, Sue (Fa 242), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 242. Paper: "Then and Now" written by Sue Neagle for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Branding Your Community, Milan Wall

Heartland Center for Leadership Development Materials

Connections: Using a Brand Creation Approach to Community Identity

Origins of the Branding Concept

Even far back in the middle ages when artists and artisans began to form guilds or associations together, many hallmarks or identifying symbols were used as a signatures by artisans to lay claim to the result of his or her work. Another important, and American reference, comes from the days before fences divided up the frontier and cattle owners found a way to mark and identify their own cattle by branding them with a personalized symbol. Even today, many purebred horses are carefully inspected and only …

Branding Your Community, Milan Wall

Heartland Center for Leadership Development Materials

Branding Your Community

Table of Contents:

Connections: Using a Brand Creation Approach to Community Identity

Case Study: Superior, Nebraska

Mapping Community Assets: An Overview

SOAR Analysis

About Appreciative Inquiry

The Marketing Process: Attention, Attraction and Action

Marketing Your Community

Back Home Ideas

Tips for Creating Community Brands

Workshop Evaluation