Rural Sociology Commons^™

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.

The Mayos: African-American Artists Of The Heartland

Publications and Exhibits

This oral history project and exhibit pays tribute to two outstanding African-American folk artists with roots in Mount Vernon, Ohio: Walter O. Mayo (1878-1970) and his son, Walter L. “Bud” Mayo (1908-2000). Kenyon students Margaret Tazewell (’03) and Jessica Philips (’04) conducted interviews with family and community members, traced and documented artworks in the community, and mounted an exhibit and public conversation at Kenyon’s Olin Gallery in January 23-February 23, 2003.

Working Together: Rural Nebraskans’ Views Of Regional Collaboration, Rebecca J. Vogt

Nebraska Rural Poll

Perceptions of Safety and Crime in Rural Nebraska

Rural Nebraskans' Opinions On Raising Taxes To Fund Education And Public Aid, Rebecca J. Vogt

Nebraska Rural Poll

Quality of Life in Rural Nebraska: Trends and Changes

Individual And Community Well-Being: Perceptions Of Change In Rural Nebraska, Rebecca J. Vogt

Nebraska Rural Poll

Business Transfer and Retention in Rural Nebraska

Perceptions Of Safety And Crime In Rural Nebraska, Rebecca J. Vogt

Nebraska Rural Poll

Investing in the Future of Nebraska’s Rural Communities

A Statistical Analysis To Improve Public Perception Of A State University's Police Department, Stephanie Davis, Terri French, Nancy Stuefen

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper addresses the question "How friendly is the University Police Department?" (UPD). This question was included in a survey given to 792 students at a Midwestern State university in October 2002 and was conducted by the university's Introduction to Criminal Justice class. Survey results indicated that 35% of the survey respondents said that UPD was "not very friendly" 27.9% indicated UPD was "somewhat friendly" 18.8% indicated UPD was "never friendly," and 3.7% indicated UPD was "very friendly." The rest of the respondents (14.7%) did not respond to the question. The proposed program recommendation outlined in this paper were developed …

Globalization, Broiler Production, And Community Controversy In East Texas, Douglas H. Constance

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The poultry industry was the first livestock commodity sector to adopt an industrial organizational model. In recent years the pouItry industry has expanded beyond national boundaries into a globalized system of production. The globalization of agriculture and food is a frequent topic of discussion for researchers interested in rural society. A common focus of these discussions is the consequences of corporate penetration on rural areas and the ways local communities respond to such corporate actions. This paper uses the case of the introduction of large-scale broiler production in East Texas combined with a sociology of agriculture and food conceptual framework …

Bribing Biodiversity: Corruption, Participation, And Community-Based Management In Venezuela, Brooke Ann Zanetell, Barbara A. Knuth

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Widespread alarm over the continuing decline of marine and freshwater fisheries has prompted research on the theory and practice of community-based management (CBM). Considering the suite of possible CBM benefits--including local involvement, compliance with regulations, reduced enforcement costs, and sustainable resource use--it is understandable that CBM projects are on the rise. However, there is insufficient examination of the challenges to CBM and the context-specific feasibility of grassroots stewardship. In response, we applied an assessment framework to a Venezuelan fishery to evaluate the feasibility of CBM and to identify barriers to its fruition. We used a variety of methods in concert …