Rural Sociology Commons^™

Research Report: Insights Into Community, Heather Akin, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Mary Emery, Katelyn Larson, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer, Rebecca J. Vogt

Nebraska Rural Poll

Rural Nebraskans are more positive about the current change in their communities this year but are less positive about its future. Starting three years ago, the proportion believing their community changed for the worse was more than the proportion believing it had changed for the better (similar to what occurred in 2003 and 2009). However, last year that trend reversed back to the typical pattern and continued this year. This year, more people believe their community has changed for the better than has changed for the worse. When asked about what they expect ten years from now, this year more …

The Effect Of Participation In A Place-Based Engineering Learning Experience On Engineering Career Aspiration Of Nebraska’S Rural Students: A Mixed Method Study, Samereh Soleimani Babadi

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Masters Project Reports

This study investigates the influence of a place-based, hands-on engineering learning experience on rural middle school students' engineering career aspirations, using Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) as a framework. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we explored how these localized learning experiences shape students' career goals through socio-cognitive factors such as self-efficacy, outcome expectations, goals, and interest. Quantitative analysis of pre- and post-activity surveys revealed significant increases in career aspiration scores, particularly among students from farming backgrounds and female students with initially lower expectations. Path analyses indicated that self-efficacy and interest were the strongest mediators between Place-based learning and engineering career aspirations. …

The Geography Of Care: Rural Versus Urban Caregiver Perspectives On Community Resources For Parkinson’S Disease Management, Rebecca Jones

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated the experiences and perceptions of caregivers for individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) in rural versus urban settings, with particular emphasis on their access to and utilization of community resources. Through semi-structured interviews with 30 caregivers, the research explored how geographical location impacts caregiving challenges, support systems, and resource accessibility. Using Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use as a theoretical framework, the study revealed both universal caregiving challenges and location-specific barriers. While all caregivers reported significant emotional burden and healthcare system navigation difficulties, rural caregivers faced distinct challenges related to resource accessibility and specialized care availability. …

Farming As Life: Reframing Smallholder Farming As A Site Of Self-Sufficiency And Cultural Heritage In Botswana, Natasha Yen

Pitzer Senior Theses

Dominant neoliberal frameworks often frame smallholder farming through a deficiency lens, reducing it to metrics of productivity, efficiency, and profitability. These perspectives overlook the deeper material, cultural, and social significance that farming holds in the lives of smallholder farmers. In Botswana—where approximately 70% of the rural population engages in smallholder farming—farming remains a vital part of everyday life, yet few studies adopt a culturalist or holistic lens to examine its meaning. To center smallholder farmers’ lived experiences and perspectives, this study is based on semi-structured interviews with ten smallholder farmers in southeast Botswana. Grounded in a culturalist framework and critical …

Campesino World-Building: Stories Of Migration, Memory, And Care In The Tension Of The Colonial Frame, Chelsea Ríos Gómez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Campesinos, often reduced to the label of “farmworkers”, are too often seen only through the lens of their labor within profit-driven systems. This thesis disrupts that limited narrative by illuminating the rich, expansive nature of vivencias campesinas, ways of being that transcend capitalist measures of value. These vivencias are lived, embodied experiences rooted in campesino lifeways, encompassing cultural, spiritual, and relational practices that nurture and sustain life.

My research is guided by four central questions: (1) In what ways have campesinos in pixley resisted exploitative labor systems, and how can this resistance be understood as a form of care labor? …

Emplacing Deaths Of Despair Within The Rural Mortality Penalty: The Spatial Inequality Of Violent Death Across Rural America, Cameron A. Mcalister

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

American life expectancy continues to diverge from most developed nations. Literature spanning several fields of scholarship has documented an uneven distribution of life expectancy between social groups and across geographic contexts. Frameworks such as “Deaths of Despair” and the rural mortality penalty describe the declining health trends among working class whites and rural America. But, conceptual development around these frameworks is still limited. This dissertation utilizes a rural sociological approach to bridging the gap between the Deaths of Despair framework and the rural mortality penalty by examining violent death patterns across diverse rural contexts. In doing so, I incorporate several …

Modern Feminist Social Movements In Rural America: A Three- Part Study, Susan Kroger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Modern feminist social movement can be characterized by several distinctive features. The use of social media, the incorporation of intersectionality, and the injection of policy into modern social movements requires a broad approach to these movements that allows for examination from multiple angles. The proposed project allows for a nuanced and thorough look into an existing social movement in rural America as it unfolds and examines that movement through several lenses. Additionally, the project incorporates current social movement and feminist theory and notes the importance of examining these theoretical perspectives through an applied lens: in order for change to occur, …

Support Needs Of Agrarian Women To Build Household Livelihood Resilience: A Case Study Of The Mekong River Delta, Tran Thi Ngoc Tran

Dissertations

Problem

Rural livelihood faces significant challenges due to the increasing frequency and severity of climate change impacts. However, the development of women’s livelihood resilience remains constrained by gender-blind policies, limited sex-disaggregated data, and a lack of integration of gender-specific needs and priorities in resilience-building interventions. This study aims to address these critical gaps. This study aims at exploring the perceived support needs of rural agrarian women in building household livelihood resilience to climate change. Specifically, it seeks to (1) understand how household livelihood resilience is perceived by rural agrarian women, and (2) identify the support they require to effectively adapt …

Rethinking Rural Identity: Reimagining Rural Politics, Matthew B. Kirk

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This work chiefly consists of a genealogical critique of rural identity. Tracing the development and deployment of the concepts of rurality and rural consciousness, I argue that our current depictions of rurality as “spatial other,” replete with its harmful stereotypes, stem from a misconception about the nature of power. Political theorists’ and political scientists’ appraisals of rurality suggest that the set of actions that define rural politics are a product of their relative powerlessness. Rural locales’ removal from the center of power in urban spheres means that rural politics is reduced to reactionary, violent, and conservative political thought and engagement. …

Community Belonging: Experiences Of Outsiderness In Appalachia, Erin Hudnall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study demonstrates the potential long standing social impacts of extractive industries in Appalachia, supported by historical data and literature that defines the region as a sacrifice zone or as resource cursed. As represented by key informants and the communities under observational study, West Virginia communities can exhibit dynamics indicative of collective trauma that is emplaced and complex in nature, given a historical high level of industrial intervention and social control that induced precarious economic, environmental, and social circumstances. Some of the main “symptoms” of this collective trauma are an aversion to outsider intervention and nostalgia about the past that …

The Significance And Impact Of Traditional Naming Practices In The Meru Community Of Tanzania, Wariaeli Ismaeli Pallangyo, Eliakimu Sane

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

In Africa, names are not assigned arbitrarily. They are deliberately chosen to reflect communities’ social, economic and political understandings. The Meru people, residing in northeastern Tanzania, near Mount Meru, identify themselves through ethnic names that embody their cultural practices. This article examines the significance of Meru traditional names, variations and their enduring value in increasing globalisation and cultural homogenisation, drawing on data from the Meru community. Employing a case study design, qualitative data were collected through focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with 49 participants recruited using snowball sampling. Thematic analysis, facilitated by Microsoft Excel, was utilised for data transcription …

Does Tourists’ Perception Of Social Responsibility Awareness Shape Tourists’ Environmental Behavior: A Case Study In A High Mountain Region, Amjad Ali

CBER Conference

Tourism has emerged as a crucial source of livelihood for high mountain communities in Pakistan, leading to a notable increase in tourist influx over the past few years (Ali and Shedayi, 2023). This growth has created numerous income-generating opportunities for local communities, particularly in the hotel and transport sectors, offering substantial employment to the local population. However, tourism has significant adverse environmental impacts on destinations, especially fragile mountain areas (Ali, 2021). Irresponsible tourist behavior exacerbates these adverse effects (Juvan & Dolnicar, 2017; Lee et al., 2013). Therefore, understanding tourist behavior is crucial for effective destination management and policymaking. Developing and …

Research Report: Housing, Heather Akin, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Mary Emery, Katelyn Larson, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer, Rebecca J. Vogt

Nebraska Rural Poll

Executive summary

Most rural Nebraskans support a variety of housing programs and priorities. The support for these various programs was similar to that found in 2016. At least three-quarters of rural Nebraskans would somewhat support or strongly support the following in their community: developing programs to help seniors age in their current home; offering low-interest loans or grants for repair, rehabilitation or home improvement; providing affordable rental housing; establishing a local program that would purchase and remove dilapidated houses making lots available for building; developing senior housing; purchasing, rehabilitating and reselling vacant housing; and establishing a local program that would …

Research Report: Artificial Intelligence, Heather Akin, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Mary Emery, Katelyn Larson, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer, Rebecca J. Vogt

Nebraska Rural Poll

Some rural Nebraskans have used artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Just over one-quarter have used any AI tool. However, most younger persons have used AI tools.

Given that, it is not surprising that most rural Nebraskans are not at all or slightly informed about artificial intelligence. Just over one-third are moderately informed about AI, and just over one in ten are either very or extremely informed about AI.

Most rural Nebraskans are either not at all or slightly confident that AI is being used in the best interest of the public. Just over one-half are not at all confident that it …

Chronic Absenteeism: The Journey Toward Improved Attendance And Achievement In A Rural Elementary School, Charla S. Brant

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This study examined a school’s improvement efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism in a rural, high-poverty elementary school. Through improvement science, it analyzed the effects of attendance interventions on attendance improvement. It is well known that students who do not regularly attend school will also struggle with adequate progress and growth in multiple subject areas. This study aimed to use Multi- Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to conduct specific attendance-based interventions and then evaluate their effectiveness in one rural high-poverty elementary school. It also analyzed the effect of attendance on literacy achievement measured by Acadience data. How can an elementary school …

Local Rural Knowledge And Early Childhood Informal Science Education In Rural Nebraska, Sarah Michelle Paulos

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This study aims to discover the existing experiences that lead to local rural knowledge (LRK) of specific rural Northeast Nebraska communities. This information will assist in understanding the impact that LRK has on young children’s science knowledge in rural communities. By engaging in hands-on experiences and interactions, science learning goals for children may be achieved and developed through science outreach programs. During Phase 1 of this study, adults in the selected rural communities participated in an online survey indicating their knowledge of various common rural phrases with the option to share personal stories of experiences and family history. This information …

Foster Care, Substance Use, And Social Determinants Of Health In South Carolina: A Geographic Approach, Patricia Carbajales-Dale

All Dissertations

Foster care is a critical intervention for vulnerable children, with approximately 400,000 children entering the system annually in the United States. Parental substance use, second only to neglect, is now a leading cause of foster care entry. While previous research has explored the relationship between socioeconomic factors and foster care, few studies have incorporated spatial approaches at the neighborhood level to understand how factors such as economic inequality, healthcare disparities, and substance use influence foster care entries. This study addresses that gap by integrating spatial analysis and machine learning techniques to examine the geographic and social dynamics underlying foster care …

The Meanings Of The Hospital De San Lázaro In Seventeenth-Century Manila, Francis Galasi

Journal of Global Catholicism

The Hospital de San Lázaro was a specialized health facility in the early modern Philippines, dedicated to the care of lepers and sufferers of other contagious diseases. While it was established for this specific purpose, its role in colonial society varied. This versatility reflected the distinct priorities and commitments of the groups pulled into its orbit, as each charged San Lázaro with a unique meaning. This article explores how and why these groups—the indigenous Filipinos, the Spanish residents and the Discalced Franciscans—understood San Lázaro in their own way. It highlights the ability of fixed institutions, such as a hospital, to …

Editor's Introduction, Mathew Schmalz

Journal of Global Catholicism

No abstract provided.

The Challenges Of Co-Developing Climate-Smart Strategies, Practices, And Technologies Among Research And Extension Teams, Michelle R. Worosz, Hannah Stewart, Mckayla Robinette, Brenda Ortiz, Rishi Prasad, Audrey Gambel, Leah Duzy

Journal of Extension

With climate-smart agriculture as the context, we explore one aspect of transdisciplinarity, the co-development of knowledge (CDK). Challenges were identified via matrix coding and word frequency queries of field day, meeting, and interview transcripts. Focusing on the Research-Extension team, we found they highly value collaboration and participatory-based projects, but developing trust-based relationships, enhancing long-term stakeholder investment, and understanding both team and stakeholder capacity was difficult. This paper informs transdisciplinary projects aimed at climate adaptation by illustrating the need for Research-Extension teams to take incremental steps towards CDK, to engage stakeholders before program planning, and to increase both interaction and reflexivity.

Research Report: Economy And Trade Policy, Heather Akin, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Mary Emery, Katelyn Larson, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyers, Rebecca J. Vogt

Nebraska Rural Poll

Most rural Nebraskans are somewhat or very concerned about their household’s cost of living, their household income, and their household’s financial situation. This was particularly true for certain groups, including persons with lower household incomes, younger persons, and persons with construction, installation, or maintenance occupations.

When asked about the impacts of international trade, most rural Nebraskans think it is good for Nebraska’s economy. Residents of the Panhandle are the regional group least likely to think trade is good for the state’s economy.

Many rural Nebraskans think international trade is good for creating jobs in Nebraska, for their own standard of …

Towards An Extended Resource Theory Of Marital Power: Parental Education And Household Decision-Making In Rural China, Cheng Cheng, Yu Xie

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Existing literature on the resource theory of marital power has focused on the relative resources of spouses and overlooked the resource contributions of spouses’ extended families. We propose an extended resource theory that considers how the comparative resources of a couple’s natal families are directly associated with marital power, net of the comparative resources of the couple. Using data from the China Panel Family Studies, we examine how the relative education of a couple’s respective parents affects the wife’s decision-making power, net of the relative education of the couple. Results suggest that the higher the wife’s parental education relative to …

The 2021 Kansas Rural Grocery Survey: Revaluating Extension’S Role In Rural Grocery Issues, Jacob A. Miller-Klugesherz, Jessica Ramirez, Rial Carver, Erica Blair, Leah J. Tsoodle, Lauren Scheufler

Journal of Extension

Kansas State University’s Rural Grocery Initiative, housed under research and extension, surveyed rural Kansas grocery stores in 2021 (N = 48). This is the second RGI survey, following up on the ownership and customer surveys in 2008. This survey broadly assesses owner characteristics, store features, and challenges. Using descriptive and thematic analyses, we identified two topline conclusions for grocers and their respective Extension services. First, grocers need to identify transition plans earlier and more often. Second, grocers can overcome competition and distribution challenges by diversifying their sourcing, supply, and offerings.

Research Report: Civil Discourse, Heather Akin, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Mary Emery, Katelyn Larson, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer, Rebecca J. Vogt

Nebraska Rural Poll

Most rural Nebraskans believe the lack of civil or respectful discourse in our political system is either a very serious or a somewhat serious problem. The responses were fairly similar to those received last year.

In addition, most rural Nebraskans think Americans are more divided over politics than they were 10 years ago. The responses are similar to those received last year.

Despite that feeling, most rural Nebraskans have friends who have political views that are very different from their own. Yet, some rural Nebraskans are no longer able to talk to friends or family members because of their views …

Promoting Community Responsive, Trauma-Informed Consultation Practices In Rural School Communities: A Mixed Methods Exploratory Sequential Approach, Elly Q. Maras

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rural youth are placed at greater risk for experiencing adverse childhood experiences, developing mental health disorders, and dying by suicide when compared with the general population. Due to a widespread need for better access to mental health treatment, many are left untreated. These concerns are often exacerbated by individual and systemic risk factors that are endemic to rural communities. Rural school districts are being asked to deliver mental health services to students, with school psychologists as key stakeholders. Though school psychologists are uniquely qualified to support this need, graduate programs typically do not provide adequate coursework and training on consultation …

Natural Resource Factors Promoting Urban And Rural Integrated Development In The New Era: Target Selection And Policy Design, Zhimin Zhang, Guohua Yuan, Ruilin Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Reconstructing the reverse flood of natural resource elements in rural and urban regional systems is the basic form of requirement for realizing urban-rural integration. Taking target selection-realistic obstacles-institutional demand-system construction as the logical main line, starting from the current situation of natural resource element allocation under the framework of urban-rural integrated development, it sorted out the problems existing in the urban-rural integrated development of natural resources such as asymmetrical property rights design, inconsistent bearing plans of various types, lack of natural resource revenue sharing mechanism, and poor asset flow channels and trading systems, with unified layout, power return, paid use, …

Research Report: Well-Being, Heather Akin, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Mary Emery, Katelyn Larson, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Rebecca J. Vogt

Nebraska Rural Poll

This year, rural Nebraskans are more pessimistic about their current situation than they’ve been since this study began. The proportion believing they are worse off than they were five years ago was 33 percent, up from 27 percent last year and 21 percent in 2022. This is the highest level across all years of the study. This increase in pessimism was matched with a sharp decrease in optimism. This year, just over one-third (36%) of rural Nebraskans believe they are better off compared to five years ago, down from 45 percent last year.

This trend continued when looking to the …

Post-Productivism And Rural Revitalization In China: Drivers And Outcomes, Meiling Wu, Qian Forrest Zhang, John A. Donaldson

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

We propose that post-productivism offers a useful analytical framework for understanding the multi-scalar and diverse changes that are taking place in China’s rural revitalization. As a theoretical framework that emerged from the study of rural changes in the Global North, the applicability of post-productivism in the Global South has been contested. This paper offers the first comprehensive analysis of the emergence of post-productivism in rural China and uses post-productivism as a framework to conceptualize a wide range of changes in China’s rural revitalization. We conceptually clarify the driving forces that give rise to post-productivism and the outcomes these drivers produce. …

Assessing Corporate Social Responsibility From The Perspective Of The Local Community, Mochamad Kevin Romadhona, Rachmat Dimas Oktafenanda, Sri Endah Kinasih

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

Looking through the eyes of the local community is crucial for a successful corporate social responsibility (CSR) program. Within a local context, it is essential to understand the community’s perception and find the possible gaps within such a CSR program. Such assessment can be a way to identify aspects that are considered essential and beneficial by the community. This article presents the assessment of the CSR program of a particular company and its impact perceived by the local community. This study used quantitative research methods and elaborated with qualitative methods to gain a comprehensive overview of the community’s perception of …

How Housing Insecurity And Welfare Systems Retraumatize Women In Southern California, Yesika Menera

McNair Summer Research Program

Studies show that individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity also experience trauma and mental illnesses. Despite this evidence, many resources provided through state welfare services seldom allocate sufficient funds and personnel to help address mental health. This study investigates the relationship between housing insecurity and trauma for adult women who have tried to access assistance throughout Southern California. To do this, I conducted in-depth interviews and DSM-5 questionnaires with twenty-six women during the summer of 2023 and 2024 via Zoom. My findings show that adult women who have experienced homelessness and housing insecurity in Southern California were more susceptible to …