Rural Sociology Commons^™

The Impacts Of Brookings Health System On The Economy Of Brookings County And Rural Health In South Dakota, Weiwei Zhang

Center for Rural Vitality and Community Well-being Project Reports

Project Overview:

Located in Brookings County, South Dakota, Brookings Health System (Brookings Health) is a vital economic and healthcare hub, providing crucial employment and access to care. This assessment provides a comprehensive evaluation of the profound impacts of Brookings Health on the county economy, and the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services to rural populations in the surrounding areas. Rural community hospitals serve as foundational drivers of local economies. Their operations necessitate a substantial local workforce, encompassing a wide array of positions from clinical to administrative, representing a considerable labor expense. Indeed, numerous hospitals rank among the premier individual employers …

Exhibiting Rural Consciousness: A Study Of State And Local Level Governance In Rural Higher Education, Steven J. Skadron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Evolving economies in Craig and Salida, CO, spurred community interest in joining Colorado Mountain College’s taxing district and bringing the college to their communities. When they sought to join, Craig had a local college embedded in its community that was governed by a state-level board; in contrast, Salida had no local college of its own. The two communities’ pursuit of a locally governed college raised a question about governing boards and whether one type of governing board might serve rural communities better. Using a framework of rural consciousness, this nonexperimental, cross-sectional, quantitative study employed data gathered from a survey instrument …

Content Analysis Of Farm Population Mental Health Online Information Resources In The Ces Southern Region, Juliene Porciuncula, Michael Schulman, Andrew R. Smolski

Journal of Extension

Contemporary institutional emphasis on farm stress has led the Extension System to develop a variety of online information resources directed at the mental health of farm populations. We conducted a web-based search and content analysis of online materials on mental health and farm stress from Extension websites from thirteen Southern states and two territories. The content analysis showed that most online farm stress Extension resources emphasized self-help strategies and were directed at the general farming population. In conclusion, we provide recommendations for the development of online farm stress and mental health information resources.

Stress Management Is ‘In The Cards’ For Farmers And Ranchers: The Mental Wellness Conversation Curriculum, Alison L. Brennan, Katharine Sutphen, Parker T. Webb, Michelle U. Grocke-Dewey

Journal of Extension

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers need practical, culturally appropriate stress management resources. The Mental Wellness Conversation Curriculum (MWCC) is a novel approach to health promotion that relies on community facilitators to share stress management information using a customized deck of playing cards organized around specific wellness themes. We implemented and evaluated two facilitator trainings in 2023. Training participants reported increases in relevant knowledge, as well as improved confidence about leading mental wellness events. The MWCC is currently being adapted for use with additional, diverse audiences. Future research should explore the implementation and impact of this innovative health promotion modality.

A Phenomenological Study Of Rural Immigrants And Their Experiences Of Community Leadership, Jian Ju Yeo

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

The turn of the 21st century has seen a new settlement pattern of immigrants bypassing traditional urban gateways and locating to rural spaces instead. Rural immigration presents a unique opportunity to advance the vitality of small towns as the development of communities is best served by a fully networked and integrated community. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of rural immigrants with community leadership. Research questions focused on how rural immigrants perceive, identify with, and access their local community leadership. Through one-on-one interviews, 10 participants provided rich qualitative data that were analyzed to yield …

Exploring The Landscape Of Collective Leadership Practice In Rural Nebraska: A Qualitative Sequential Multimethod Study, Haden Myles Botkin

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Rural communities across Nebraska face a myriad of complex challenges that cannot be solved by individual, heroic leaders. As such, collective leadership has begun to emerge in these communities as actors coalesce around local issues. However, little is known about collective leadership practice and development in rural contexts, resulting in a theory-to-practice gap. To that end, this qualitative sequential multimethod study sought to explore how rural community leaders and community development educators perceive, describe, and make meaning of collective leadership practices in rural Nebraska. Three phases comprise this study.

Phase I, the QUAL phase, was guided by the question, How …

A Cultural Mapping Of Local Knowledge For Flood And Landslide Mitigation In The Sendi Community, Mojokerto, East Java, Ahmad Mujahid Arrozy Arz, Abyoso Romadhoni Wicaksono Arw, Kusuma Sabrina Wardhani Skw, Lora Septrianda Putri

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

This article investigated the irrigation sustainability and landslide prevention in the Sendi community, Mojokerto, East Java, by applying a cultural mapping approach to examine everyday practices through which local knowledge was enacted and produced, while linking the analysis to broader structural formations. The approach informed a participatory data collection process, that is also designed to protect the intangible cultural heritage of the community. The findings demonstrated how everyday practices function as an integral component of flood and landslide mitigation. This knowledge has been passed down through community archives since 1915 and included practices, such as planting local crops (bamboos and …

Carrying Light In The Shadows: Four Portraits Of Critical Literacy Teacher Agency In Unlikely Contexts, Cassandra Schroeder

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

This qualitative study utilizes portraiture methodology to explore how educators in politically conservative and predominantly White schools enact critical literacy teacher agency. Using a theoretical lens of critical literacy and second-wave Whiteness studies, this research examines the lived experiences and instructional moves of four veteran English/language arts teachers. Through cross-case analysis, the study traces how teacher agency is contextually responsive and dependent on their professional identity, awareness of sociopolitical issues, and traditional school curricular expectations. The findings highlight how educators assess risk, navigate community norms, and maintain critical literacy through dialogic pedagogy and strategic adaptation. The four teachers in the …

Factors Influencing Information And Accessibility Of Tuberculosis Prevention Services Among Nomadic Fulani And Host Communities, Nigeria, Abolaji Azeez, Kabiru Salami

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Despite efforts to curtail tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria, the country has not yet attained the global target. This study explored the dynamics of access to information about TB control and prevention among nomadic Fulani and their host communities. We used a mixed-methods approach and multistage sampling technique to recruit 812 respondents for the survey, and we conducted 18 in-depth interviews across six local government areas. The results indicated generally low access to TB information and services, with only 2% of nomadic Fulani engaging in TB prevention activities compared to 6.7% of host community members. Yoruba respondents had significantly higher odds …

Understanding Socio-Environmental Concerns About Bear Lake: Findings From A Community-Engaged Teaching Study, Stacia Ryder, Alexander Theophilus, Charlotte Emelia Williams, Elizabeth Brunner, Jessica Ulrich-Schad, Mufti Nadimul Quamar Ahmed, Zubair Barkat, Nowrin Fatema, Jordan Rowley

Transforming Communities

In the western U.S., climate change is exacerbating already difficult situations in many lake systems, including Bear Lake, which spans the Idaho-Utah border and faces several environmental issues and a new wave of recreational development. In this research note, we discuss preliminary findings from community-engaged research aimed at assessing different concerns that scientists, residents, and community organizations have for Bear Lake and the surrounding communities. To do so, this project connects student research across three courses. Data collected through archival and interview research provides important insights into the socio-environmental concerns related to 1) ecological threats, 2) water management, quality, and …

Beyond Translating Cultures: Organizational Cultural Brokering And Latin@/E/X Community Resilience After The "Mobile Home Parks" Fire, Christine Atalie Da Rosa

Dissertations and Theses

As wildfires increase in frequency and severity in rural communities, disaster management agencies are seeking to collaborate with community-based organizations (CBOs) working with rural, low-income Latin@/e/x communities to build wildfire resilience. This qualitative case study examines the critical role of CBOs rooted in their local, predominately low-income Latin@/e/x communities as cultural brokers in supporting Latin@/e/x wildfire survivors following the 2020 "Mobile Home Parks" Fire in a rural county in Oregon. Drawing from 23 semi-structured interviews, three focus groups, a review of relevant documents, and participant observations, the research investigates how Latin@/e/x CBOs navigated the complex cultural landscape between wildfire survivors …

Pop Culture In Appalachia: West Virginia Pop Culture Conventions, Heather Lauer

Librarian Research

This creative graduate humanities project explores the development, impact, and challenges of pop culture conventions in West Virginia and the implications on the broader Appalachian region. Through in-depth interviews with organizers of eight regional conventions—including HerdCon, Tsubasacon, Causeacon, and the Mothman Festival— I examined the motivations behind organizing such events, the cultural and logistical hurdles faced, and the personal and communal rewards experienced by those involved. By investigating how these events foster community, promote regional tourism, and provide inclusive spaces for fandoms, the project highlights the importance of pop culture in shaping identity and engagement in rural Appalachia. Special attention …

A Quantitative Examination Of The Sexual Health Of Aging Black Men In Rural South Africa, Esihle Lupindo

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

This dissertation uses survey data primarily from Wave 1 of the Health and Aging in Africa: Longitudinal Study of In-depth Community in South Africa (HAALSI) which was collected in 2015 to study the sexual health of Black men in rural Mpumalanga, South Africa. Broadly speaking, I examine aging men’s sexual health as it related to HIV, well-being, loneliness, social networks and disclosure. The definition that I use for sexual health was coined by MacPhail and Campbell (2001) who define it as “not only sexual practices but also what people know and believe about sex, particularly what they think is natural, …

Peering Into The Past And Future: Connection, Challenge, Growth, And Rural Peer Mentors, Tinker Elizabeth Jacobs Duclo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Peer mentoring is a recognized strategy for supporting student success, academic persistence, and belonging in higher education. However, while mentee benefits are well-documented, the long-term effects on peer mentors (PMs) remain underexplored, particularly at Rural-Serving Institutions (RSIs). My evaluation bridges that gap by examining the lasting impact of PM service through a qualitative evaluation of the Rifle Colorado Mountain College (CMC) Peer Mentor Program. Guided by Rural Cultural Wealth (RCW) theory and using the Most Significant Change (MSC) model within a constructivist framework, my evaluation centers alumni PM voices, gathering their reflections on the significant changes and impacts of their …

Stewards Of Place, Stewards Of Democracy: The Role Of Regional Public Universities In Rural Political Well-Being, Katie Kleinhesselink

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative embedded single-case study explored how a rural-serving regional public university (RPU) contributed to the political well-being of its politically polarized service region ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Guided by the stewardship of political place theoretical framework, which integrates rural consciousness, the Community Capitals Framework, and the stewardship of place framework for RPUs’ public engagement, the study utilized policy discourse analysis to examine regional residents' and internal constituents' perceptions regarding WPU’s role in promoting regional political well-being. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, direct observations of campus civic engagement events, and institutional document reviews.

The study demonstrates that regional …

Land Access As Liberation: A Qualitative Study On Faith, Food, And Farming Of Urban And Rural Black Land Stewards In The United States, Dominique Edwards

Dissertations

Since 1920, Black farmers in the United States have held less than 2% of the nation's farmland, a direct result of race-based discriminatory policies embedded within federal, state, local, and county-level institutions (Daniel, 2013). Structural barriers—ranging from exclusionary lending practices by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the systematic dispossession of land through legal loopholes, heirs’ property laws, and violent racial terror—have contributed to this staggering decline in Black land ownership (Gilbert et al., 2002). The erosion of Black agrarian landholdings intensified in the latter half of the 20th century, as government programs, civil rights legislation, and technological advancements, …

"I Just Kind Of Wish People Knew We Existed:" Rethinking Queer Visibility, Identity, And Belonging In Rural America, Alyson C. Hagen

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores how LGBTQ+ individuals in rural America navigate identity, visibility, and belonging amid the pressures of metronormativity--the dominant cultural narrative that equates queerness with urban life. Through qualitative interviews with five queer adults who lived in rural settings, the study shows that rural queer life is shaped by not only structural erasure and limited resources but also adaptive strategies, emotional labor, and creative community-building. Participants described environments where queerness was often unspoken or denied, yet they developed contingent forms of visibility, online belonging, and grassroots kinship to survive and thrive. Although all participants had migrated to urban areas, …

The Origins Of German Industrialization: The Transition To Capitalism In Prussian Agriculture, Daniel C. Colligan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation seeks to explain the origins of German industrialization. Historical accounts of German industrialization often chronicle the process of its development but leave reasons for its initiation unexplained. Theories that have attempted to locate the roots of rapid German economic growth have been found to be empirically unsatisfactory, and thus the accepted story has defaulted to a gradualist narrative which conceptualizes economic behavior as fundamentally unchanging throughout German history. This dissertation challenges this reigning view, attempting to provide an explanation for why Germany embarked on a rapid economic growth trajectory in the nineteenth century whereas many other similarly situated …

The Connection Between An Unequitable Distribution Of Care Responsibilities And A Widening Gender Nutrition Gap In Latin America, Alexis Nicole Bodlak

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The notion of care refers to activities that satisfy the basic needs of existence and reproduction. Within rural communities, care work such as the production and preparation of food contributes to food security at the household level. Care work supports the paid workforce, allowing workers to focus on commercial productive activities that generate economic income in rural communities. Women perform 6.3 to 29.5 more hours per week than men in unpaid care work, reducing their time for income-generating activities and personal nutrition management. Affecting their economic independence and ability to access and consume nutritious food. Studies show that in food-insecure …

Mothers Who Homeschool: Experiences In Rural California, Kiah Combs

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of mothers who homeschool

their children in the rural location of Shasta County, California (CA). This research was

guided by three research questions: 1) In what ways is the act of homeschooling a form

of resistance to existing power structures for mothers in a rural region in CA? 2) How

does the process of providing a homeschooling education for their children influence

mothers’ perceptions of themselves as confident and capable? 3) In what ways does

homeschooling allow mothers to offer their children an educational experience which

meets their unique needs …