Rural Sociology Commons^™

Rural Veterans: Invisible Heroes, Special People, Special Issues, Hilda R. Heady

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

introduction to the special issue

The Economic And Cultural Impacts Of Veterans On Rural America: The Case Of Iowa, Dan Krier, C. Richard Stockner, Paul Lasley

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Rural America has long been a crucial supplier of recruits and civilian personnel to the U.S. military. Rural America is also an essential source of cultural and political support for military activity. After their tours of duty have ended, many veterans return to rural communities where they continue to carry the values of their military experiences and extend military traditions into rural culture. Far away from the Pentagon and other corridors of military power live millions of geographically-dispersed rural veterans whose Veterans Administration benefits (cash payments, loans, medical care) and retirement pensions flow into, and become a crucial economic support …

Mental Health Status And Perceived Barriers To Seeking Treatment In Rural Reserve Component Veterans, Elizabeth A. Bennett, Michael Crabtree, Mary E. Schaffer, Thomas W. Britt

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

National Guard and Reserve (RC) troops (N=617) primarily from the Appalachian Region in Southwestern Pennsylvania who recently returned from deployment in support of current military conflicts responded to a survey that assessed their demographics, mental health symptoms, help-seeking behaviors, barriers for not seeking treatment, deployment history, and stressors. Veterans were classified as rural (N = 334) or non-rural (N = 283). Rural participants reported a significantly greater number of issues with transportation/access in seeking mental health treatment, were more likely to perceive others as worse off as a reason not to seek treatment, had a more negative attitude …

Experiences Of Rural Non-Va Providers In Treating Dual Care Veterans And The Development Of Electronic Health Information Exchange Networks Between The Two Systems, Michelle A. Lampman, Keith J. Mueller

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Findings are presented from two focus group discussions with rural non-VA (Veterans Administration) primary care providers to better understand their experience with treating dual care veterans, those who receive care from both VA and non-VA providers. Participants reported challenges related to a lack of communication and coordination between the VA and non-VA providers. Participants agreed that improvements must be made to the current healthcare delivery model for rural dual care veterans to support seamless care. Two case studies involving VA-supported projects currently focused on bridging the two systems through the establishment of electronic health information exchange (eHIE) networks in rural …

Commentary: Is It Time For A New Policy Or An Overdue Apology?, Hilda R. Heady

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

commentary by the special issue editor

Ptsd Treatment-Seeking Among Rural Latino Combat Veterans: A Review Of The Literature, Michael R. Duke, Roland S. Moore, Genevieve M. Ames

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Latino combat soldiers report both higher prevalence and greater overall severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms than non-Hispanic Caucasians. However, these veterans face unique social and cultural barriers to accessing treatment for PTSD that distinguish them from their non-Hispanic white counterparts. Latino veterans who reside in rural settings face additional socio-cultural and structural impediments, in that they are likely to reside far from VA (Veterans Administration) medical facilities, have limited access to public transportation, and hold more conservative views toward mental health treatment than those residing in urban locales. However, little is known about the unique individual, sociocultural, and …

Jennifer Sherman, Those Who Work, Those Who Don't: Poverty, Morality, And Family In Rural America, Peter A. Kindle

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Review of Those Who Work, Those Who Don’t: Poverty, Morality, and Family in Rural America, by Jennifer Sherman

Examination Of Post-Service Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Rural And Urban Military Members Of The Millennium Cohort Study, Susan P. Proctor, Timothy S. Wells, Kelly A. Jones, Edward J. Boyco, Tyler C. Smith

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Little information exists on the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of U.S. veterans based on rural (versus urban) status, especially those in younger age groups, and whether deployment influences this outcome. We addressed these questions in the Millennium Cohort Study, a prospective investigation of U.S. military personnel assessed first in 2001 and then subsequently every three years via self-administered questionnaires. Participants separated from the military at the time of the most recent survey were eligible (n = 10,738). HRQL was assessed using the SF-36V Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores. Rural status was assigned from zip …

Transitioning To The Civilian Workforce: Issues Impacting The Reentry Of Rural Women Veterans, Celia Renteria Szelwach, Jill Steinkogler, Ellen R. Badger, Ria Muttukumaru

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Women veterans seeking employment in rural areas often face several challenges, such as geographical barriers, limited employment opportunities, and a lack of childcare resources within their respective communities. This exploratory study builds on the 2001 report by the Women’s Research & Education Institute (WREI), which outlined the effects of military service on women veterans’ civilian employment prospects. In addition, it explores the specific challenges through a review of current literature, assessment of Bureau of Labor Statistics datasets, and the conduct and analysis of qualitative interviews. Addressing the needs of women veterans returning to rural environments for employment requires a three-pronged …

Addressing The Health Needs Of Rural Native Veterans: Assessment And Recommendations, Tim D. Noe, Carol E. Kaufman, Elizabeth A. Brooks, Nancy K. Daily, Byron D. Bair, Jay H. Shore

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Native Veterans comprise unique populations within the VeteransAdministration (VA) system of care and represent a proud tradition of military service. Limited healthcare data available on rural Native veterans indicate significant disparities in access to care and health status compared with other populations. This article provides an assessment of current challenges, barriers, and issues related to addressing the healthcare needs of rural Native veterans and offers recommendations to improve healthcare for this special population. To meet the needs of rural Native veterans it will be important to: conduct needs assessments to gather important health data about rural Native veterans; develop a …

Diversification Or Cotton Recovery In The Malian Cotton Zone: Effects On Households And Women, Jeanne Yekeleya Coulibaly

INTSORMIL Scientific Publications

This dissertation investigates income diversification alternatives from the cotton economy and compares those initiatives with present policy measures to restore the cotton sector in Mali. It also derives the welfare implications for women of these various policy measures.

During the decade preceding 2011, farmers’ incomes in the cotton zone of Mali have been significantly affected by the downturn of the cotton economy explained by many factors including the low farm gate cotton price, the declining cotton yields and soil fertility concerns. In 2011, the Malian government substantially increased the farm gate cotton price as a result of the world cotton …

Job Skills, Tolerance, And Positive Interactions: The Gendered Experiences Of Appalachian Migrants, Kelli Brooke Alford

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The following study examines gendered learning experiences of a population of Appalachian migrants surveyed from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. The respondents who participated in the survey used for this study began their lives in Appalachia. These respondents then left Appalachia for various other areas in the country and even around the world only to ultimately return to the mountainous region later in their lives. To begin, theory will be introduced concerning the stratification of gender in the Appalachian economic landscape, as well as a theoretical framework placing Appalachian women in an interlocking web of oppression with other …

Health Service Access For Rural People Living With Hiv/Aids In China: A Critical Evaluation, Xiying Wang, Xiulan Zhang, Yuebin Xu, Yurong Zhang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The increasingly serious HIV/AIDS epidemic creates a significant burden for the public health system; however, little attention has been paid to the issue of health service access in rural China. Based on a qualitative study of 34 Chinese rural People Living with HIVIAIDS (PLWHA) and 13 health providers, this study fills a gap by examining health service access from both the demand and supply-side. Utilizing access theory, this study explores the availability, affordability and acceptability of health services in rural China. Moreover, this study focuses on access barriers and institutional obstacles that PLWHA meet during their illness and considers the …

The Seven Spices: Pumpkins, Puritans, And Pathogens In Colonial New England, Michael Sharbaugh

Michael D Sharbaugh

Water sources in the United States' New England region are laden with arsenic. Particularly during North America's colonial period--prior to modern filtration processes--arsenic would make it into the colonists' drinking water. In this article, which evokes the biocultural evolution paradigm, it is argued that colonists offset health risks from the contaminant (arsenic poisoning) by ingesting copious amounts of seven spices--cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, vanilla, and ginger. The inclusion of these spices in fall and winter recipes that hail from New England would therefore explain why many Americans associate them not only with the region, but with Thanksgiving and Christmas, …

Teen Stress And Substance Use Problems In Coös: Survey Shows Strong Community Attachment Can Offset Risk, Karen T. Van Gundy, Meghan L. Mills

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This brief explores how social stress and community attachment are related to problem alcohol and drug use for girls and boys in Coös County, New Hampshire. The brief uses survey data from the Coös Youth Study, which includes self-reported information from 564 Coös youth who were in seventh and eleventh grades in 2008, and who were surveyed again one year later (in 2009) when they were in eighth and twelfth grades. Nearly one-fourth of youth in Coös County (22 percent of boys and 23 percent of girls) reported at least one alcohol or drug use related problem. The authors note …

Master Status Between Race And Region, Myrah R. Scruggs

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

The Migratory Response Of Labor To Special Economic Zones In The Philippines, 1995–2005, Scott R. Sanders, David L. Brown

Faculty Publications

In the mid 1990s the Filipino government adopted a new export-led development policy in an attempt to attract new investments and lower the unemployment rates throughout the country. The central idea was to provide foreign investors more access to Filipino markets and labor by giving them investor tax breaks and lowering trade tariffs. In return, the government hoped that investors would bring large amounts of capital into designated areas thereby creating new jobs and stimulating the domestic economy. The Filipino created the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and Base Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) to manage the operation of the Special …

Coos Teens’ View Of Family Economic Stress Is Tied To Quality Of Relationships At Home, Corinna J. Tucker, Genevieve R. Cox

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

Family economic hardship during adolescence affects family relationships and the social, emotional, and behavioral development of a substantial number of American youth. The authors of this brief use data from the Coos County Youth Study, conducted by the Carsey Institute, to explore adolescents’ perceptions of family economic pressure in 2008 and determine whether these views are linked to their family relationship experiences one year later. They report that one-third of adolescents in Coos County, New Hampshire, perceive that their family is experiencing significant economic pressure and that significant economic pressure is linked to negative parent-child and sibling relationships one year …

Stretching Ties: Social Capital In The Rebranding Of Coos County, New Hampshire, Michele Dillon

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

Place rebranding is gaining in popularity as cities and rural communities alike attempt to expand their revenue streams through innovative marketing strategies that seek to revitalize or create tourism destinations. These efforts tend to come about as part of an economic development strategy pursued by communities that have borne steep economic losses resulting from global economic restructuring and the decline in traditional manufacturing, agriculture, and natural-resource extraction. Author Michele Dillon explores the role of social capital in rural wealth generation by focusing on how it was used to advance place rebranding in Coos County in northern New Hampshire.

Poor Women With Sexually Transmitted Infections: Providers’ Perspectives On Diagnoses, Genevieve R. Cox

Sociology

This article presents results from a study of health care providers, mainly nurses and nurse practitioners, who routinely diagnose sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in rural low-income populations in West Virginia (WV). A qualitative analysis of eighteen semi-structured interviews reveals that providers who consistently work with low-income populations believe patients undergo a negative change in self-image in response to a chronic STD diagnosis. Providers express concerns about a number of issues related to low-income, rural women’s access to sexual health care and see the need for more sexuality education, more funding for free and reduced cost clinics, and more available health …