bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial Redistribution of Poverty through Migration of Poor People to Depressed Rural Communities1
Authors: Fitchen Janet M.
Published: August 2010

Recent demographic studies document movement of poor people from both urban and rural places to depressed rural communities. Such migration redistributes poverty to rural areas and further concentrates it within them. This article presents a case study of one depressed community in New York that became a migration destination for urban poor people, causing dramatic increases in poverty rate, welfare rolls, and service needs. On‐site research showed that the community's attraction was inexpensive rental housing that had become available after loss of manufacturing jobs prompted a middle‐class exodus. The lack of jobs was not a deterrent for low‐income inmigrants, though, because many of them had limited job skills and other employment barriers and would have had difficulty getting or holding a job anyway. Similar processes of economic decline, population loss, and poverty inmigration appear to be occurring elsewhere also. The article identifies community‐level impacts and policy implications; it concludes with suggestions for further research needs.
Exploring the Meaning of Rural Through Cognitive Maps1
Authors: Jacob Steve , Luloff A. E.
Published: August 2010

Rural often is viewed as a setting for study rather than an object of study. Often a priori definitions of rural are used; these definitions may bear little resemblance to residents' understanding of the concept. A cognitive mapping experiment to explore the meaning of rural is undertaken in this paper. Results indicate that urban residents could readily identify rural areas on a blank map of Pennsylvania. Their responses to the question varied, however, with some respondents indicating urban areas or writing images on the map. A discussion of these thought processes and implications from these varying responses are presented. Then, the cognitive maps are compared to three commonly accepted definitions of rural. Population density was found to best approximate the areas that urban residents perceived as rural. The paper concludes by discussing policy implications of the findings.
Opportunity/Threat Responses to Nuclear Waste Disposal Facilities1
Authors: Krannich Richard S. , Albrecht Stan L.
Published: August 2010

One of the most difficult environmental policy challenges facing the United States and other societies is that of finding ways to safely dispose of hazardous and toxic substances, including nuclear waste materials. Efforts to site such facilities have been uniformly unsuccessful, due largely to strong public opposition. Although supporters of such facilities often emphasize the potential for local economic development and other opportunities, opponents focus on a variety of threats involving potential risks associated with waste disposal. Survey data collected in rural areas of Nevada and Nebraska where nuclear waste disposal facilities have been proposed reveal that respondents' positions on issues of perceived health and safety risks, trust in responsible agencies, anticipated local economic effects, and concerns about environmental contamination are key variables predicting local response. Even in areas where there may be substantial local support for economic opportunities associated with the facilities, broad‐based fears about nuclear materials and a legacy of distrust in the agencies responsible for managing nuclear wastes suggest that proposals for such facilities will almost inevitably continue to generate strong public opposition.
Evangelicals in Chile: Echoing the European Reformation
Authors: Young Frank W.
Published: August 2010

The religious affiliation of Chileans conforms to the Reformation pattern in that high proportions of Catholics are found in the less urbanized, estate‐dominated communes while historical Protestants (contemporary denominations) and Evangelicals are concentrated in the more urbanized places. These and related variables from the 1992 census are described for the major regions of Chile and analyzed by regression techniques. Descriptive findings suggest a new explanation for the contrasting religious orientations of historical Protestants and Evangelicals: conventional Protestantism occurs and/or expands when a subgroup has excess organizational capacity in relation to threatened social status, in contrast to the responses of less educated groups that create or borrow the evangelical religious rhetoric.
Producing More Milk on Fewer Farms: Neoclassical and Neostructural Explanations of Changes in Dairy Farming1
Authors: Lyson Thomas A. , Gillespie Gilbert W.
Published: August 2010

Neoclassical theory in economics has served as the guiding paradigm for agricultural development in the United States. At one level, this model emphasizes the substitution of capital in the form of machinery and chemicals for land and labor. At another level, the paradigm calls for the introduction of mass production techniques, such as product standardization and the routinization of labor processes. Using data on dairy farms and dairy processors from the 50 states, the neoclassical model accounts for changes in productivity on dairy farms; however, the model is less useful in accounting for changes in dairy farm structure. To explain changes in structure, recent neostructural theory that links the structure of markets to the structure of production is used. It is concluded that persistence of family‐size dairy farms may rest more on developing and protecting markets for the milk they produce than with tinkering with the neoclassical model.
Values and Vegetarianism: An Exploratory Analysis1
Authors: Dietz Thomas , Frisch Ann Stirling , Kalof Linda , Stern Paul C. , Guagnano Gregory A.
Published: August 2010

The American diet has changed substantially over the last few decades. These changes provide a test for social theory and have substantial effects on the demand for various food products, thus impacting U.S. agriculture. In this paper a rapidly growing dietary choice—vegetarianism—is explored. Prevalence of various forms of vegetarianism is estimated in a representative sample of a suburban population and factors that influence choice of a vegetarian diet are examined. About 7 percent of the sample report they are vegetarians. The prevalence of vegetarianism is not influenced by age, gender, or education, but individuals holding traditional values are less likely to be vegetarian than others. There also is some evidence mat individuals holding altruistic values are more likely than others to be vegetarians.
Charting Trends in Rural Sociology: 1986–1995
Authors: Garkovich Lorraine , Bell Ann M.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Christenson and Garkovich (1985) reported on trends in the first 50 years of Rural Sociology; this note employs a similar analytic framework for the 292 articles and research commentaries published from 1986 to 1995. While particular topics ebb and flow in terms of their importance, there continues to be a consistent focus on the substantive issues of traditional concern. Predictions in 1985 as to what the next retrospective would show proved to be fairly accurate. Applied empirical and quantitative studies continue to dominate the pages of the journal, but other types (e.g., qualitative and historical studies) now appear with greater frequency. The theoretical foundation of rural sociology has been enriched with conceptual frameworks from general sociology and other social sciences. New twists on the traditional concerns of agricultural constituencies and rural community leaders have broadened the range of topics addressed, reflecting the major social structures, processes, and issues currently affecting rural peoples and communities. The article concludes with an interpretation of recent trends and speculations on future directions.
The Dialectic of Technology: Commentary on Warner and England1
Authors: Bell Michael M.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Warner and England (1995) make a welcome argument for a technological science perspective for sociology based on a theory of humans as technological agents and an epistemology that includes ethical values. As with any sociological perspective, however, Warner and England's comments help to focus on and understand some aspects of social life and not others. This commentary provides a complementary focus by emphasizing the dialectical relationship between human agency and technological agency. Furthermore, I argue that a dialectical view is necessary for grounding Warner and England's theoretical argument and for acting on their ethical argument. Implications of a dialectical perspective for the meaning and politics of technology are explored. The paper concludes with a discussion of the suitability of “science” as a metaphor for sociology.
A Dialectic Technological Science Perspective: Reply to Bell
Authors: Warner W. Keith , England J. Lynn
Published: August 2010

Abstract Bell's (1995) critique of our discussion of a technological science perspective for sociology is a helpful effort to maintain a balance between our emphasis on agency and creativity and on the constraining side of society. We emphasize agency as part of a dialectic between human effort and societal resistance for three reasons. First, it forces reconceptualization of the nature of the science of sociology by shifting from a positivist mode to one that is pragmatic. The meaning of scientific findings changes. Second, agency has been ignored historically while constraint has been over‐emphasized. We seek to establish a balance by reentering the notion of agency into sociological discourse. Third, agency is a mechanism for modifying constraints and solving the problems associated with social technologies. In the closing paragraphs of the reply, we suggest that the view under discussion be seen as an ethical pragmatism. Agency forces us to ethical questions and a pragmatic understanding of science.
Changing Economic Opportunities, Family Structure, and Poverty in Rural Areas1
Authors: Lichter Daniel T. , McLaughlin Diane K.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Instrustrial restructuring in the 1980s ushered in a new pattern of growing economic diversity over geographic space. The objective of this study is to examine the extent and etiology of changing spatial inequality between and within metropolitan (metro) and nonmetropolitan (nonmetro) areas, as measured by increasing or decreasing county poverty rates. Results based on data from the 1980 and 1990 census summary tape files suggest several conclusions. First, poverty rates increased more rapidly in nonmetro than metro counties during the 1980s; historical patterns of metro‐nonmetro economic convergence slowed over the past decade. Second, poverty rates tended to decline in nonmetro counties with traditionally high rates of poverty, thus providing counter‐evidence to arguments suggesting that the gap between traditionally poor and nonpoor nonmetro counties has widened. Third, spatial differences in poverty rates and relative increases in county poverty rates over the 1980s were most strongly associated with women's employment and headship status. The results raise questions about the extent to which traditional rural economic development strategies address the potentially deleterious economic effects of rising percentages of poor female‐headed families.
Resource Mobilization and Density Dependence in Cooperative Purchasing Associations in Saskatchewan, Canada1
Authors: McLaughlin Paul
Published: August 2010

Abstract This paper examines the conditions under which Saskatchewan farmers were willing and able to establish consumer cooperatives as a means to contest exploitation in relation to the cost of agricultural inputs and consumer goods. Event history analysis supports Lipset's contention that agrarian protestors engaged in cooperative building primarily during times of prosperity. The founding rate for consumer cooperatives increased during periods when the cost‐price squeeze on farmers eased and during periods of increased institutional support for the consumer movement The results of the analysis give tentative support for Hannan and Freeman's density dependence hypothesis. They also give strong support for rate dependence in relation to prior foundings, though not in relation to prior disbandings.
Visualizing Trends in the Structure of U.S. Agriculture, 1982 to 19921
Authors: Thomas John K. , Howell Frank M. , Wang Ge , Albrecht Don E.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Multiple indicators of the structure of agriculture were extracted from the U.S. Census of Agriculture for the years 1982, 1987, and 1992, and used to extend previous work by Wimberley (1987). Exploratory factor analysis results for each year yielded three dimensions of agri‐structure: corporate‐commercial, farming‐firm, and small‐farm. Factor‐scores used to estimate scales had high reliabilities (omega coefficients > .9) and strong inter‐temporal correlations for each scale across years were observed. The content of each scale was consistent across the three years, suggesting that structural shifts in the elements defining “agri‐structure” were minimal. Because the 1980s were a turbulent period for U.S. agriculture, the patterns describing heterogeneity among counties in each year were investigated. Cluster analysis of each year's three factor scales produced five homogeneous groups of counties: three, dominated respectively by small‐farms, farming‐firms, and corporate‐farms and two mixed groups, which we interpreted as reflecting transitional situations. Comparisons of these cluster groupings across the three years identified the emergence of counties typified by organizational patterns of firm‐oriented and corporate‐commercial farming. Moreover, the patterns of temporal movement by U.S. counties across this typology suggest a fundamental change from homogeneous family‐centered small‐farming concentrations dominant during most of this century. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Metropolitanizing Nonmetro Space: Population Redistribution and Emergent Metropolitan Areas, 1965–901
Authors: Elliott James R. , Perry Marc J.
Published: August 2010

Abstract The recent volatility of population redistribution trends in the U.S. continues to stimulate the demographic imagination. This research sheds new light on this subject through an examination of newly designated metro areas, which collectively constitute the largest source of national metropolitan growth in two of the past three decades. The results show that, over this period, new metro areas have consistently drawn the majority of migrants from inter‐state exchanges with existing metro territory and that these exchanges are greatest from census divisions that achieved metropolitan dominance prior to 1920. Employment data also reveal a strong positive association between FIRE activities and net in‐migration. Together, these findings suggest that traditional processes of urban concentration, while present, now play a secondary role in the development of new metro centers, thus challenging conventional theories of metropolitanization where we might most expect them to apply.
Nonmetropolitan Population Change in the Mountain West: 1970–1995
Authors: Shumway J. Matthew , Davis James A.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Current research on nonmetropolitan (nonmetro) population change shows that, to date, the 1990s are reminiscent of the 1970s rather than the 1980s. Nonmetro areas, including the Mountain West, are again gaining population through increases in net migration. Over the past several years, subareas within the Mountain West have experienced some of the fastest rates of population growth and economic expansion in the United States. Current growth patterns in the Mountain West are distinct from those in both the 1970s “rural renaissance” and the 1980s “nonmetro contraction” periods. Nonmetro counties in the Mountain West are growing at about the same rate as metropolitan (metro) counties, and although the growth rate is slower now than in the 1970s, more counties are participating in the growth. These findings support earlier research suggesting that nonmetro growth may not be ending.
The De/Repoliticization of Cooperation and the Discourse of Conversion1
Authors: Mooney Patrick H. , Roahrig Jerry , Gray Thomas W.
Published: August 2010

Abstract In recent years, several agricultural cooperatives have undergone significant restructuring. Some have been taken through a conversion process and have been reorganized as “investor‐oriented firms” (IOFs). This phenomenon has attracted the interest of agricultural economists, but it has not been analyzed by sociologists. This article examines the discourse with which agricultural economists have approached the conversion issue. Drawing upon Fraser's discussion of “needs talk,” and inspired by Kloppenburg's analysis of the agricultural scientific complex, an argument is made that a reprivatization discourse of neoclassical economics has effectively depoliticized discussion about the future of cooperative enterprise. It is further argued that a repoliticization of cooperation is necessary in order to assure the protection of extra‐economic values and oppositional discourse that is embedded in the historical development of cooperative practices and institutions. We focus here on the role of expert discourse as it relates to the reinvention of cooperative institutions in the agricultural economy. It is argued that this discourse would be improved by greater attention to historical and sociological forces, rather than remaining narrowly focused on economism.
Household Production and Symptoms of Stress in Post‐Soviet Russian Villages1
Authors: O'Brien David J. , Patsiorkovski Valeri V. , Dershem Larry , Lylova Oksana
Published: August 2010

AbstractThis paper examines the impact of human capital (the number of working age household members), social capital (social exchange helping networks and community integration), technological capital (use of mechanical agricultural tools), and village of residence on stratification of Russian peasant households in the post‐Soviet era. Findings from a 1995 survey of households in three Russian villages show that the number of working age adults in the household has the strongest influence on household agricultural production. Social capital and technological capital also are associated with differences in the amount of sales obtained from household production. One village, which is located in anoblast(province) which has a program to assist peasant households had substantially higher agricultural production than did the other two villages which are located inoblastiwithout such programs. The number of working age adults in the household, social exchange networks, and community attachment are negatively associated with symptoms of stress, while higher village levels of production are associated with higher average levels of symptoms of stress in the village. The implications of the findings for the future of Russian agriculture and Russian rural village life are discussed.
Recent Changes in Metropolitan‐Nonmetropolitan Migration Streams1
Authors: Fulton John A. , Fuguitt Glenn V. , Gibson Richard M.
Published: August 2010

Abstract In this paper, we examine the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of migration streams between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas for four different years over the period 1975–1993. During this period, there have been three shifts in the direction of net metro‐nonmetro migration. Through nonmetro net in‐migration, the “nonmetropolitan turnaround” of the 1970s reversed historical patterns of nonmetro loss of human resources, with gains and increased retention of the young and better‐educated. The 1980s, however, again saw net‐migration loss, including large shifts from gain to loss, especially among the young and better‐educated and for workers in white collar occupations. In the 1990s, the overall pattern is again one of nonmetro net‐migration gain or reduced loss, with the greatest increases among those higher status groups which experienced the greatest declines during the 1980s. The latest pattern is due largely to increased population retention, whereas previous research has shown the migration turnaround of the 1970s was due about equally to increasing retention and in‐migration.
Ethnic Transformation in Rural California: Looking Beyond the Immigrant Farmworker
Authors: Allensworth Elaine M. , Rochín Refugio I.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Communities in rural California are becoming increasingly Latino. Using a quantitative database of 288 rural communities, together with qualitative data collected in the San Joaquin Valley, we examine the processes through which this ethnic transformation is occurring. Most studies have focused on Latino immigration as the cause of changing ethnic composition. We find that non‐Latino population growth, as well as Latino population growth, accounts for the relative differences in changing community ethnicity. Most important for explaining migration among Latinos are housing costs and year‐round job availability. Among white non‐Latinos, ethnic conflict and perceptions of community deterioration better explain migration decisions. As a result of these changes, places in rural California are becoming increasingly economically and ethnically differentiated.
Support for Waste Facility Siting: Differences between Community Leaders and Residents
Authors: Spies Sherrill , Murdock Steve H. , White Steve , Krannich Richard , Wulfhorst J. D. , Wrigley Krissa , Leistritz F. Larry , Sell Randy , Thompson JoAnn
Published: August 2010

Abstract Decisions regarding hazardous waste facility siting are now open to extensive public debate. Efforts on the part of public officials and private companies to site waste management facilities have been thwarted by public opposition. Using survey data from leaders and residents in communities which are hosting or siting facilities, this study examines their sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, levels of trust, perceptions of risk, perceptions of economic impacts, perceptions of equity issues and the differential effects of these factors on acceptance of local waste facility siting. Leaders in these communities were more supportive of local waste facility siting than were other community residents. The major determinant of leaders' acceptance of waste siting was their perceptions of the economic benefits of a facility to the community. Although this was also important to residents, perceptions of health, safety, and environmental contamination risks had larger effects on their acceptance of such facilities.
Nonmetropolitan Sex‐Role Ideologies: A Longitudinal Study1
Authors: Johnson Nan E.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Using the two waves (1987–1988 and 1992–1994) from the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH), I focused on the 3,792 Main Respondents (MRs) living in sexual unions at Wave 1 who, along with the spouse or domestic partner, were successfully recontacted at Wave 2. MRs from both formal marriages and nonmarital cohabitations were included. An identically worded set of questions about proper roles for men and women was posed to each member of the pair at Wave 1 and again at Wave 2. An Exploratory Factor Analysis uncovered two factors. A conservative orientation on the Sexuality/Reproduction Factor (#1) defined legal marriage as the only acceptable domain for sexual intercourse, pregnancy, and childbirth. An orthodox perspective on the Childcare Factor (#2) assigned mothers the primary responsibility for the care of young children and men responsibility for earning the main living. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that nonmetro residents would be more conservative on both sex‐role dimensions than metro residents at Wave 1, would be slower than metro residents to adopt more egalitarian attitudes, and thus would remain more traditional on both sex‐role dimensions at Wave 2. The influence of nonmetro‐to‐metro and metro‐to‐nonmetro migration, as well as the sway over attitudes of the spouse/partner, was taken into account.
Rural and Urban Differences in Economic Experiences, Anxiety and Support for the Post‐communist Reforms in the Czech and Slovak Republics1
Authors: Hraba Joseph , McCutcheon Allan L. , Večerník Jirí
Published: August 2010

Abstract  The economic experiences and economic anxiety of rural and urban residents of the Czech and Slovak Republics during the postcommunist reforms are compared and related to their support for the reforms. The analysis is based on five national surveys, 1992–1996, collected by the Sociology Institute of the now Czech Academy of Sciences. Net of controls, both Czech and Slovak rural respondents report more economic strain and unemployment, a difference that persists over the surveys. These experiences account for rural residents' greater economic anxiety, their fear of economic development and unemployment, which also persists over the surveys. These experiences and anxiety explain, in turn, their lower level of support for the reforms, and endorsement of a return to socialism and strong‐hand government. Rural and urban respondents of the two countries have experienced the world differently since 1990, and this is expressed in their economic anxiety and political preferences.
Use of Overseas Migrants' Remittances to the Extended Family for Business Investment: A Research Note1
Authors: Sofranko A. J. , Idris Khan
Published: August 2010

Abstract  The extended family's role in economic improvement has been extensively debated. From a modernization theory perspective, the extended family is viewed as an institutional obstacle to economic progress, while a social capital perspective suggests that it is an “engine” insofar as it permits individuals to activate networks and pool resources beyond their own. This paper examines, from these perspectives, extended family influences on the use of remittances from transnational migrants. The research asks whether family influences are positive or negative and are more or less important than other factors in determining business investments. The research draws on interviews with 170 family heads in a small community in Pakistan. The results show that relatively little remittance income from family members working in the Middle East was channeled into business investments, despite government incentives offered to migrant households. Most of the extended family measures used in the research are statistically unimportant in explaining level of business investment. There thus appears to be little support for either modernization theory or social capital arguments on the role of the extended family. Of the five operationalized extended family dimensions only one was related to business investment, and that positively. However, “family” considerations are not irrelevant. The best predictors of business investment were a preexisting level of business exposure/experience within the family and whether or not the family head was aware of business investment opportunities. The results raise questions about the need to reconceptualize family influences beyond the formal dimensions of extended family structure.
Contested Terrain of the Global Fisheries: “Dolphin‐Safe” Tuna, The Panama Declaration, and the Marine Stewardship Council1
Authors: Constance Douglas H. , Bonanno Alessandro
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT The globalization of socio‐economic relations is a central topic of discussion in both the general literature on economy and society and in the area of food and agriculture. Many maintain that we are in a transition from one era, termed Fordism, to another, called Global Post‐Fordism. We use the case of two fisheries eco‐labeling programs to inform discussions regarding the emergence of stabilizing socio‐economic mechanisms in the Global Post‐Fordist era. We argue that recent developments in the tuna‐dolphin case, the first major experiment with eco‐labeling in the fisheries industries, combined with the Marine Stewardship Council, an initiative designed to regulate and certify a system of global “sustainable fisheries” through an eco‐labeling program, provide valuable insights into the ideological and organizational structure of salient global actors in the Post‐Fordist era. The discussion addresses (1) the contested terrain within the “North” and between the “North” and the “South” regarding eco‐legislation to regulate the global fisheries; (2) the fracturing of the environmental movement into “mainstream” and “grassroots” camps and the resulting inability to maintain a coordinated agenda to counter the globalization project; and (3) the emergence of new forms of supranational state‐like regulatory mechanisms that combine science with free trade and environmental ideals and propose to resolve the global fisheries crises by providing sustainable socio‐economic coordination. We conclude that the emergence of these supra‐national state‐like NGOs raises important implications for the sovereignty of nation‐states and democratic action on the part of subordinate groups opposed to the globalization project.
“Then it's clear who owns the trees”: Common Property and Private Control in the Social Forest in a Zimbabwean Resettlement Area1
Authors: Goebel Allison
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT The woodlands in the Resettlement Areas of post‐Independence Zimbabwe are under severe stress. The recent Land Tenure Commission (Rukuni 1994), identified the problem as the common property management system in the woodlands, and recommended a change to private tenure. The government of Zimbabwe has accepted this recommendation. This paper explores the common property woodland management system in a case study of a Model A resettlement scheme in order to consider this policy shift. Key institutional inadequacies and widespread “poaching” of resources by neighboring communities emerge as the major micro causes for deforestation in common property areas. In addition, private control in some areas of the woodlands appears to have positive effects. While these dynamics at first appear to support the shift to private tenure, doubts emerge when the woodland management system is placed in historical cultural context, and the poaching problem is seen as an aspect of the macro context of overall inequity in land and resource distribution.
Collective Identity and Hazardous Waste Management
Authors: Wulfhorst J.D.
Published: August 2010

Abstract In addition to environmental and safety concerns, hazardous facilities pose threats to collective identity. For a community, such identity issues involve processes of negotiation rather than fixed change and impact. Qualitative research enables access to complex definitions and accounts of community change in dynamic settings. Using ethnographic, interview, and content analysis data from a case study, I show how informants offered insights about the relationships between stigmatization, community reputation, and development. Although community members did not seek stigmatization due to living near perceived threats, they imputed positive and negative consequences to such a reputation. For example, many respondents who identified with the local area hoped that the stigma attached to their community would prevent additional growth. These findings suggest that immediate and more tangible concerns, such as effects on the community due to rapid residential growth, may take precedence over concerns associated with the chronic uncertainties of risks from hazardous waste management facilities.
Mythologization of Farming Styles in Australian Broadacre Cropping*
Authors: Howden Peter , Vanclay Frank
Published: August 2010

Abstract Farming styles theory, as developed by Jan Douwe van der Ploeg to explain diversity in agriculture, is being considered as a possible tool to assist in targeting of extension in Australia. A farming style is a socially constructed type that reflects the worldviews and strategies of one configuration of farming practice for a particular commodity (or common combination of commodities) in a particular region. The various farming styles in a region represent a repertoire of possible worldviews and strategies. We first conducted focus groups to identify farming styles among Australian broadacre croppers. We then conducted case studies to validate these styles, and to gain further understanding of the rationale of each style. The case studies, however, failed to confirm the styles. The findings instead suggested that the styles which emerged from the focus groups were artifacts of the method. We conclude that focus group methodology legitimized the expression of stereotypical images grounded in local farming discourse and provided an avenue for reification of “mythological” styles, although the styles still provided social control over farmers' activities. Researchers should be aware that focus groups potentially allow the expression of mythology, and should reflect on the validity of data collected by this method.
Courting LULUs: Characteristics of Suitor and Objector Communities*
Authors: Bohon Stephanie A. , Humphrey Craig R.
Published: August 2010

AbstractThis research examines nonmetropolitan places most likely to support or oppose proposals for locally undesirable land uses (LULUs) involving waste management facilities. Two hypotheses are tested: (1) that relatively remote communities of lower socioeconomic status will be less likely to oppose such proposals; and (2) that support for such proposals is widespread among nonmetropolitan communities because of growth machine activities. Using key informants and secondary data for 166 non‐metropolitan Pennsylvania places, we find that local growth promotion, especially efforts to promote business and industry, is related positively to community experience with plant closings and to proposals for these LULUs. Where these proposals are made, community opposition tends to be present as well, particularly in larger communities and, surprisingly, in those of lower socioeconomic status. The significance of these findings is discussed in terms of the growth machine and the opposition they can provoke to protect the use value of land in a single nonmetropolitan region.
Continuity and Change in Rural Migration Patterns, 1950–1995*
Authors: Johnson Kenneth M. , Fuguitt Glenn V.
Published: August 2010

Abstract During the past several decades, rural America has experienced turbulent demographic change. We examine rural age‐specific migration data for 1950 to 1995 to ascertain whether the numerous economic, social, and technological factors buffeting nonmetropolitan America have altered migration patterns across age groups and types of counties. Both continuity and change are evident in the analysis. We find differentiation in the migration profiles of certain specialized types of rural counties, as well as temporal variability from decade to decade. No clear longitudinal trend in migration patterns is present, however. In fact, an underlying continuity in age‐specific trends has endured through good times and bad.
After Farming: Emotional Health Trajectories of Farm, Nonfarm, and Displaced Farm Couples*
Authors: Lorenz Frederick O. , Elder Glen H. , Bao Wan‐Ning , Wickrama K. A. S. , Conger Rand D.
Published: August 2010

Abstract This study links macro social change to emotional health through continuity and change in farming. Families were divided into four groups, depending on whether they were full‐time farmers, part‐time farmers, displaced farm families who had left farming during the 1980s, or nonfarm families. Using four waves of panel data, we estimated initial levels and subsequent changes in per capita family income, stressful life events, and depressive symptoms of wives and husbands. Between 1989 and 1992, full‐time farm families' incomes decreased dramatically, while displaced farm families started 1989 with the lowest average per capita family income but saw the largest average increases in subsequent years. Farm status and changes in income predicted changes in stressful life events; changes in stressful life events, in turn, predicted changes in wives' and husbands' reports of depressive symptoms.
Predicting Community Satisfaction among Rural Residents: an Integrative Model*
Authors: Filkins Rebecca , Allen John C. , Cordes Sam
Published: August 2010

Abstract Community satisfaction has often been linked to the level of satisfaction with a community's infrastructure, job opportunities, and social support networks. Yet most empirical analyses of community satisfaction have focused on only one aspect of the available theory to predict community satisfaction. In this paper we integrate multiple models to analyze community satisfaction of almost 4,000 rural Nebraskans. The integrated model indicates that social ties may have a greater role in predicting community satisfaction than had been thought previously.
Family Influences on the Social Participation of Youth: The Effects of Parental Social Involvement and Farming
Authors: Chan Christopher G. , Elder Glen H.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Parents shape children's social choices through their social and economic actions. Parental social participation connects children to a civic culture and encourages involvement in civic groups. Parents' ties to farming in farm‐dependent communities further enhance children's civic orientations by providing added opportunities and incentives for social participation. Data from the Iowa Youth and Families Project confirm these hypotheses, showing that the children of farmers and of rural leaders are more likely to participate in civic groups. These results establish parental social involvement as a source of social capital and demonstrate the importance of farm influences for understanding the social involvement of youth in rural society.
The Influence of Family and Community Social Capital on Educational Achievement*
Authors: Israel Glenn D. , Beaulieu Lionel J. , Hartless Glen
Published: August 2010

Abstract It is increasingly recognized that families and communities are important in helping youths develop the knowledge and skills they need to obtain technologically sophisticated jobs, which are an emerging part of the global economy. In this paper we adopt social capital as a framework for examining the influence of family and community on promoting educational achievement among public school students. We explore more fully the role of community social capital in influencing educational performance beyond that attributed to family social capital. Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Survey (NELS), we find that both process and structural attributes of family social capital are key factors affecting high school students' educational achievement. Process and structural attributes of community social capital also help youths to excel, though they contribute less strongly to achievement. These findings suggest that policies designed to promote educational achievement must extend beyond the school and must seek to strengthen social capital in the family and the community.
Small Business Success in Rural Communities: Explaining the Sex Gap*
Authors: Bird Sharon R. , Sapp Stephen G. , Lee Motoko Y.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Building on previous theory and research, we propose a “structural relational” view of the sex gap in small business success. Our findings, based on analyses of data from 423 small business owners in Iowa, show support for our model and suggest that links between owners, social relational processes, business structure, and small business success operate differently depending on the industry location of the business and the owner's sex. Results also indicate that the business owner's sex has direct and indirect effects on business success. This finding suggests that social relations, organizations, and institutions are all gendered in ways that influence the sex gap in sales, but that further research is needed to more fully explain sex differences in small business success. We discuss these and other findings in terms of their theoretical and practical implications, and suggest directions for future research.
Will Economic Crises in Africa Weaken Rural‐Urban Ties? Insights From Child Fosterage Trends in Cameroon*
Authors: Eloundou‐Enyegue Parfait M. , Stokes C. Shannon
Published: August 2010

Abstract The welfare of rural families in many African countries depends on their solidarity ties with urban kin. These ties often channel remittances from urban workers and support the education and economic mobility of children from rural families through fosterage into urban families. The continued operation of these rural‐urban solidarity networks, however, is challenged by recent economic downturns and increased urban poverty. Using Cameroon as a case study, we examine the effects of economic downturns on child fosterage as a component of changes in rural‐urban solidarity. Results show a net decline in rural outfosterage rates during the years of economic decline. Such findings raise concern for the economic mobility prospects for children from rural families, especially in a climate of increased competition for limited formalsector employment.
Agriculture and Rurality: Beginning the “Final Separation”?*
Authors: Friedland William H.
Published: August 2010

Abstract When is a farm a farm? When is rural rural? Has the issue of the rural‐urban continuum returned? Decades ago rural sociology worked itself into two blind alleys: rural‐urban differences and attempts to define the rural‐urban fringe. Although these conceptual problems eventually were exhausted, recent developments in California raise the possibility of a phoenix‐like revival, although in new form. Three cases—the success of Napa Valley winemaking and the urban crowding that has accompanied it, the explosion of wine grape acreage in neighboring Sonoma County as demand for premium wine grapes has increased dramatically, and an antibody‐manufacturing goat “farm” in Santa Cruz County—have spurred community controversies and are now generating debates over the definition of “agriculture,” whether agriculture is rural, and “When is rural rural?”
Factors Influencing Farmers' Expectations to Sell Agricultural Land for Non‐Agricultural Uses*
Authors: Zollinger Brett , Krannich Richard S.
Published: August 2010

Abstract In this study we identify factors that influence farmers' expectations to sell some or all of their farming operation in areas where the increase in the conversion of agricultural land has been relatively rapid. Findings indicate that the following factors increase farmers' propensity to sell some or all of the agricultural operation for non‐agricultural land use: perceived negative change (particularly difficulty in obtaining and retaining rental land and in purchasing land) increases the likelihood that farmers will expect the operation to become nonviable, which in turn increases the expectation to sell some or all agricultural land; lack of a child who will take over the operation; and declining profits from the operation. Factors that apparently exert little influence on the expectation to sell some or all of the farming operation include level of intrinsic rewards that a farmer experiences from his farming operation, the farmer's satisfaction with his community, and the farmer's closeness to retirement age.
Social Capital and Participation in Community Improvement Activities by Elderly Residents in Small Towns and Rural Communities*
Authors: Liu Amy Qiaoming , Besser Terry
Published: August 2010

Abstract This study critically reviews theoretical concepts and measurements of social capital and tests hypotheses that elaborate how four dimensions of social capital (informal social ties, formal social ties, trust, and norms of collective action) and sense of community are related to participation in community improvement activities for elderly residents in small towns and rural communities. Mail surveys of 2,802 elders in 99 small towns and rural communities in Iowa reveal that many elders are actively involved in their community. Social capital and sense of community are very important in predicting elderly participation in community improvement activities, but they relate differently to elderly community involvement. Formal ties and sense of community have much stronger relationships with community involvement than informal ties and norms of collective action. Generalized trust is not significantly related to elderly community involvement.
Predicting Children's Asthma Hospitalizations: Rural and Urban Differences in Texas*
Authors: Grineski Sara E.
Published: August 2010

Abstract  Asthma is the number one chronic health condition facing children today; however, little is known about rural‐urban inequalities in asthma. This “area effects on health” study examines rural‐urban differences in childhood asthma hospitalizations within the state of Texas using negative binomial regression models. Effects associated with residence on the Texas‐Mexico border, where the majority of rural Texas children live, are also considered. Neighborhood‐level social class and proportion of the population that was native‐born Hispanic were significant predictors of asthma hospitalizations, independent of rural‐urban location. Conversely, proportion African American, Native American, and foreign‐born Hispanic, not a citizen; median year of home construction; and neighborhood location on the Texas‐Mexico border were conditional on urban‐rural location, and the strength of these predictors was stronger in rural areas. This suggests that locational and social factors intersect in marginalized spaces (like the rural and border regions of Texas) to create vulnerability to asthma hospitalizations.
Consumer Trust in the U.S. Food System: An Examination of the Recreancy Theorem*
Authors: Sapp Stephen G. , Arnot Charlie , Fallon James , Fleck Terry , Soorholtz David , Sutton‐Vermeulen Matt , Wilson Jannette J.H.
Published: August 2010

Abstract  Because consumer opinions to an increasing extent affect the structure and management of the U.S. food system, it is important for social scientists to accurately model consumer trust in this system so they can better understand and anticipate public responses to existing or proposed food‐related regulatory policies and facilitate effective partnership building between food‐system representatives and the public. The recreancy theorem posits that individuals' trust in and support for societal institutions reflects their perceptions of the competence and fiduciary responsibility of institutional actors. This theorem might prove effective at identifying the key determinants of consumers' trust in and support for institutional actors within the U.S. food system, whether these actors be representatives of large‐scale, internationally operated firms or small‐scale, locally operated businesses. We used data from two nationwide samples of adults to test the recreancy theorem for seven to nine pertinent institutional actors each within five areas of the U.S. food system: food safety, nutrition, treatment of workers, environmental protection, and treatment of livestock. The resulting 55 tests of the theorem entailed the estimation of 55 structural equation models to evaluate model fit and the efficacy of perceived competence and fiduciary responsibility in explaining trust and support. The results of analyzing the structural equation models separately and overall indicate support for the recreancy theorem. Based upon our results, we offer suggestions for enhancing public‐private partnership formation within the U.S. food system.