bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Migration Consequences for Household Energy Consumption in a Nonmetropolitan Recreation‐Retirement Area1
Authors: Fuguitt Glenn V. , Heberlein Thomas A. , Rathbun Pamela R.
Published: August 2010

Abstract We consider here the energy consumption characteristics of migrants and nonmigrants in two northern Wisconsin counties characterized by relatively rapid growth as areas of retirement and recreational activities. Migrants from metropolitan areas use more electricity when measured at the meter and report driving more. Both of these differentials are sustained even after controlling for personal and behavioral variables, appliance ownership, and type of energy use. Metropolitan migrants do not spend more for space heating, although there is again a positive effect on space heating energy consumption net of the other variables. We conclude that metropolitan migrants make an energy impact on the area, due in part, to their characteristics, housing, and type of energy consumption, but also because of differences in the way they use energy. In these ways they add an element of heterogeneity to the rural community, as well as increased demand for energy consumption.
Social Theory and the De/Reconstruction of Agricultural Science: Local Knowledge for an Alternative Agriculture1
Authors: Kloppenburg Jack
Published: August 2010

Abstract As a result of environmental and agrarian activism and of academic critique, a substantial amount of space is available now for moving agricultural technoscience onto new trajectories. A critical rural sociology has played a key role in pushing forward the deconstructive project that has been instrumental in creating this space. And rural sociologists can be active agents in the reconstruction of the alternative science that must emerge from “actually existing” science and that must be developed if there is to be a truly alternative agriculture. But to be effective in this effort we need to enlarge not only the canon of our colleagues in the natural sciences, but our own canon as well. This article suggests that the theoretical resources for such reconstruction are available in contemporary sociological and feminist interpretations of science. Material resources for the reconstruction of a “successor science” are to be found in the “local knowledge” that is continually produced and reproduced by farmers and agricultural workers. Articulations and complementarities between theoretical resources are suggested and potentially productive research areas are outlined.
The Effects of Rural‐to‐Urban Migration on the Poverty Status of Youth in the 1980s1
Authors: Wenk DeeAnn , Hardesty Constance
Published: August 2010

Abstract The effects of rural‐to‐urban migration on the poverty status of migrants have not been adequately explored. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to examine poverty status before and after a rural‐to‐urban migration, a proportional hazards model of time spent in poverty that begins in rural areas is estimated to determine whether moving to an urban area reduces the time spent in poverty while controlling for individual educational and family characteristics. Results indicate that moving from a rural to an urban area reduces time spent in poverty for white and black women but the effects are not statistically significant for men. Further, to adequately understand the relationship between moving to an urban area and poverty, the analysis examines the effects of moving on the length of time spent not employed.
Migrant Status and Labor Market Outcomes in Urban and Rural Hebei Province, China1
Authors: Stinner William F. , Xu Wu , Wei Jin
Published: August 2010

Abstract An important concern in population redistribution policymaking is the labor‐market absorption of migrants in rural and urban destinations. Three hypotheses (information costs, sociodemographic characteristics, and psycho‐social resources) on labor‐market outcomes are developed and tested among recent and long‐term interprovincial migrants and lifetime residents in rural and urban areas of Hebei Province in China. Results generally support the psycho‐social resources model; interprovincial migrants fare better than lifetime residents, regardless of background sociodemographic attributes. However, recent migrants generally tend to outperform long‐term migrants, suggesting that the type of psycho‐social resources may be important. These patterns generally hold in both urban and rural areas.
Dairy Farm Survival in a Metropolitan Area: Dutchess County, New York, 1984–19901
Authors: Hirschl Thomas A. , Long Christine R.
Published: August 2010

Abstract The effect of nonfarm development on dairy farm survival in New York's highly developed lower Hudson Valley is analyzed. The major hypothesis is that significant losses of dairy farms during this period are the result of urban development pressures. Contrary to this hypothesis, however, the bivariate and multivariate analyses of data from a mail survey of all commercial dairy operators in Dutchess County as of 1984 and industry survivors, exiters, and new entrants through 1990 demonstrate that nonfarm development has a negligible effect on dairy farm survival; rather, survival is significantly affected by age of operator and by family disruption. Thus, demographic and family process factors are found to be more powerful determinants of dairy farm survival in this particular metropolitan context.
Changing Forest Service Values and Their Implications for Land Management Decisions Affecting Resource‐Dependent Communities1
Authors: Cramer Lori A. , Kennedy James J. , Krannich Richard S. , Quigley Thomas M.
Published: August 2010

AbstractEmployees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture‐Forest Service (USFS) are frequently confronted with difficult trade‐off decisions in establishing multiple‐use priorities that affect rural communities economically dependent on national forests. Although such decisions are often tied to laws and agency policies, in many cases they may also reflect the value orientations of USFS personnel. This study utilizes survey data collected from a nationwide sample of USFS employees to examine value orientations and management priorities across the different levels of USFS line officers. Results indicate sharp differences between established ongoing management practices and the directions these officers believe the agency should be moving, with greater emphasis given to noncommodity uses such as recreation and wildlife rather than timber.
Ownership: An Overview1
Authors: Geisler Charles
Published: August 2010

This paper focuses on the interaction between public and private land ownership as a backdrop to future tenure research. It challenges various myths about land ownership in both sectors and emphasizes the problems in expanding tenure terms of reference to include the socalled “new property.” It concludes with an examination of macro‐sociological forces influencing the changing distribution of public and private ownership in the United States.
Is Rural Residency a Risk Factor for Childhood Poverty?1
Authors: Garrett Patricia , Ng'andu Nicholas , Ferron John
Published: August 2010

Abstract The influence of rural variables on young children's poverty status, adjusting for individual and family characteristics, is explored. The literature suggests that specific demographic variables exert an overwhelming influence on children's poverty status. This is confirmed with data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Results also suggest that the residential histories of children have consequences for their poverty status, even after the influence of control variables has been taken into account. The conclusion identifies the integration of survey and ecological data as one promising direction for future research on childhood poverty.
Reinventing Rural Sociology: Processes and Substance1
Authors: Zuiches James J.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Major shifts in the terms of the social contract between society and land grant universities have implications for the research, teaching, and extension agenda of rural sociology. By tracing the legislative, academic, and social context of these changes, one can understand the evolving process, the forces of change, and the necessity for new organizational strategies to respond to society's needs. Better networking with constituencies and use of advisory councils would tie the discipline closer to these needs. The identification of substantive needs are a product of such interaction and reflect new opportunities for rural sociology to provide leadership for human and community development programs.
Past Activeness, Solidarity, and Local Development Efforts1
Authors: Zekeri Andrew A. , Wilkinson Kenneth P. , Humphrey Craig R.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Actions by local groups and leaders constitute an essential but poorly understood element of many rural development strategies. Previous studies suggest that local development efforts can influence community change, but questions remain about why localities differ in mobilization to achieve development goals. Drawing upon community field theory and human ecology, this study uses data for rural school districts in Pennsylvania to examine the argument that activeness in the past and development of solidarity can contribute to a higher probability of local mobilization than would be predicted by ecological characteristics alone. Hierarchical regressions support this argument for some local actions, while canonical correlations show a generalized pattern strongly associated with past activeness and solidarity.
Making Sense of Sustainability: Nine Answers to ‘What Should Be Sustained?’1
Authors: Gale Richard P. , Cordray Sheila M.
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe concept of sustainability is central to many current natural resource debates. While the concept has substantial appeal, consensus on its meaning is lacking, especially concerning what combinations of resources or practices should be sustained. The many meanings of sustainability are addressed by first presenting four defining questions: what is sustained, why sustain it, how is sustainability measured, and what are the politics? These questions are used to identify what we see as nine distinct types of sustainability, each reflecting a different vision of which resources should be sustained. Illustrations are drawn from three major renewable natural resource areas—agriculture, forestry, and marine fisheries.
The Narrowing Regional Gap in Church Attendance in the United States1
Authors: Kanagy Conrad L. , Firebaugh Glenn , Nelsen Hart M.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Students of the South have postulated that southern distinctiveness is eroding. Using General Social Survey data for 1972–1991, the convergence hypothesis is tested for regular church attendance. Regional convergence is found, but only for the rural South. Also, narrowing of regional differences in church attendance is especially pronounced among the young, indicating that the convergence is likely to continue. Despite these results, present church attendance levels remain significantly higher in the South than in the non South.
The Farm Crisis and Mental Health: A Longitudinal Study of the 1980s1
Authors: Ortega Suzanne T. , Johnson David R. , Beeson Peter G. , Craft Betty J.
Published: August 2010

Abstract This paper examines rural/urban differences and trends in mental health during the farm crisis of the 1980s in a large panel sample from a midwestern state. A community research perspective, which attributes differences to life styles, culture, and community context, is contrasted with an economic stress perspective, which focuses on individual differences in economic circumstances as determinants of rural‐urban differences in mental health. Survey samples from 1981, 1986, and 1989 are used to examine differences among seven categories of community type. Multiple regression analysis of the trend and panel data provide support for both the individual economic distress and community context models.
Explaining the Demographic Transition: Institutional Factors in Fertility Decline1
Authors: Stokes C. Shannon
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe theory of demographic transition served as the principal descriptive tool for fertility change in developing nations for more than 30 years. Weaknesses of the theory as both a descriptive and an explanatory framework have led largely to its rejection. While a number of alternative frameworks have been suggested, none has received the widespread support once accorded transition theory. This analysis reviews transition theory and argues for the theoretical importance of institutional factors in fertility decline. Sub‐Saharan Africa serves as the locus of the analysis because it remains the world region with the highest fertility and the one in which the transition is just beginning. The organization of agricultural production is hypothesized to be important for fertility behavior and is identified as one of three institutional areas in which rural sociology may be uniquely qualified to contribute.
Feminist Knowledge Claims, Local Knowledge, and Gender Divisions of Agricultural Labor: Constructing a Successor Science1
Authors: Feldman Shelley , Welsh Rick
Published: August 2010

Abstract Issues raised by the feminist epistemic critique of social science are used to examine what is meant by local knowledge and its contribution to analyses of agricultural sustainability. Employing the concepts of partial perspective, lived experience, and the complexity of social context, this paper focuses attention on the juxtaposition of local and scientific knowledge and challenges those interpretations of local knowledge production that ignore the various people, relations, and interests constituting the rural economy. An examination of local as a contested, complex, and heterogeneous domain refines the work of Kloppenburg (1991) and his commitment to the significance of local knowledge in constructing opportunities for sustainable agriculture. Attention to the on‐farm gender division of labor helps to identify gender differences as critical in constituting the family farm and to elaborate how the different experiences of women and men may offer alternative visions of what constitutes sustainable agricultural production.
Household Poverty in Rural and Metropolitan‐Core Areas of the United States1
Authors: Brown David L. , Hirschl Thomas A.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Urban poverty and rural development literatures are used to identify the determinants of poverty, resulting in the hypothesis that controlling for household and contextual‐level variables would reduce metropolitan (metro) core versus rural differences in the likelihood of poverty. Modeling data from the 1985 wave of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, rural households have the highest probability of poverty followed by the metro core. Both household and contextual factors were important determinants of the chances of household poverty. However, controlling for these determinants failed to eliminate the greater likelihood of rural versus metro‐core poverty. Findings indicate the need for new directions in future poverty research and a reconsideration of the importance of space in sociological theory.
The Changing Impact of Industry, Household Structure, and Residence on Household Weil‐Being1
Authors: Kassab Cathy , Luloff A. E. , Schmidt Fred
Published: August 2010

Abstract The changing impact of industry, household structure, and residence on household well‐being during the 1980s is examined with data from the Current Population Survey for 1981–1982 and 1990–1991. Findings indicate that household well‐being was greatest for those families relying on traditional higher‐wage industries (high‐wage manufacturing, government, mining). The well‐being of families relying on higher‐wage services was lower, most likely a consequence of the prevalence of marginal and low‐paying jobs in the service sector. Rewards associated with employment in construction and low‐wage manufacturing were not consistently greater than those associated with employment in low‐wage services. While changes in the impact of industry were minor, significant changes occurred in the impact of an additional earner on economic well‐being over the decade. Results indicate that increasing hardship has been experienced by vulnerable populations, such as nonmetropolitan and single‐headed families, and minority households, particularly Hispanics. Implications for economic development strategies and work‐related assistance programs are highlighted.
Service Changes in a Central‐Place System: County Tipperary, Ireland, 1966–19861
Authors: Hourihan Kevin , Lyons Donald
Published: August 2010

Shifts occurred in the availability of rural services in a central‐place system of 143 centers in County Tipperary, Ireland, between 1966 and 1986. While there were considerable changes in the degree of availability of individual services, the overall range of services remained relatively stable at the level of the central‐place system. Within the hierarchy, there was some evidence of polarization with villages recording the greatest losses and major towns recording the highest increases. New services that had emerged were strongly concentrated in the larger towns at the top of the hierarchy. Aggressive rural development policies had positive effects on the stability of the overall central‐place system, although these policies may have had the unintended consequence of increasing polarization within the hierarchy.
Global Agro‐Food Corporations and the State: The Ferruzzi Case
Authors: Bonanno Alessandro , Constance Douglas , Hendrichson Mary
Published: August 2010

The relationship between transnational corporations (TNCs) in the agro‐food sector and the nation‐state in the context of global post‐Fordism is examined through a case study of recent events involving the Ferruzzi transnational corporation. TNCs have a complex and contradictory set of relations with the state that are affected by competition among TNCs, by TNCs' internal disagreements, and by the fragmented nature of the state. The state assists TNCs through formal and informal channels. In this specific case, the informality of the system is underscored by the openly illegal arrangement that was operated for years by Ferruzzi officials and members of the officialdom of the state. However, the state also has the capacity to counter the actions of TNCs and to enforce the interests of subordinate groups.
Alert Opening and Closing: Mennonite Rural‐Urban Changes1
Authors: Driedger Leo
Published: August 2010

Minorities adjust to society by shifting strategies. Survey samples in the United States and Canada indicate that Mennonites are becoming more urban, professional, and mobile. Good closing, such as support of religious values, norms, beliefs, morals, and practice, is stronger in rural areas than in the city. As urbanization increases, good opening, such as political participation and equal treatment of women and races, also rises between 1972 and 1989. Mennonites demonstrate effective reinforcement in continuous oscillation between relative openness and closedness in their resilient adjustments to intake of information.
Social Capital, Place of Residence, and College Attendance1
Authors: Smith Mark H. , Beaulieu Lionel J. , Seraphine Ann
Published: August 2010

The relationship between social interaction and college attendance is examined across varying types of communities. Structural arrangements and interaction patterns that foster positive relationships are regarded as social capital and are conceptualized as investments that can yield human capital returns in terms of higher educational attainment. Logistic regression procedures are employed to analyze data from the High School and Beyond Longitudinal Study. The social capital model of college attendance is estimated for the full sample and separately for high school students living in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Predicted probabilities of attending college for students with high and low social capital are obtained. Results of these analyses indicate that parental expectation of college attendance is the most powerful predictor of subsequent college attendance among variables examined. Measures of community social capital and parental human capital also strongly predict attendance.
Sex, Lies, and Statistics: Can Rural Sociology Survive Restructuring? (or) What Is Right with Rural Sociology and How Can We Fix It1
Authors: Tickamyer Ann R.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Rural Sociology faces increasing threats of marginalization from social and economic restructuring of academia and of the larger society in which it is embedded. Contrary to some recent analyses, the problem lies more in the inadequacies of data conceptualization, production, and collection than in the theoretical vitality of the discipline. The failure to match theoretical and conceptual advances with appropriate data leaves sociologists grappling with “modern data to study a postmodern world.” Research on the impact of restructuring on social and spatial divisions of labor and the contributions of feminist theory and research to the conceptualization of work and household illustrate the theoretical advances and the empirical deficiencies faced by the discipline. Disciplinary survival and development depend on meeting the challenge of matching theoretical progress with an appropriate empirical base.
Globalization: Myths and Realities1
Authors: McMichael Philip
Published: August 2010

Abstract The current decline of the developmentalist paradigm, and its view of the rural as increasingly residual, revitalizes rural sociology. The blossoming of studies of rurality and ecology is paralleled by the growing currency of globalization as an object of analysis. This is more than a coincidence—in fact, globalization crystallizes local diversity. The two phenomena go hand in hand. But each needs to be understood as an historical construct; that is, they need to be problematized. In problematizing “globalization,” I argue that it must be understood as a post‐developmentalist construct. The postwar goal of national development, institutionalized in the international Bretton Woods regime, has run its course—dramatized by the assault on developmentalist states and institutions in the monetarist regime established under the auspices of the 1980s debt crisis. The nationally oriented institutions of the developmentalist era are now being replaced by globally oriented institutions under the legitimizing cloak of efficiency and financial credibility. Related to this trend, producing communities scramble to reposition themselves either through finding niches in a new global economy or through resistance to global pressures. Either way, there is a new emphasis on defining the local. This article explores the conjunction of global and local definition.
Will Rural Areas Still Matter in the 21st Century? (or) Can Rural Sociology Remain Relevant?1
Authors: Singelmann Joachim
Published: August 2010

Abstract Despite demographic and economic trends away from rural societies and from agriculture, a consideration of rural areas remains important for two reasons. First, a substantial number of people will continue to live and work in rural areas, even as urbanization spreads across the world. Second, social processes have different consequences in urban and rural areas. Rural sociology must make global restructuring a key concern, it must provide information about social and economic processes in rural and urban areas, and its geographical scope must become truly international.
Community Context, Women's Natal Kin Ties, and Demand for Children: Macro‐Micro Linkages in Social Demography1
Authors: Axinn William G. , Fricke Tom
Published: August 2010

Abstract Recent research in many areas of social demography has begun to address the implications of cultural, social, and economic context for individual–level preferences and behavior. We expand on this theme by arguing that multiple levels of context may simultaneously direct individual–level strategies. We focus on the relationship between women's natal kin ties and their demand for children, a substantive area in which context is thought to be particularly important. We use a combination of ethnographic and survey data to measure contextual characteristics, women's ties to their natal families, and couples' fertility preferences and behavior. Our results demonstrate that particularly supportive relationships with natal kin have more influence on fertility preferences and behavior than contact with natal kin, although both dimensions are important. The results also show that even within the same cultural context, radically different community environments can produce opposite consequences of ties to natal kin.
Gender Inequality in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Areas1
Authors: Cotter David A. , DeFiore JoAnn , Hermsen Joan M. , Kowalewski Brenda Marsteller , Vanneman Reeve
Published: August 2010

Abstract Nonmetropolitan‐metropolitan differences in the United States are large and growing, but we know relatively little about how they interact with gender differences. Using data from the CPS, the Census PUMS, and the GSS, we find nonmetropolitan and metropolitan areas are quite similar in the gender gap in earnings and in rates of married women's labor force participation. Occupational sex segregation is higher and some gender attitudes are a few percentage points less egalitarian in nonmetropolitan areas. Each of these dimensions of gender stratification has been declining over the last two decades and the declines are roughly similar in nonmetropolitan and metropolitan areas. Variations in gender stratification have been greater over time than across place. Thus, while both place and gender are important dimensions of stratification, there appears to have been little interaction between the two.
Landlord Involvement in Environmental Decision‐Making on Rented Missouri Cropland: Pesticide Use and Water Quality Issues1
Authors: Constance Douglas H. , Rikoon J. Sanford , Ma Jian C.
Published: August 2010

Abstract The need to better understand landlord involvement in decision‐making related to pesticide use and water quality issues is evidenced by several trends. These trends include the increasing documentation of water pollution by farm pesticides, the changing characteristics of farm ownership and operator tenure, and evolutions in resource policy and protection planning. This paper utilizes a theoretical approach to the sociology of land tenure to interpret results from an investigation of landlord involvement in environmental decision making regarding pesticide selection on rented land. Eight counties with high susceptibility of water contamination by pesticides were selected for study. Structured, in‐person interviews were administered to in‐county landlords, and a mail survey was used to poll out‐of‐county landlords. Results indicate that participation is generally low with very little difference between landlord groups. Renters make most of the organizational and operational decisions on rented farmland. Landlord participation is predominantly based on economic, rather than on social or environmental, factors. Furthermore, while economic variables are important predictors of participation for both groups, gender and social ties to the renter tend to increase local landlord involvement, but not absentee involvement These results have important implications for both federal programs and further research on land tenure and environmental stewardship.
The Social Context of Perceived Drought Vulnerability1
Authors: Keenan Sean P. , Krannich Richard S.
Published: August 2010

Abstract This paper examines perceptions of drought vulnerability among residents of the southern San Joaquin Valley portion of Kern County, California. The area is unique in the western United States because of its complex water delivery infrastructure and its intensive level of agricultural production supported by agricultural labor. The area is interesting to rural sociologists because it was part of Goldschmidt's research on the social implications of agribusiness. We argue that the relationship between resource production and social stratification suggested by Goldschmidt's research presents some important implications for understanding perceptions of resource scarcity in the present day. We explore perceptions of drought vulnerability by several dimensions of stratification—primary occupation, location of residence, length of residence, household income, and racial/ethnic background. While our findings illustrate that agricultural owners/operators perceive the greatest levels of concern about severe drought, the unique character of agricultural production in the area is related to perceptions of vulnerability among broader segments of the local population. The findings suggest that dependence upon existing water utilization patterns may present substantial obstacles to effective drought policy and planning.
Race, Rural Residence, and Wildland Visitation: Examining the Influence of Sociocultural Meaning1
Authors: Johnson Cassandra Y. , Horan Patrick M. , Pepper William
Published: August 2010

Abstract Previous studies have shown that African Americans have less favorable impressions about wildlands and recreate on wildland areas less frequently than do whites. However, most of these investigations have been conducted on non‐rural populations. Rural perceptions of wildlands and visitation to such areas have received relatively little attention. In this exploratory study, we propose that race operates on wildland recreation visitation through the different meanings rural blacks and whites attribute to wildlands. We examine this hypothesis with a structural model which specifies wildland meaning as an intervening factor between race and visitation. Single equation results show blacks visit wildlands less, and have less favorable definitions of wildlands, compared to whites. However, when wildland meaning is included in the structural model, racial differences become insignificant. This suggests that the meanings different racial groups attach to wildlands help explain visitation. Both sex and age are also significant predictors of both wildland meaning and visitation.
Linking Community Context to Quality of Parenting: A Study of Rural Families1
Authors: Simons Ronald L. , Johnson Christine , Conger Rand D. , Lorenz Frederick O.
Published: August 2010

AbstractVirtually all past studies of the effect of community context on families and children have focused on large metropolitan communities. Using a sample of divorced women living in small, Midwestern communities, the present study tests a model of the processes whereby community structure influences parenting practices. Results obtained through structural equation modeling supported the hypotheses. High concentrations of disadvantaged people within a community were indirectly related to parenting through community social disorganization. Community social disorganization had a direct effect on quality of parenting, as well as indirect effects through negative events, access to social support, and depressed mood. The various methodological and theoretical implications of these findings are considered.
Which Children Will Go to Secondary School? Factors Affecting Parents' Decisions in Rural Thailand1
Authors: Williams Lindy , Archavanitkul Kritaya , Havanon Napaporn
Published: August 2010

Abstract This study examines parents' decisions about educating some or all of their children beyond primary school in rural Thailand. Their strategies often involve choices between sons and daughters and between older versus younger children. We find that the more children there are in a family, the lower the proportion who are sent to secondary school. Parents send more sons than daughters and more youngest than eldest children. The decision is sometimes associated with a specific “investment” strategy, but it may also reflect parents' ability to afford to send children beyond primary school. Important economic factors include children's perceived earning potentials, anticipated opportunity costs, and parents' poverty status. However, the issues of access to schools and the safety of children, particularly girls, are also critically important. These concerns are often weighed as heavily, or more heavily, than economic considerations.
Gender Competition and the Preservation of Community in the Allocation of Administrative Positions in Small Rural Towns in Montana: A Research Note1
Authors: Jobes Patrick C.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Assignment of administrative positions in a sample of rural towns is demonstrated to be significantly associated with gender. Most civil administrators are women, while most legal and educational administrators are men. The difference indicates structural assignment of positions by gender. Gender and administrative position are demonstrated to have zero‐order correlations with perceptions of two important behaviors for community: migration and social problems. The characteristics of the occupation and of the administrators are qualitatively different. The data are compiled from interviews with seventy administrators in five pairs of small towns in Montana, ranging in size from about 200 to approximately 7,000 residents. Each pair contains one agricultural and one scenic recreational town. Comparatively, more women were employed in agricultural towns. Many rural women who become administrators, particularly long‐term administrators, may be selected for reasons that help preserve the community by providing opportunities for themselves and their families.
The Changing Structure of U.S. Agriculture: Dualism Out, Industrialism In
Authors: Albrecht Don E.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Between 1982 and 1992, trends in farm structural change resumed patterns that had existed from the Great Depression to the 1970s. That is, farms became fewer and larger. By 1992, the number of American farms declined below two million for the first time since the Civil War. Also, the trend toward dualism noted in the 1970s is over, as the number of small farms again declined rapidly during the 1980s. The trend toward large‐scale agriculture is most prominent in the most important agricultural counties.
The Industrial Transformation of Farm Communities: Implications for Family Structure and Socioeconomic Conditions
Authors: Albrecht Don E.
Published: August 2010

Abstract The industrialization of agriculture has resulted in extensive declines in the number of farms and in the number of people employed in agriculture. For many farm communities, this has resulted in rapid population declines. Other farm communities have been able to attract alternative sources of employment. This study analyzes family structure and socioeconomic conditions in 281 Great Plains counties that were economically dependent on agriculture at one time. Surprisingly, it was found that, while communities remaining agriculturally dependent had extensive population declines, they also had higher rates of employment, lower poverty rates, higher proportions of married couple households, and income levels equal to counties now economically dependent on nonfarm industries. Conditions in counties that have become service based were especially troubling.
The Social Networks of Leaders in More or Less Viable Communities Six Years Later: A Research Note1
Authors: O'Brien David J. , Raedeke Andrew , Hassinger Edward W.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Using 1995 data, this study re‐examines the social networks of leaders in five more and less viable rural communities in Missouri which were originally studied in 1989 (O'Brien et al. 1991; O'Brien and Hassinger 1992). In the six year period between the 1989 and 1995 surveys, four of the five communities were impacted by major events, including the introduction of corporate hog production in two places and flooding in two others. However, despite these events, there is a high degree of continuity in the relative viability scores of the five places in the two surveys. Leaders in more viable places continue to work with a larger number of fellow leaders and to be more involved in community development organizations than their counterparts in less viable places. These findings show the importance of social capital for rural community viability.
Understanding the Microdynamics of Farm Structural Change: Entry, Exit, and Restructuring among Wisconsin Family Farmers in the 1980s1
Authors: Jackson‐Smith Douglas B.
Published: August 2010

Abstract Despite many differences among competing theories of agrarian transformation, all tend to presume that aggregate structural changes are essentially a reflection of changes taking place on individual farms over time. This presumption has been reinforced by a reliance on aggregated county‐level census data or cross‐sectional surveys of individual farm operations, which unfortunately afford few opportunities to test conventional assumptions about the underlying dynamics of the process. Given the large gross flows into and out of the farm sector, this paper examines the question: do aggregate structural changes primarily result from adaptations made on continuing farms, or are they the product of selective entry and exit processes? Data from a panel study of Wisconsin farmers are used to shed light on the micro‐dynamics of structural change. The results suggest that continuing farmers often adapt in ways very different from aggregate trends. They also demonstrate how the character of entry and exit patterns is critical to the structural change process.
The Introduction of Capitalism in Russian Agriculture: Popular Response to Neo‐Liberal Reforms1
Authors: Bonanno Alessandro , Lyman Katherine L.
Published: August 2010

Abstract This work analyzes the reactions of rural residents to the introduction of market‐oriented economic reforms in the Russian agricultural sector. Employing primary data collected in a 1995 survey of three villages in the Russian Republic, we argue that strong resistance to the introduction of Neo‐liberal market‐oriented reforms exists, often based on the respondents' awareness of the importance of social interdependence. Rural residents feel harmed by government reforms, reject further reforms in agriculture, and would prefer a return to pre‐1991 conditions. Although most have experienced a decline in village solidarity, they also believe that some forms of collective life will persist in rural communities. Respondents also question the fairness of economic markets given their observation that many have gotten ahead by illegal activities. In general, those with more resources are slightly less negative in their responses. Still, we argue that these results do not necessarily indicate that rural Russians totally reject the move toward a market‐based economy. Rather, the results taken together suggest that points of strain and resistance emerge from the rapid introduction of market‐oriented reforms, with little protection from unwanted consequences and the uncertainties of capitalism, in a context characterized by a long tradition of collective social relations.
Agri‐Food Restructuring: A Synthesis of Recent Australian Research
Authors: Lawrence Geoffrey
Published: August 2010

Abstract Globalizing tendencies within capitalism are leading to important alterations in the structure of agricultural production and the ways food companies are involving themselves in processing and marketing. Increasingly, finance capital and transnational agribusiness have sought ways to influence, and in some cases redirect, farming activities in Australia. The penetration of farming structures by corporate capital has been hastened by state deregulation. Rather than providing detailed empirical evidence, this paper presents a broad synthesis of recent Australian research with the aim of informing readers otherwise unaware of events in the Antipodes of the forms and impacts of agri‐food change in Australia.
Reflexive Accumulation and Global Restructuring: Retailers and Cultural Processes in the Australian Poultry Industry1
Authors: Dixon Jane
Published: August 2010

Abstract Chicken consumption in Australia resembles that in the U.S., but a comparison of the restructuring of poultry production in both countries shows some significant differences. This finding raises the question of what lies behind the emergence of similar consumption norms when consumption is often explained in terms of production regimes. The article explores the success of Australian producers in rejecting global free trade pressures while acquiescing to supply chain arrangements introduced by supermarkets. It describes how Australian producers have benefitted from two cultural phenomena: the arrival of Kentucky Fried Chicken and a dietary low fat regimen. It argues that an internationalized food service sector—including supermarket and fast‐food chains—and western dietary advice are responsible for chicken's popularity in Australia. The theory of reflexive accumulation is used to explain the power of retailers and cultural producers in a food system increasingly dominated by “high value foods.” Further, reflexive accumulation can help to explain both the present restructuring of the Australian poultry complex and the unevenness of agri‐food restructuring in general.
Social Capital Construction and the Role of the Local State1
Authors: Warner Mildred
Published: August 2010

Abstract  As globalization weakens the role of the nation state, increased theoretical and practical attention is being focused on community level action, especially on the role of social capital. Proponents of social capital have placed primary emphasis on voluntary associations. This paper looks at the role the state can play in building social capital. The historical nature of social capital in the community, the organizational structure of governmental intermediaries, and the design of specific program interventions condition social capital building. Hierarchical governmental intermediaries are contrasted with participatory community based initiatives. Three key factors: autonomy, linkage and returns on investment for both intermediaries and participating residents, are shown to affect social capital construction.
Barriers to Women's Advancement in Underground Coal Mining
Authors: Tallichet Suzanne E.
Published: August 2010

Abstract This paper uses a middle‐range feminist theory by Reskin and Roos (1987) to examine how the sexualization of work relations, along with formal practices governing promotion at a large coal mine in central Appalachia, has led to job‐level sex segregation underground. Analyses of qualitative data from nonparticipant observation, in‐depth interviews with 10 coal mining women, and company documents reveal that sexualization represents men's power to stigmatize women as inferior workers and to maintain the stereotypes for assigning work to women. Formal practices, particularly training, seniority, and posting and bidding procedures, legitimize the process of matching women workers with gender‐typed jobs. Coal mining women's resistance is reflected in their awareness of how men's stereotypes are used and in their continual individual efforts to prove their competence as coal miners.
Ethnicity and Farm Entry Behavior
Authors: Cross John A. , Jackson‐Smith Douglas , Barham Bradford
Published: August 2010

Abstract The persistence of ethnic traits in both the visible agricultural landscape and the practices of established farmers in the United States has been well documented but not unchallenged. One limitation of most studies is that they have focused on relatively special populations of farmers who could be expected to have unusually strong ethnic identity. It has not been clear that ethnic background could serve as a useful variable in explaining variation in farmers' behavior in the general farm population. The present study examines the role of ethnicity in a large random sample of recent entrants into dairy farming in Wisconsin. In particular, we provide some confirmation that the farm operator's ethnic identity can be linked to differences in entry paths, current farm characteristics, and cultural beliefs in our sample. We also suggest that ethnicity plays a stronger role in affecting the resources and opportunities available to young farmers than the strategic decisions made to employ these assets.
Poverty in Nonmetropolitan America: Impacts of Industrial, Employment, and Family Structure Variables
Authors: Albrecht Don E. , Albrecht Stan L.
Published: August 2010

AbstractPoverty is more extensive and more severe in nonmetropolitan areas than in metropolitan areas. Here we maintain that the extensive industrial and economic transformations occurring in rural areas have resulted in patterns contributing to these high poverty levels. These transformations, which include an increase in service‐sector employment, in many ways mirror the economic changes that have occurred in the inner city. We maintain that Wilson's model of the inner‐city underclass can be useful in understanding some poverty trends in nonmetropolitan areas. To test the Wilson model, we analyze 1990 census data. The data generally support the model and indicate that the industrial transformation of rural areas leads to changes in the gender structure of the labor force, and to a more unbalanced sex ratio. These changes, in turn, result in adjustments to family structure, including an increase in the percentage of female‐headed households. This process results in higher poverty levels.
Alternative Economic Strategies in Low‐Income Rural Communities: TANF, Labor Migration, and the Case of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation*
Authors: Pickering Kathleen
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe premise of current welfare policies is that recipients are avoiding work and that requiring work will end welfare dependency. Unemployment is equated with labor market inexperience and economic inactivity. The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, a poor rural community with high unemployment, contradicts these assumptions. Many Lakota individuals have off‐reservation wage work experience; there simply are not enough local jobs to absorb their human capital. Lakota households, however, are involved in a complex combination of socially embedded economic activities outside wage work. Imposing the premises of TANF on Pine Ridge results in indirect pressures toward urban migration and cultural assimilation. Furthermore, by imposing rigid notions of work, TANF runs the risk of destroying the economic flexibility that makes survival possible for poor households in Pine Ridge. Welfare and development policies need to reflect the real economies of rural American Indian reservations rather than those of superficially assimilated and economically imagined communities.
Research Orientations and Sources of Influence: Agricultural Scientists in the U.S. Land‐Grant System*
Authors: Goldberger Jessica R.
Published: August 2010

Abstract This research builds on the work of Busch and Lacy, who have written extensively about the sources of influence on the choice of research problems in the agricultural sciences at land‐grant universities. Employing data from a 1995–1996 nationwide survey of land‐grant agricultural scientists, I use multiple regression techniques to investigate the relative importance of 19 sources of influence on agricultural scientists engaged in six research areas: productionist‐oriented, sustainable agriculture, environmental, basic, consumer‐oriented, and rural community‐oriented. The first objective of this paper is to revisit and assess many of Busch and Lacy's findings about the influences on land‐grant agricultural scientists. I find that different types of land‐grant research are influenced by distinct combinations of factors. The second major objective is to extend Busch and Lacy's work by spotlighting the significant influences on sustainable agriculture research. My multivariate findings show that this research appears to exhibit influences that reflect its dual productionist and environmental character.