Intended for rural development practitioners and extension educators, this publication examines trends and issues in the revitalization of rural America. Chapter 1 defines community economic vitality as the capacity to ensure a flow of jobs and income over time; focuses attention on the realities of competition between communities and the…

The structure of nonmetro employment has become increasingly diverse and decreasingly agricultural. The precise policy implications of these shifts are not self-evident, but the increasingly nonagricultural character of the rural economy is at the heart of the population turnaround. (Author/KR)

The objective of this study was to explore a new method of analyzing the performance of substate economies. Conventional analyses of economic diversity and growth are limited by their reliance on static measures of economic structure. Such measures do not capture the patterns of growth dynamics or structural change a region may be experiencing.…

The Annual Rural Manpower Report is a summary of events and programs affecting rural communities during 1975. Intended as a general overview of activities in rural Maine, it is not an indepth study of all manpower programs serving the state. Part I provides the annual summary and discusses planning, economic development, employment and…

Examines changes in rural economies, and stresses the declining importance of resource-based industries (farming, forestry, mining) in most. Points to future growth in service sector, suggesting rural areas increase access to education, capital, telecommunications, and transportation to attract development. Contains graphs, table, and 20…

Examines development of rural communities and regions that depend on extractive industries (involving removal of raw materials from nature). Discusses "addictive activities" in such communities characterized by rising operation costs and declining commodities' prices. Discusses community and regional characteristics contributing to…

The purposes of the National Rural Studies Committee (NRSC) are to develop a comprehensive and coherent framework for viewing rural area problems, and to provide legitimacy for rural studies as an academic field of specialization. This first NRSC meeting focused on the picture of rural America drawn in American literature, the nature of employment…

The manufacturing industry's areal and structural growth trends were analyzed for insights into their possible future role in Appalachia's economy. Between 1950 and 1960, total manufacturing employment expanded in large-, medium-, and small-center population areas, in rates inverse to center size. However, absolute gains in employment were…

This book examines predominantly rural regions of the United States that lag behind the rest of the country in income, employment, access to services, and measures of education and health. Case studies of nine regions examine historical background; current economic and social conditions (including demography, educational attainment, and…

Stressing the provision of services to migrants and seasonal farmworkers in keeping with the U.S. District Court Order requiring and quantitatively proportionate service to this labor segment, the Rural Manpower Service provided a comprehensive program of service to all rural elements in Louisiana. Working in close conjunction with the Service was…

Developing nations could greatly improve the quality of life in rural areas by adequately involving women in agricultural extension and training programs. Policy objectives of many developing countries neglect the contributory role of girls and women and often constrain them from seizing opportunities for individual development. In Nigeria, the…

From 1950 to 1970, the shift from agriculture to industry dominated Ashe County, North Carolina, isolated on the Blue Ridge by rugged terrain and severe weather. Rural farm population declined by 2/3 but rural non-farm population tripled. Many new industries helped shift the bulk of the work force to industry. In 1950, 45% of the work force farmed…

Eleven papers on rural economic development cover challenges and opportunities; employment trends affecting nonmetropolitan areas; status of nonmetropolitan women and minorities; case studies of Vermont, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and California; western urban and regional development; economic development in small cities; and rural policy…