Demonstrates how concepts derived from General Systems Theory can be used to understand and treat families living in impoverished, isolated rural communities in the South. Suggests interventions frequently need to be directed at the community system as a whole if community rules are to be modified for second-order change. (Author)

Associations between community environment and cognitive ability were studied in 167 adoptive and 175 nonadoptive Colorado families. Seven families were omitted. A proposed model, tested by census measures, finds several aspects of communities showing environmental relationships with child IQ over parental influences. Rural communities have a…

Data taken from the Regional Technical Cooperative Project S-79 ("Rural Development and the Quality of Life in the Rural South") were used to assess the effects of objective conditions and subjective experiences on community satisfaction among a sample of 1,783 open-country household heads or spouses of household heads living in low…