Americans change residences frequently. Residential mobility can reflect positive changes in a family's circumstances or be a symptom of instability and insecurity. Mobility may also change neighborhoods as a whole. To shed light on these challenges, this report uses a unique survey conducted for the "Making Connections" initiative. The…

A longitudinal study was made of Prairie City, Iowa wherein the personal and social characteristics of the 1962 power actor pool were compared with characteristics of the 1973 power actor pool to test the hypothesis that: the personal and social characteristics of power actors will not change significantly over time. Procedures for identifying…

As part of an ongoing investigation to determine the locational behavior of single-family-housing residents on the metropolitan fringe, a pilot study was conducted which simulated residential choice by asking respondents to rate the economy, convenience, and desirability of rural housing descriptions relative to a standard suburban residence. Four…

The study was conducted to determine if there are differences in selected factors related to educational and occupational decision-making between vocational agriculture students who live on a farm and those who do not. The comparison is based on the students' educational and occupational plans; differences in selected personal, family, and…

A study was made of 538 disadvantaged and 247 non-disadvantaged household heads in Iowa -- their occupation, training desired, material possessions, membership and participation. The sample included 643 males and 142 females and was distributed in zones from open country to large urban areas. According to the prescribed criteria 14% of the…

Using multiple regression analysis for each county and a case study of selected services in Johnson County, Iowa, the study estimated the impacts of rural non-farm development in Iowa on the demand for local public services, on the cost of providing these services, and on the distribution of service benefits and tax burdens among population…

This study investigated the adult adjustment one year after leaving school of 130 individuals with behavioral disorders who graduated from Iowa special education programs in 1985 and 1986; the adult adjustment of 70 dropouts was also investigated. Adjustment areas examined included: living arrangements, leisure activities, mechanisms used to cope…

Two case studies address the relationship between dual labor markets and rural schools, particularly the demographic transformation of rural school districts that host meatpacking plants that recruit immigrant workers. These schools have experienced an increase in non- and limited-English-speaking students. Employee turnover is reflected in school…