Canadian studies examining suicide among rural and farm populations remain scarce. To better understand this phenomenon, a qualitative research paradigm was used to analyze encounter forms of 29 individuals (24 men, 5 women) who called the Manitoban Farm and Rural Stress Line. Content analysis revealed 7 major themes: (a) coping mechanisms, (b)…

Understanding the factors affecting off-farm labour decisions of census-farm operators has significant implications for rural development and farm income support policy. We examine the off-farm labour decisions of Canadian farm operators using micro-level data from the 2001 Census of Agriculture combined with community level data from the 2001…

A stratified random sample of 326 women and 392 men who operate Alberta grain farms responded to a questionnaire concerning participation in the whole economy. Findings show gender differences in participation in certain economic segments. Findings are discussed in relation to farms' and families' allocation of human resources. (Author/CH)

In this paper we hypothesize that farmers with a stronger valuation of family farming will be more resistant to converting farmland to tree plantations. Our survey data analysis from 106 farmers in northern Alberta reveals that general opposition to trees on farmland is the strongest predictor of farmers' resistance to the establishment of poplar…

In North America and elsewhere it is frequently asserted that changes in rural society have led to an economic and social "decoupling" of agriculture from the wider rural community. Casual analysis of contemporary media reporting and popular discourse would suggest that interactions between the two spheres are as often characterized by…

Examines why the influence of the Danish folk high school grew in importance in rural Canada. (Author/DN)

Although in the past farmers have not been a traditional client group for personal and career counselors, the recent financial plight of farm families has resulted in farmers being identified as a special target group by the Canadian government. Programs, such as the Canadian Rural Transition Program (CRTP), have been established to provide…

Collective agrarian violence was examined in the U.S. and Canada to determine: (1) if the American historical experience was unique; (2) if the American farm movements evidenced the same characteristics and development as those in Europe; (3) if American collective agrarian violence has manifested the same characteristic shape as that of France…

One of a series of studies based on data collected from 1,844 eleventh and twelfth grade Canadian students, this study examined to what extent type of residence was an important factor in student aspirations and other social factors. Farm, rural non-farm, and suburban youth were compared in order to study their degree of exposure to a variety of…

Personal interviews with 100 former farm operators living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, were conducted in an attempt to understand the nature of the adjustment process caused by migration from rural to urban surroundings. Requirements for inclusion in the study were that respondents had owned or operated a farm for at least 3 years, had left their…

The paper examines the social structure of Canada's agricultural production. It argues that "the official development strategy is typical of state involvement in maturing capitalist economies and that, in so far as these policies are successful, they bring to an end small scale production of primary products by absorbing rural people into an…

A survey of 1,105 Ontario farmers examined perceived quality of life as a function of social class, sex, age, education, income, and off-farm employment. Most farmers, especially highly educated and wealthy ones, felt their quality of life was high, but also believed they had been adversely affected by recent rural social change. (LP)

The timing and nature of the process of retirement for self-employed individuals were investigated. Subjects were 25 farm couples and 24 non-farm couples, all residing in rural Alberta, Canada. Both groups were matched on age, income, and education. Findings support the existence of a retirement process with a developmental sequence beginning at…

A Manitoba survey examined child care use, child safety concerns, and parents' on-farm and off-farm work to determine the needs of farm families for child care services. Of 972 questionnaires mailed to Manitoba farm residences, 121 were returned by respondents who were actively farming and living on a farm with at least one child younger than 16…

Women's participation in family farm labor has been underestimated. A study of small farms in rural Quebec during 1978 measured laborer characteristics, time spent on activities, distribution of responsibility, and extent of household production. Results indicate that women's direct and indirect contributions must be integrated into agricultural…