Reviewing three reports of research on Third World development, the author discusses the benefits, adverse effects, perceptual and political problems of academic research in relationship to the indigenous populations being studied. (SK)

This paper examines non-human loss and its psychological effect upon rural people. It discusses the absence of any ritual response to loss, including farm loss, that would otherwise benefit the loss victims or the surrounding society. The dilemma is comparable to that of the "transitional person," the immigrant experience following World…

Illustrating that their roles are as diverse as non-farm women, four short articles give new perspectives on farm women: the numbers and types of farms run by women, an historical review of women on the farm, the non-farm jobs many work at, and the specific farm activities they are responsible for. (NEC)

Reviews current resource materials available to help educators, counselors, and others who work with rural families in an effort to support them in crisis, to facilitate their decision making and long-range planning, and to foster their problem-solving efforts. (Author)

Reviews children's books suitable for preschool to secondary students concerning life on a farm, farm animals, various crops, regional differences, farming methods, farm machinery, livestock care, veterinary science, the history of farming, difficulties with farm life, and poetry about farm life. (KS)

Examines impact of changing relations between farmers and spouses in context of rural economic change and increasing female participation in labor market. Argues wives' off-farm work, and farm-based enterprises result from family power-relations negotiations. Examines family farming future, farming ideology, women's aspirations, and domestic…

Restructuring of U.S. agriculture ("neoindustrialization") is having important effects on rural residents, requiring adaptations of supporting institutions such as education. Neoindustrialization involves concentration, specialization, and vertical and horizontal integration of agricultural production and marketing, as well as further…

Beginning with definitions of land ownership and natural resources, this paper traces United States resource ownership patterns and draws conclusions for rural areas. Following the definitions, a general history of resource ownership discusses disposition of land from government to private owner, noting that the cadastral survey system still in…

Selected excerpts from books and poetry portray life in rural communities, the role of country schools, and the demands of farm life. These excerpts depict a nostalgic view of rural life that does not account for the current decline of rural communities. A move away from this stereotypical view is necessary to adapt to social change and preserve…

This paper examines the gender order that operates in rural areas of Australia, ensuring that women are accorded secondary status, that their contributions are discounted, and that their concerns are trivialized. Women are disadvantaged by patriarchal gender relations that dominate rural society and that are reinforced by ideologies of family and…

Rural poverty in Sindh, Pakistan, has been artificially created by low prices of wheat, fixed by the federal government's price control board. Agriculture and agro-based industries account for 80 percent of the country's labor force. Among the consequences of this price control are low margins of profit to the farming community; low capacity to…

Presenting a model for the comparative analysis of farm organizations, this paper analyzes the farm firm as a complex organization; identifies key structural dimensions of an agricultural production unit; and reviews various organizational perspectives for their utility in understanding and explaining the behavior of farm operations and farm…

Draws on classic sociological theories of Durkheim, Tonnies, and others to suggest that many urban-rural differences found in the past were actually farm-nonfarm differences. Analysis of Current Population Survey data reveals few differences in family structure between urban and rural nonfarm residents, but extensive differences between these and…

Assesses current state of knowledge of the multiple roles of farm women as farmers, women, family members, individuals, and members of agricultural organizations; suggests directions for future research; discusses issues in research design. Available from: Rural Sociological Society, 325 Morgan Hall, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37916.…

Social stratification in agriculture is a complicated process without a theoretical paradigm. Research to date has typically focused on the stratification of farms rather than the social stratification of farmers. Therefore, identifying social classes in agriculture based on a typology of farms clearly misses the social relations segment of…