Interviews with 14 Australian farmers involved in farm business learning activities described how social capital is built through support networks. Four stages of development were identified: (1) individual self-confidence, interpersonal, and leadership skills; (2) getting acquainted; (3) credibility of group members; and (4) commitment. A model…

This paper investigates stories that are told in a North Queensland rural community about the arrival of itinerant farm workers for the winter harvesting season. Permanent residents often represent this annual event as an invasion of the community by undesirable people who break the law, exacerbate racial tensions and take jobs from locals. Such…

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 studies of farming, the age of the principal decision-maker (PDM) has been associated with numerous farm structural and managerial features and has been widely accepted as a good indicator of the influence of life-cycle factors on decision-making. As such, it has become an important aspect of many quantitative studies of agricultural change.…

Farm wives' preferences for use of time in household and farm tasks, their actual time in these tasks, and their external employment status were investigated. Most were satisfied with the amount of time they were spending on the tasks. (JOW)

The author reminisces about her aunt Stella Bolstridge (1894-1989), who came from a large poor family in rural Maine, yet completed high school and nurses' training, served as an Army nurse in France during World War I, and became a lifelong advocate of women's education and women's rights. (SV)

Interviews with 19 Ohio farm wives examined role and task changes since 1910 related to technological innovation, broader economic restructuring, and patriarchal rules about family division of labor. As family farms integrate into the male-dominated world of agribusiness, women's work is becoming less visible and less valued. (SV)

Eight Colorado farm families were interviewed about the occupational health and safety risks they face. Four themes were identified: risks, obstacles, motivators, and supports. The important role played by farm families in motivating farmers to be attentive to safety issues should be fully explored in the design, packaging, and delivery of farm…

According to the definition of the Social Security Administration, a family of four was considered "poor" when their total annual income was less than $3,000. In 1955, the Household Food Consumption Survey found that all families spent one-third of their annual income on food, regardless of place of residence and income level, and farmers produced…

The first of a series to be published about the Wisconsin County and District Fair Study, this report provides information concerning: (1) the origin and present status of fairs in the United States, and in Wisconsin particularly, (2) the need for the present study, (3) a review of results of other related studies, and (4) an overview of the…

The employment of one farm spouse is positively related to the off-farm employment of the other spouse. Wives' off-farm employment is most closely related to their personal characteristics, whereas husbands' decisions are best predicted by a combination of farm, family, and personal characteristics. (Author)

Life-style satisfaction was examined in a seven-state survey investigating the effects of off-farm employment on farm families. Results suggest that employment of the farm wife in an off-farm job has a different impact on men and women. Women's off-farm employment appears to affect women's life-style satisfaction more than men's. (Author/JOW)

A random sample of 323 midwestern farm couples responded to a questionnaire designed to measure various aspects of family functioning, including life-style satisfaction and marital adjustment, as well as perceptions of stress and coping strategies. In general, couples reported high satisfaction with their life-style; however, stress was a…

Results of a Swiss study revealed high proportion of farm women were depressed. Their depression is accounted for through the development of a theory of culture shock which is based upon the conflict between traditional values and everyday realities. The importance of using life histories to supplement survey data in theory development is…

Article suggests the value of a weekend choral school for culturally disadvantaged and isolated rural communities. In addition to learning music, adult students develop an appreciation of music and of cultural possibilities that lessen dependence on television for entertainment. Author cites the experience of one such school in Australia. (PD)