During the past 30 years rural America as a whole has become more diversified, significantly reducing its vulnerability to changes in natural resource markets, commodity prices, and farm polices. This is not the case for farm-dependent rural counties--or for individuals elsewhere--whose economic fortunes are directly tied to agriculture.…

The status of the rural-urban variable (place of residence and its associated variables; occupation; and sociocultural influences) is examined for a sample of western Illinois household heads. (NQ)

Finds that rural women in Nebraska, particularly farm women, entered the wage labor force in disproportionate numbers from 1977 to 1985--farm crisis years. Uses longitudinal data on about 800 Nebraska women to examine the effects of marital status, preschool children, age, residence, and educational attainment. Contains 14 references. (SV)

While many recent publications have explored aging in rural America, virtually none have examined differences within a rural environment in terms of public policy issues. It is very likely, however, that residing on a farm has different consequences than residing in a village. The elderly in the country may be particularly disadvantaged when they…

Describes a career information hotline for rural and farm residents affected by the farm crisis as one way a university career center and extension division can make resources more generally available to residents. Discusses typical callers and benefits to the career center. (Author/ABL)

Analysis of data from the Iowa Youth and Families Project establishes that parents' social involvement is a source of social capital for their children. Rural children's connection to a civic culture and their involvement in community groups are encouraged by parental social participation and further enhanced by parents' ties to farming. (Contains…

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…

An estimated 64,798,000 persons, or 25% of the population of the United States, lived in rural areas in 1988. Rural areas include open countryside and places with fewer than 2,500 inhabitants not in the suburbs of large cities. This report presents demographic data on the rural population, pointing out that comparison with 1987 data suggests a…

Attitudes about farming and government agricultural policies differed among residential categories ranging from urban to rural. A mail survey gathered 3,232 completed questionnaires from a national random sample of 9,250 households. Statistical weighting made respondent categories representative of national proportions. Although respondents…

In the early 1980s, local affiliates of the National Mental Health Association in states with large rural populations began to notice sharp increases in incidences of suicide, family violence, alcohol abuse, depression, and other psychological and emotional problems. These problems may link to negative economic conditions in rural America. In…

This government report presents information on age, sex, labor force activities, and race and ethnic origin of the rural and rural farm population for 1987. Also included are fertility characteristics for the June 1987 Current Population Survey (CPS) supplement and data from the March 1987 CPS supplement on marital status, household, family…

This paper examines the unique characteristics of rural adolescents raised on farms. As part of a longitudinal study on rural youth development, semistructured interviews were conducted each year for 4 consecutive years with 87 adolescents from 4 rural high schools in upstate New York. This study focused on data from the 19 adolescents who resided…

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…

Focusing on heart disease and cancer, the study compared the preventive health education needs of farm and nonfarm rural adults. During July and August 1975, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 57 men and 161 women living in Armstrong and Butler Counties, Pennsylvania. The sample included 119 commercial farm households and 99 rural nonfarm…