This document is the 15th annual summary of research and development in agricultural education in the United States. Authorized by the American Vocational Association, it is intended to show the direction of research in the field; help researchers researchers of efforts; and promote collaboration among researchers on a of efforts; and promote…

Two evaluation projects conducted for the Minnesota Agricultural Extension Service are examined from a user-focused perspective: (1) a needs assessment of large scale commercial farmers for program development by the Office of Special Programs; and (2) a review of the extension programs in Nicollet County. Each incorporated the focus group method…

Since the advent of the 1980s, the economic viability of many farm operations has been severely jeopardized. Although attention has been directed primarily to the Midwest, in many respects farm stress has been greater in the South than in any other region. What is clear, however, is that the crisis is not strictly an agricultural one. Rather, a…

Discusses research, teaching, and extension opportunities for rural sociologists in current social/economic conditions of agriculture/rural America. Describes challenges to the resource base of rural sociology and ways to extend the discipline. Stresses need to expand linkages to the general scientific community and to increase communication among…

Reports on Green Thumb, a government-sponsored, university-operated, computer-based videotext system that disseminated agricultural information to 200 Kentucky farmers for 13 months. Findings suggest that adoption of videotext systems may follow a different adoption pattern than other farming innovations. (MH)

The Danish education system undergoes constant alterations due to the changes in the Danish society but maintains characteristic features through each educational reform. Section 1 provides a main outline of the education system for primary and lower secondary education, general upper secondary education, vocational education, and higher…

The diminishing role of the federal government in rural development has created an opportunity for new initiatives in this area. One potentially useful response is the creation of a state-rural policy center. Such centers can combine the efforts of land grant institutions, extension services, and state universities in the development and…

During the second year of a 3-year study involving 112 Iowa farm families, mothers of children aged 4 to 10 years old expressed expectations of independence, responsibility, and hard work from their children during home interviews. The importance of the parent-child relationship together with the lack of sufficient child-rearing research on rural…

From its inception in 1914 until 1940, the New Mexico Agricultural Extension Service was quite successful in delivering educational programs to non-English speaking, Hispanic women in Santa Fe County and almost totally unsuccessful in Dona Ana County. Criteria for success were involvement of ethnic women in the program, ability to adapt national…

Measurement of the organizational effectiveness of the Cooperative Extension Service (CES) could be enhanced by utilizing a multidimensional perspective in measuring outcomes of various organizational activities, particularly the Extension educational system of program development. Because multiple and conflicting environmental constraints, goals,…

This report demonstrates the complexity and diversity of agricultural structures in the United States and discusses changes produced in the family farm by agricultural industrialization. Data from the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the 1978 Census of Agriculture describe similarities and differences in social…

The 12 states comprising the North Central Region have been affected in similar ways by the farm crisis of the 1980s. Statewide surveys show sizeable proportions of farm operations that are experiencing moderately high levels of financial stress. The problems caused by chronic stress on family structure and functioning, the loss of mainstreet…

The paper presents results of discussions during an 8-day workshop (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 1979) on monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of East Asian and Pacific rural development projects. Major workshop themes identified are managerial, technical, and institutional aspects of monitoring. The introduction discusses previous World Bank…

Although women are a crucial element in national rural development, their role continues to be neglected in plans and programs for change--especially in Third World countries. In addition to the burden faced by rural people generally in developing countries, women carry a double burden because of their low social status, high illiteracy rate, lack…