Discusses Participatory Rural Appraisal, a research method that shifts the impetus for research in rural development from outside experts to rural people. Residents do their own investigations, share their knowledge, and own the outcomes. Rather than use standard questionnaires, information gathered is represented in visual form using maps,…

Whether large-scale or small farms dominate, a county's farm structure is influenced not only by changes within farming but also by key factors such as nonfarm economic activity, geography, and population growth. Large-farm counties where agriculture dominates the economy are concentrated in the Plains, Midwest, and Mississippi Delta. Small-farm…

This directory is a compendium of over 600 scholars and educators in a range of disciplines throughout the United States who are actively involved in research or teaching of rural issues. It is intended as a resource for those individuals and for other professionals, providing access to one another and aiding a multi-disciplinary approach to rural…

Efforts related to rural development, observed in central Africa, focus on the physical with little concern for social and psychological change. Highly funded programs, including those sponsored by the United States, are providing roads, markets, schools, public buildings, etc., and the lifestyles of the native population reflect these…

Consequences of population turnaround for rural economic development are examined in a 9-county region of Northern Lower Michigan. Data from census reports and 374 usable responses to a questionnaire mailed to a random sample of property owners drawn from 1982 county tax assessment rolls were used to test competing hypotheses about rural…

Knowledge of major economic forces shaping the future of rural America provides insights about the likely importance and effectiveness of various broad program alternatives as components of a rural development policy. The rural economic base was transformed during the 1960s and 1970s from a primary dependence on natural resource activities,…

The directory of rural development researchers in the South first lists researchers by state for the 13 southern states and Puerto Rico, then by subject area. Research projects (25) of the Southern Rural Development Center since 1975 are also listed. The listing by state covers Alabama (31 researchers), Arkansas (12), Florida (10), Georgia (15),…

This overview of 34 mostly rural counties in southern Illinois is intended to: (1) provide a mid-1980s look at Southern Illinois and its potentials for those who want to learn about the region; (2) provide the basis for further study of the region's many aspects and potentials; and (3) provide basic overview material for those studying particular…

Whatever migration patterns evolve, changes in the age structure mean that rural communities in general can expect fairly stable elementary school population, reduced high school population, slower growth in new business and employment, and continued increase in the elderly population. (JHZ)

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…