Rural communities have experienced dramatic demographic, social, and economic transformations over the past 30 years. Historically characterized by close links between natural resources and social, cultural, and economic structures, few of today's rural communities remain heavily dependent upon traditional extractive industries like ranching,…

Examines development of rural communities and regions that depend on extractive industries (involving removal of raw materials from nature). Discusses "addictive activities" in such communities characterized by rising operation costs and declining commodities' prices. Discusses community and regional characteristics contributing to…

The persons and groups who held lead roles in the development of an electricity generating plant near Craig, Colorado, and/or aided in problem solving activities are the concerns of this examination of boomtown studies in which field theory is employed as a framework for assessing Craig's community structure characteristics. The usefulness of…

This paper sketches several successful community economic development programs that have implications for rural education. Case studies are used to discuss community characteristics that contribute to development success. In Virginia, a Community Certification Program offers statewide business recruitment services to communities that meet program…

The Panel on Statistics for Rural Development Policy was established to assess the current quality and availability of data for rural development policy--a more difficult task than might first appear. Until recent decades, rural development was commonly understood to be the development of agriculture. As science and technology transformed U. S.…

Data on the social effects of boomtown growth and industrialization were collected from residents of three western communities (Craig, Colorado; Price, Utah; and Gunnison, Colorado) via a fairly detailed mail questionnaire sent to a random sample of 900. Completed questionnaires were received from 443 (a return rate of 65%). A number of different…

This book addresses the need for research information that can be used as a foundation for rural development policy. Part I deals with the four components of rural development: education (human capital), entrepreneurship, physical infrastructure, and social infrastructure. Part II examines analytic methods of measuring rural development efforts,…

Only recently has the need to link rural education programs for workers and economic planning been recognized. This interest in linkages has resulted in a variety of intermediary mechanisms for collaboration. Included among the elements or activities necessary for linking education and economic development are the following: a solid base of…

Historically, urban and suburban interests have dominated educational policy at the national level, but recognition of the need for federal rural education policy is growing. Effective educational policy for rural people, who account for one-third of the U. S. population, must consider the distinctive characteristics of rural areas. Vast cultural…