Justifiably concerned about power dynamics between researchers and participants in participatory research, much of the literature proposes guidelines for including participant voices at every step of the research process. We find these guidelines insufficient for dealing with constraints set up by the social organizational structures in which…

The writings of Johann Gottfried Herder (1744-1803) foreshadowed several of the dominant theories of sociology, social psychology, aesthetics, linguistics and literary theory. His ideas impacted generations of thinkers, but today he is uncelebrated, mostly unknown. His writings on populism, expressionism, and pluralism are relevant to contemporary…

Temporary visa workers are increasingly taking on a heightened profile in Canada, entering the workforce each year in greater numbers than immigrant workers with labor mobility rights (Sharma 2006). This paper examines the incorporation of foreign workers in Canadian horticulture under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP). I argue that…

Human ecological theory may provide a conceptual framework in analyses of socioeconomic impact. This potential was demonstrated by examination of: (1) congruence between basic concepts, premises, and research processes; and (2) utility of the human ecological framework for explaining and integrating impact research findings and analyses. (DS)

Using three distinct indicators of well-being, differences and similarities are examined between a Wyoming boom town and a Utah non-boom community. Results provide evidence of disruption on only one indicator and highlight the importance of disaggregating boom town populations into distinct subpopulations when assessing effects of rapid growth.…

Extends the debate on rural restructuring by redefining families and households and their study; by considering the contributions of family scholarship to rural sociological issues; by assessing the methodological implications and challenges of integrating a family focus in rural sociology; and by reengaging rural sociology around important policy…

Investigating rural residents' satisfaction with their residential environment, this study's general objective is the formulation and empirical testing of a conceptual framework of community satisfaction that examines the contention that objective measures of environmental attributes are inadequate in themselves as life-quality measures.…

Details essential elements of any rural development program, describes a seven-stage project development strategy which has proved successful in water management projects in Pakistan and Egypt, delineates the key concepts in each of the seven stages, and recommends integration of the client system into rural development programs. (Author)

Examines research methods used in empirical research reported in "Rural Sociology" from 1936-1985. Identifies trends including movement away from descriptive analyses of social phenomena toward quantitative models, increased methodological homogeneity, and focus on individuals instead of social structures and processes. Explains…

Using data from two surveys in three counties among which the prevalence of uxorilocal marriage varies greatly, this paper analyzes effects of marriage form, as well as individual, family, and social factors on son preference in the context of strict birth control in rural China. It is shown that, under the Chinese patrilineal joint family system,…

Develops a conceptual and analytic framework for rural sociologists to document program results and consequences and to aid policy and program decisions. Addresses program/policy evaluation from perspectives of structural analysis, control programming, and simulation. Emphasizes dynamic, nonrecursive nature of evaluation processes. (LFL)

Among 492 rural Ohio high school students surveyed in 1979, 78.3% had used alcohol at least once and 51.3% had used marijuana at least once, contrasting previous research reporting low substance use among rural youth. Socio-demographic and family variables had only limited utility for understanding drug or alcohol abuse. (SB)

Raises questions about current rural sociology from a critical theory perspective. Provides a brief historical analysis of its theoretical and applied roots. Suggests interweaving of research, practice, and advocacy as way to bring rural sociologists back into policy making. (LFL)

Considers human capital and economic organization perspectives in the analysis of patterns of employment and poverty among American Indians and Whites in Rosebud County, Montana. Uses an "embeddedness" approach involving ethnographic data and recent analyses of schooling to illuminate the role of local cultural knowledge and social…

Reviews sociologists' dilemma of seeking to reconcile knowledge requirements of specific social problems and those of scientific theory building and testing. Indicates that rural sociological research has become more sophisticated in method but less concerned with social utility. (LFL)