Local rural communities and individuals are increasingly disarmed by the socially transforming processes of post modern times including the globalisation of rural production systems and trade. There is a new climate "in the bush" that is imbued with a deep suspicion that globalisation processes will continue to threaten the…

This paper analyses how historical narratives of the 1930s conflict between child-centred and social reconstructionist factions of US progressive education reinforce gendered constructions of education. The split between these two groups has been drawn along lines of gender with child-centred education associated with female educators focused on…

The rural educational socium represents the foundation of individual and social educational resources. Among the key provisions of the strategy for modernizing the rural educational socium, the authors list the following: the creation of an integral system of continuous education in the immediate vicinity of the place where youngsters and adults…

Examines the perspectives and dimensions of social change and community development in rural United States. Argues that the causes of poverty must be reconceptualized, and emphasis placed on long-range institutionalized programs of community services, training, and citizen participation. (SK)

The National Commission on Agriculture and Rural Development Policy, established by Congress to provide broad, long-range policy perspectives, examined rural development policy issues and made many field visits to observe rural conditions and rural development projects. The Commission recognized the diversity of rural communities and identified…

Systemic reform of rural education must move beyond strictly educational matters to encompass enhancement of technological infrastructure to combat isolation, changes in political thinking to overcome the disempowerment of rural citizens, increasing educational resources and services to achieve equitable rural education, and eradicating persistent…

Presents two practices used by rural Brazilians to estimate area of land and volumes of tree trunks. Using an ethnomathematical approach, develops educational ideas involving the interrelations between academic and popular mathematical knowledge in the context of the struggle for land. Discusses contributions of this work to the process of social…

This paper addresses the nature of educational reform and recommends strategies to better reflect the needs of rural schools and their communities. The furor over education reform is largely produced by those who stand to gain from it, including politicians who promote their own agendas and consultants, professors, and experts who make a good…

This paper overviews the evolution of rural society in Ontario (Canada) from the author's personal experience and research. The paper defines "rural" and "culture" and discusses how these concepts are relevant to social change and the resulting effects on technology, demographics, social organization, and community beliefs and…

Relevent, locally-controlled educational programs play key roles in rural development in developing nations. Education has a desirable controlling influence over development of the rural individual, family, community, and society, leading to reduced poverty, income equity, and controlled unemployment. The failure of trickle-down development and…

Overviews the career of Helen Lewis as sociologist, social activist, teacher, writer, researcher, and mentor. Helen Lewis discusses growing up in segregated Georgia, her unorthodox approach to education, her fight for social and economic equality, her instrumental role in the development of Appalachian Studies programs, and how social activism…

This book consists of 17 essays about living with the land and the importance of reinvigorating the values of rural life. The essays include personal reflections about growing up in rural Minnesota and opinions about the state of neglected rural towns and people. The author grew up during the 1950s on an 80-acre farm that his family rented in…

1996 National Teacher of the Year--a high school teacher from rural Minnesota--reflects on the 30 years of her career and on social changes that have necessitated that her community and local schools work toward cultural understanding. The community went from a mostly white, middle-class, conservative community to one with at least six different…

Traditionally, rural schools have been tightly linked to their communities, and the process of schooling has reflected local values, mores, and ways of life. However, during the early 1900s, the beginning of the Progressive era, allegiance to local ways received heavy criticism. An inherent assumption, that bigger is better, was promoted as the…

This report was based on the author's study in China in 1980-81 and on the findings of other observers, Chinese data, and analyses of the post-Mao adult education system (1977-1982). It focuses particularly on the shifts in adult education priorities and programs and on the political and pedagogical debates. (SSH)