Purpose: As the most widely used substance among adolescents in the United States, alcohol remains a critical public health issue. The majority of research in this area has focused on individual-level variables. This study examined the contextual effects of rurality, geographic region, and community ethnicity in the prediction of alcohol use among…

This study explored how an awareness of psychological acculturation can help faculty to understand rural/Appalachian students' classroom experiences. By using a thematic analysis technique, selections from student journals were identified that captured the perspective of being a rural/Appalachian student adjusting to the new cultural system of a…

In 1975, questionnaires were given to 587 sophomores and seniors in 12 rural high schools. Findings included significant differences between ethnic groups on expected and desired family size and marriage age; but no differences between age groups. (Author/SJL)

Situational obstacles stemming from cultural and economic circumstances (migrant status, time away from school for work, etc.) were observed to have at least as much influence on the Mexican American child's educational and occupational aspirations as the more commonly stressed family interaction variables such as parental aspiration and emphasis…

Crites' Career Maturity Inventory (CMI) was administered to rural eighth grade Anglo and Mexican-American students. Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and validity are reported by sex and ethnicity. Data analyses indicate that questions may be raised regarding Crites' postulated monotonic relationship of career maturity to grade and…

Based on a 1967 survey of Mexican American high school sophomores conducted in the "border region" of South Texas, this 1973 follow-up study examined the extent to which: (1) historical changes had occurred in the use of Spanish and English by Mexican American boys and girls over the 6-year study period, and (2) the variations in 1973…

Historical change in occupational and educational status projections of Texas rural Mexican American teenage boys and girls between 1967 and 1973 were examined. The study determined the nature and extent of historical change patterns occurring among these youth in reference to the following dimensions of occupational and educational status…

Interviews with 33 teenagers from three small rural Midwest towns examined how they saw themselves, their families, friends, communities, and futures. Interview excerpts illustrate ambivalence about rural experiences, desire to move elsewhere, and Hispanic students' experiences with racism, but also convey positive attitudes about family, friends,…

Research objectives were to determine the extent to which ethnic variability existed in reference to male and female: occupational aspirations (type, level, and intensity); occupational expectations (type, level, and certainty); and anticipatory goal deflection. Data were derived from surveys of the following rural youth (high school sophomores)…

The study assessed the stability or change in the residential orientations of rural Mexican American youth living near the Texas-Mexico border, examined changes in the local social and economic environment, and made some predictions as to their effects on the students' dispositions. In the springs of 1967 and 1973, questionnaires were administered…

The purpose of this comparison was to examine qualitative differences between male and female occupational aspirations to better understand similarities and/or differences in level of aspiration. Selected samples of students (3,123) and mothers (425) from 2 regional research projects constituted the source of data. Respondents were from low income…

Severely emotionally disturbed (SED) adolescents are at high risk for substance abuse, self-abuse, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. A study explored the prevalence of depression and suicidal thoughts among Mexican American youth identified as SED, and examined teacher and student experiences of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among SED…

If youth employment programs for rural areas are to be successful in helping rural youth to find employment that is both desirable and developmental, the diversity of ability, skills, needs, life goals, and particular circumstances of these young people must be taken into consideration. According to a 1976 study by Kuvlesky and Edington, there is…

Utilizing data collected from high school sophomores in 1972 and 1973, the study investigated the religious behavior and orientations of rural Black, White, and Mexican American youth in reference to religious affiliation, church participation, religious self-image (perceptions by peers), religious identification as an impediment to social…

Rural to urban migration has caused Mexican American families to deemphasize traditional cultural socialization practices oriented toward obedience and responsibility, and their children have become increasingly field-independent and competitive. However, an ecological intervention approach can reshape urban environments so that they support…