A study examined 140 persons from nine very diverse settings in the United States and England who had retired in a positive way. Interviews with the retirees revealed that despite their diverse geographical, socioeconomic, and racial/ethnic backgrounds, they all had one thing in common--in retirement, all of them had a new and exciting career.…

Developing nations could greatly improve the quality of life in rural areas by adequately involving women in agricultural extension and training programs. Policy objectives of many developing countries neglect the contributory role of girls and women and often constrain them from seizing opportunities for individual development. In Nigeria, the…

Since 1930, changes in definitions of "rural" population trends, teacher preparation, educational philosophy, school organization, and curriculum and federal funding have influenced the educational opportunities provided by rural schools. Dedicated leaders in groups such as the National Education Association's Department of Rural Education, the…

A 1973 study of 341 Mexican American nonmetropolitan high school sophomores in South Texas and 300 Mexican American sophomores and seniors in El Paso high schools and a 1978-79 replication study of 89 metropolitan and 65 nonmetropolitan Mexican American youth explored the difference in their Spanish-English language usage patterns. Both studies…

From 1950 to 1970, the shift from agriculture to industry dominated Ashe County, North Carolina, isolated on the Blue Ridge by rugged terrain and severe weather. Rural farm population declined by 2/3 but rural non-farm population tripled. Many new industries helped shift the bulk of the work force to industry. In 1950, 45% of the work force farmed…

This symposium on measurement and research tools consists of three presentations. "An Examination of the Multiple Intelligences Developmental Assessment Scales (MIDAS)" (Albert Wiswell et al.) explores MIDAS's psychometric saliency. Findings indicates this instrument represents an incomplete attempt to develop a valid assessment of…

Stress has become a problem to educational administrators who often report a high level of stress. This study explored the perceived stress levels of Kentucky elementary school principals. Questionnaires mailed to 200 elementary school principals produced 115 usable returns, a 57.5 percent response rate. The questionnaire consisted of a 24-item…

In a study of some cognitive determinants of job satisfaction, attention was focused on the idiosyncratic way a teacher responds to being a teacher. It was hypothesized that subjective variables may have as much to do with improving individual morale as the traditional exhortative or manipulative approach. In a study of 45 teachers who described…

More and more research is focusing on the importance of a healthy work environment and its impact on workers' well-being and productivity. A culture of collaboration has been shown to have an important impact on school-reform efforts and is recognized by several authors as an effective platform for progress within an organization. A collaborative…

To investigate methods of improving both employees' productivity and the quality of their work life, workers from four businesses were surveyed before and after their organizations implemented a total employees involvement program. Survey questions covered employees' perceptions of (1) the quality of the product produced, (2) the leadership's…

This paper explores the concept that the experience of growth may be structurally similar to the emotional experience of religion and hope. It develops this view by focusing on two studies that involve a series of coping and outcome variables, together with analysis of Park, Cohen, and Murch's (1997) instrument on stress related to personal…

Infanticide in the United States today usually happens in the hospital. Occasionally, handicapped infants are killed by a direct act, but more often infanticide is accomplished by withholding something (for example, food, medication, surgery) that babies need to survive. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Baby Doe regulations of May 1982, and the…

Elderly Hispanic and non-Hispanic rural and urban noninstitutionalized residents of three Texas counties (Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy) which border Mexico showed significant differences in educational attainment, income, occupation, and family support. Face-to-face interviews were conducted by mostly bilingual elderly volunteers. Age…

Data obtained from interviews with 1,039 non-institutionalized Hispanic elderly (55 and older) who identified themselves as having one or more psychological difficulties were analyzed to determine what factors best predicted subjective well-being. The study was a secondary analysis of data collected in 1979-80 using a national sample stratified by…

In order to formulate social policy which is responsive to needs of women and other minority groups, decision makers must be better informed about alternative options, incentives, and unintended as well as intended consequences of various policies. Social scientists can contribute to decision makers' understandings of social factors in numerous…