Sexual health promotion and Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) are influenced by interrelated social and cultural factors, particularly in a rural setting. This paper reports on findings from interviews with young people when asked about experiences and perspectives accessing RSE and sexual health services in a small rural Australian…

For youth to benefit from many of the developmental opportunities provided by organized programs, they need to not only attend but become psychologically engaged in program activities. This research was aimed at formulating empirically based grounded theory on the processes through which this engagement develops. Longitudinal interviews were…

Adolescent alcohol involvement is associated with numerous negative outcomes, but also appears to have positive correlates, including subjective well-being. Additional research is needed to understand these paradoxical findings. The current study examines alcohol use, adverse alcohol-related (and other substance-related) consequences, and…

While many adolescents and young adults experiment with substances (e.g., alcohol, cigarette smoking, marijuana), recent research suggests that rural youth and young adults may be more at risk for substance use than their urban counterparts. This study was designed to examine the longitudinal relationships between rural adolescents' prosocial…

This article discusses why it has become considerably more difficult for the rising generations to enter the system of social and civic relations in today's Kazakh society. This situation is due to the transition from the Soviet model of socialization (which was unitary in terms of its normative character, with equal starting social opportunities…

Purpose: Addressing substance abuse in rural America requires extending our understanding beyond urban-rural comparisons to how substance abuse varies across rural communities of different sizes. We address this gap by examining substance abuse prevalence across 4 geographic levels, focusing on youth (age 12-17 years) and young adults (age 18-25…

Investigated loneliness of rural Nebraskan adolescents (n=387)) in relation to aspects of their self-esteem. Gathered data using the Loneliness Inventory (Woodward, 1967), Bachman's (1970) Self Esteem Scale, and Coping Strategies Inventory (Woodward, 1987). Results indicated that rural adolescents had extremely high loneliness scores and that 10…

Examined educational and occupational attainment of young women from low-income, rural Appalachian families. Data from 10-year longitudinal study found that educational attainment did not predict occupational attainment of these women. Several findings for family socioeconomic background and social psychological variables were interpreted as…

Rural youth in economically troubled regions develop plans for their future in a context in which opportunities for educational and occupational success generally lie elsewhere, prompting the need to migrate. This study investigates the links between rural adolescents' residential preferences and their plans for the future, perceptions of local…

Panel studies examined changes in the educational and occupational aspirations of 191 rural Ohio youth. The 1988 survey questions were similar to those asked in a study conducted 3 years earlier when subjects were 10th and 12th graders. Major findings were: (1) the influence of school personnel on student career and curriculum choices was less…

This paper examines the major conflicts and stresses which surround the coming of age in rural Ireland today and which commonly contribute to mental breakdown. The study is based on ten months of participant observation in an Irish-speaking village of Southwest Kerry, combined with weekly visits to the county mental hospital. The author uses a…

Conducted in 1955 and 1980, random sample interview data of 17 to 28 year-old West Germans from places of less than 5,000 inhabitants are used to support the thesis that the post-adolescent phase has been prolonged in the countryside of West Germany during these years of increasing technical and economic development. Findings indicate occupational…

Examines how well structural and social psychological variables explain occupational aspirations of 447 rural, low-income southern youth during preadolescence, adolescence, and young adulthood (contacts were made in 1969, 1975, and 1979). Finds results vary from Ginsburg's theory of three stages with occupational expectations declining rapidly…

America's substance abuse epidemic has come to rural America. Adults in small metropolitan and rural areas are just as likely as those in urban America to use and abuse illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Young teens in small metropolitan and rural areas are more likely to abuse substances than those in large metro areas. Based on a wide variety…

Data from the National Longitudinal Study of High School Seniors (1972) were utilized to examine the effects of school personnel on educational and occupational decisions of farm-reared students. Information was gathered on 10 "significant others" grouped into 5 types: (1) ego--influence of self; (2) family--parents and relatives; (3)…