A study was undertaken to explore the power structure in a Southwestern community of 93,000 and to determine which elements in that power structure had the most influence in a local school bond referendum. The data for the study were collected using two techniques. First, a panel of knowledgeable community members identified 85 politically…

This is the index to and transcripts of interviews from the Washington State Oral/Aural History Program. The intention of the program was to pay tribute to the national Bicentennial by celebrating the life and community histories of 'common' men, women, and ethnic minorities. The transcripts are available on 297 microfiche. Immigrants, migrants,…

The purpose of this study was to explore the community response of how American Indian families adapt to having school age children with disabilities in two diverse American Indian communities. An ethnographic design was utilized to construct a taxonomy about family adjustment of American Indian families with disabilities. Community Assessment…

Case studies of six public libraries that have adopted the concept of long range, community-based planning were conducted to explore what actually happens in natural settings as public libraries implement long range planning, and to document the differences that exist among these settings in process, goals, implementation, participant perceptions,…

Based on the work of a seventh/eighth grade school teacher and one of his classes, this guide provides teachers and other interested persons with step-by-step instructions for conducting research and interviews to publish a local history of the community. Chapters provide information on the following topics: (1) introducing the topic of local…

Senior citizens recall what it was like living in the West during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in this Foxfire magazine, written and published by high school students. At the heart of the Foxfire idea is the conviction that students can learn about their community and humanity only outside the classroom. The magazine is an example of…

Land-grant institutions have a role in creating engaged citizens, and public deliberation is a valuable tool to accomplish this mission. Meeting this challenge requires a network of institutions, agencies, organizations, and groups with similar missions working toward a common goal. This article describes a study conducted at a land-grant…

Practical information is provided, in a question and answer format, for community college officials who are planning to conduct a community needs assessment. A brief discussion of the usefulness of needs assessment surveys to the college planning process is followed by descriptions of eight steps to be followed in planning and conducting a survey:…

THIS REPORT DESCRIBES THE 1964-66 ACTIVITIES OF A COOPERATIVE TEACHING AND RESEARCH PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AND TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE (ALABAMA). DURING THE 2-YEAR PERIOD SCHOLARS AND ADMINISTRATORS OF THE TWO INSTITUTIONS HAVE ESTABLISHED A NEW SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH CENTER AT TUSKEGEE, INCLUDING A SURVEY RESEARCH OPERATION WHICH…

This book examines the nature of persistent poverty in two impoverished towns in the coalfields of Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta and a contrasting social milieu in a prosperous but remote rural mill town in northern New England. Drawing on 350 in-depth interviews and census data, the book analyzes the dynamics of poverty, politics, and…

The Women and Poverty Public Education Initiative (WPPEI), established by the University of Wisconsin Women's Studies Consortium Outreach Office in 1994, developed a collaborative outreach scholarship model that paired women from the poverty community with women's studies faculty from universities in eight Wisconsin communities to study the…

Techniques of sociological research--defined as the assembly, organization and interpretation of facts that help explain human activity--are described in this guide to community research strategies. In Part I of the booklet some basic aspects of research are examined, illustrating procedures of stating and examining a research problem. The scope…

University students participated in a research project on communities and conservation on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Students contributed by gathering data with various methods that will be compiled in a GIS. Living in three villages at different elevations on the mountain, students facilitated GPS mapping, a random survey of over 90…

This is a 5-booklet instructional kit focusing on practical ways to assess the health and social needs of children and youth in local communities. The needs assessment model described in the kit was developed and pretested in Boston, Massachusetts. The first booklet, "Learning About Your Community's Needs," provides a framework for the…

THIS REPORT IS A STUDY IN DEPTH OF NORTHFIELD, VERMONT. IT WAS UNDERTAKEN IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE PLACE OF HEAD START CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES IN THEIR CULTURAL CONTEXT AND TO EXAMINE THESE CHILDREN'S INTERACTIONS WITH SOCIETY AND WITH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. THREE MAJOR SECTIONS DESCRIBE (1) THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE…