The characteristics and interactions of Bushler Bay (rural Washington) locals and public employees are examined in terms of the concepts of universalism and particularism. Models of social organization held by these populations are also examined, and the role of scientific analysis in the conflicts characterizing their interaction is discussed.…

Census data were used to test various hypotheses about growing Latino concentration and economic deterioration in rural California communities and found factors related to both Latino inmigration and White outmigration. Public policy implications are discussed relative to improving ethnic relations and building human capital to support economic…

Develops a framework for examining how social capital contributes to the well-being of rural communities. Reviews the educational and social science literature on social capital, contrasting rational choice and embeddedness perspectives. Introduces the concept of entrepreneurial social infrastructure, which adds equality, inclusion, and agency to…

In two rural isolated communities in Appalachia and northern New England, differences in local economic opportunities and social capital have produced different social contexts, which vary in extent of social stratification and stigmatization and isolation of the poor. Interviews with low-income women reveal community differences in opportunities…

Studies of persistent poverty in rural Texas, Mississippi, and Appalachia illustrate how political economies that rely on low wages and extreme control over labor generate rigid stratification. This structure of inequality determines social interaction and allocation of opportunities in rural communities, blocking upward mobility, and undermines…

Case study describes a depressed rural New York community that became a migration destination for urban poor people, causing dramatic increases in poverty rate, welfare rolls, and service needs. In-migrants were attracted by low-income housing and, because of their limited job skills, were not deterred by lack of jobs. Discusses community impacts…