A study identified community-level characteristics associated with the presence or absence of a school. Data from the 1990 Census and the New York Department of Education identified 64 villages in New York with populations of 500 or less, 36 of which had schools, and 233 villages with populations of 501-2,500, 192 of which had schools. Results…

Surveys of 267 newcomers to 6 rural parishes in Lancaster and Mid Devon (England) and interviews with 113 survey respondents revealed definitions of "the rural" as abstract social representations. Respondents' representations of the rural focused on the physical environment, contained many aspects of the "rural idyll," but also…

Research indicates that living in company towns created a population lacking in initiative and self-determination. In one community that was a company town until the mid-1950s, key-informant interviews indicated high levels of dropping out, illiteracy, teen pregnancy, poverty, and dependency. However, a survey of high school students revealed no…

An in-depth study of five successful rural Nebraska communities with populations ranging from 450 to 6,000 was undertaken to determine why some rural communities are coping with fundamental restructuring while others seem to have surrendered to the current agricultural economic crisis. Background information was gathered on each community, and…

Utilizing U.S. Census and other government data, the characteristics of rural areas with noncommuting populations were identified in terms of: (1) Population Trends (1970 regional population distribution, 1960-70 population change, 1970 age distribution of U.S. population, 1960-70 growth and decline of towns); (2) Income and Employment (1959-67…

Nonmigrants, returned migrants, migrants living in Cleveland ghettos, and migrants living in Cleveland suburbs were studied in order to: (1) examine social and sociopsychological characteristics of West Virginians living in their own state and in Cleveland and (2) test the hypothesis that in order to satisfy societal expectations in terms of…

Location, climate, population, economy, government, and social conditions of the Laguna and Acoma Indian reservations in New Mexico are discussed in this community background report. In addition, education is discussed in terms of the Laguna-Acoma Junior and Senior High School; this school, which serves students in grades 7 through 12 from both…

A national survey was conducted as part of a project on Developing and Utilizing New Techniques for Recruiting and Training Volunteers in the 70's. A presented questionnaire was mailed to 4132 professional directors in the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and 1219 were returned. Of the respondents, 52% had been professional directors for…

The distribution of Federal outlays within the United States in fiscal year 1970 is summarized in this report. Selected Federal programs (242 programs comprising 74.4% of all Federal outlays) were divided into 4 program categories: human resource development; community development; agriculture and natural resources, and Defense, the National…

Studies of the amount of money spent by rural counties on General Assistance Programs identified three factors that contributed to the level of county support: the size of the population, local history of response to human needs, and the role of local public welfare and social service administrators. (JHZ)

Describes Alaska village culture and gives five examples of ways that ignorance about the culture can interfere with a teacher's effectiveness in the community. Suggests a coping strategy of "skillful inaction" by which the newcomer can prepare for accomplishment by settling into the village and learning by listening and watching. (JHZ)

Old Sturbridge in central Massachusetts, a recreated New England Village of the period 1790-1840, is a museum of the past which includes a learning center with reproductions of artifacts used in the period, with demonstration areas, and a teacher center where resource materials for class use are available. (MF)

The Rurality Index measures community access to resources for resolution of local problems; includes physical, population, educational, and financial elements; and assesses community connections to the larger society and the global economy. Analysis found that U.S. metro counties were heavily skewed to the least rural end of the scale but…

Increasingly, colleges and universities are engaging in service learning, but for service learning to be successful in rural communities, students and faculty must look beyond the stereotypes of rural life and see rural people and places for what they are. Rural stereotypes are discussed, and a "stay option" is identified as a common…

Although rural children with mild or moderate handicaps have been integrated into the regular classroom, children with severe or low-incidence handicaps continue to be underserved by rural schools. Traditional service delivery models are inadequate in rural areas where many levels of the traditional service continuum and adequate staff and funding…