In-depth, unstructured, interviews with 20 non-Amish public officials, farmers, and business people in Fillmore County, Minnesota, examined attitudes toward the local Amish population, including Amish religious beliefs and practices, taxation and school issues, Amish impact on the area economy, and prejudice toward the Amish as a group. Data were…

Linear development and systemic models of community attachment were tested using survey responses of 415 nonmetropolitan Utah residents. Community size did not have independent inverse effects on community attachment dimensions: involvement, amity, and sentiment. Community size and five social position variables produced interactive effects.…

A case study of residents in a small rural Washington community identified basic differences between long-term residents and new migrants: (1) perception of community leader characteristics; (2) support of growth versus maintenance of status quo; and (3) educational attainment. Demographically, the groups were more similar than different; the…

The study reported in this paper expands the arena of agenda-setting to include the content of a small daily newspaper and what the people of that community say they read and talk about during a non-political period. The newspaper's agenda was established by content analysis of 51 issues, resulting in classification of 3415 stories in 41 content…

Information gathered from various countries around the world is presented in this general guide to help school administrators and teachers relate primary and secondary education to the realities and problems of rural agriculture and life. Topics include curricula, syllabuses and programs, teacher training and orientation, new teaching techniques…

The major purposes of this paper are to present (1) a summary of the major concepts and general hypotheses of the social power model, (2) the empirical findings from the operationalization of the social power model, and (3) some implications for change agents concerned with rural development. The social power model was empirically tested in 5…

After discussing theories of attitude change, recommends that mental health workers overcome the negative attitudes of rural communities toward mental health programs by forming positive, personal, affective bonds with rural community members. Presents strategies for establishing and maintaining these bonds in private life, clinical work, and…

Study sought to conceptualize and test an analytical model for scrutinizing learning situations and communities prior to implementing adult education programs in a rural Wisconsin community. (DS)

Sponsored by Rural Action, an Ohio multicounty community development corporation, artist Geoff Schenkel involves Appalachian Ohio communities and schools in the creation of community murals. The projects counter Appalachian stereotypes and boost self-esteem and community revitalization. Includes photographs. (SAS)

Considers characteristics of rural gifted students, rural family and community attitudes and school conditions relevant to rural gifted students' underachievement. Recommends active administrator support for gifted programs, and the use of acceleration as an equitable, effective, and cost-efficient strategy for rural gifted education. 41…

This paper reports on a survey of 60 living groups in a remote town in Queensland, Australia, concerning child abuse notification. The survey focused on how strongly residents felt about abuse, how likely they were to notify, perceived indicators of abuse, facilitative and inhibiting factors in notifying, which authority they would notify, and…

As Federal, State and Territory governments in Australia promote greater inclusivity, schools are simultaneously being required to be more accountable for their actions. As an attempt to provide an appropriate process for schools to employ to enable them to meet both of these requirements the "Index for Inclusion" was validated for use…

The study analyzed support patterns for two predominant "liberal" development strategies ("growth centers" and the consolidation of government services) among elites from communities in a largely underdeveloped rural region of Wisconsin. Analytic focus was twofold: (1) to assess overall levels of support among community elites,…

Describes nine of Colorado's smallest rural elementary school communities. Shows how they fall into six community types (agricultural, rural industrial, stable recreational, ranching/railroad, rural commuter, loosely structured/isolated). Notes the interdependence of rural schools and their communities. Explains how the idea of school as community…

In three rural Nebraska communities experiencing rising inmigration of Hispanic families, newcomers and long-term residents were interviewed concerning personal financial strain; concerns with community issues such as language barriers and interethnic conflict; nutritional habits; and access to health care, education and training, and social…