The current study explores patterns of informal science experiences among youth in urban and rural middle schools by gender and socioeconomic status. Data come from surveys in two Midwestern middle schools, one in a mid-sized city, and the other in a rural-remote town. We asked about participation in informal science activities (e.g. visiting zoos…

Purpose: As the most widely used substance among adolescents in the United States, alcohol remains a critical public health issue. The majority of research in this area has focused on individual-level variables. This study examined the contextual effects of rurality, geographic region, and community ethnicity in the prediction of alcohol use among…

The primary aims of the present longitudinal study were to examine (a) patterns of early transition relatedness with teachers and peers in 6th grade, (b) whether pre-transition behavior in 5th grade predicted early transition relatedness in 6th grade, and (c) how unique indicators of early transition relatedness with teachers and peers and…

A study was conducted to: determine the aspirations and capabilities of rural youth in selected low-income counties in Arkansas; relate aspirations, capabilities, and the discrepancy between the two to the experience background of the youths studied; and relate the youths' occupational plans to present and projected labor market requirements. The…

A cross validation study was conducted using data from white, rural seventh graders to investigate the stability of the construct validity of a model of eight conditions that are purported to support adolescent academic aspirations. A factor analytic study examined GEAR-UP survey data from 4,365 students across two consecutive years. In…

This study explored how an awareness of psychological acculturation can help faculty to understand rural/Appalachian students' classroom experiences. By using a thematic analysis technique, selections from student journals were identified that captured the perspective of being a rural/Appalachian student adjusting to the new cultural system of a…

An experimental procedure to increase children's rate of hand-raising is reported. The procedure was tired with 240 grade school children and is held to be effective. (DM)

Changes in marriage and procreation aspirations of South Carolina high school students between 1966 and 1973 are examined. Data were collected as part of a regional project in several Southern states. During the 1966-67 school year, all 10th grade students were interviewed in 42 randomly-selected high schools stratified by students' racial…

It is hypothesized that the process of development of orientations toward marriage and procreation will differ for Negro and white girls in terms of goal definitions, import accorded the goals, and dynamics of these orientations. Regarding the latter, it is expected that orientations of both groups will become more realistic over time,…

This paper focuses on identifying the nature of immediate postsecondary educational activities in a rural area and compares these activities to educational aspirations held in high school. As part of a larger study in the rural Eastern Shore of Virginia, all students in grades 9-12 in Northampton and Accomack Counties were surveyed in 1995. These…

Researchers estimate that more than half of the nation's six million young drinkers have problems with alcohol. Of those young drinkers, some reside in rural communities and towns. Little is known about how teen drinking occurs among rural teens. A pilot study was undertaken to discover how teens in rural settings are involved with drinking.…

The objective of this study was to investigate the orientations of boys and girls towards marriage and procreation, a neglected area of sociological study, and to ascertain the manner in which the sexes may differ in these orientations. Reported are findings from a survey of Negro and white high school seniors and their dropout age peers residing…

In 1975, questionnaires were given to 587 sophomores and seniors in 12 rural high schools. Findings included significant differences between ethnic groups on expected and desired family size and marriage age; but no differences between age groups. (Author/SJL)

This study examined the exposure to multiple physical and psychosocial stressors among low-income, rural, white 8- to 10- year-olds. Findings indicated that low-income children confronted a wider array of multiple physical and psychosocial stressors than did middle-income counterparts. Children showed evidence of higher levels of self- and…