In contrast to persistent "culture of poverty" explanations, studies of seemingly irrational risk-taking behaviors among West Virginia adolescents found that early pregnancy and dropping out of school were related to lack of economic opportunity and decline of traditional community cultural patterns without acceptable alternatives.…

This paper examines the interests, perceptions, and participation of 16 African American girls in a program designed to improve girls' persistence in science, mathematics, and technology (SMT). The girls are among 33 African American and 73 total original participants in "Rural and Urban Images: Voices of Girls in Science, Mathematics, and…

The relationship between gender and the race/geographic area of students and their Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score gains after participation in one of two test preparatory programs was studied. Black (n=181) and native-born Appalachian white (n=67) high school juniors were selected on the basis of high scores on the California Achievement…

This report describes the proceedings of a symposium on rural preschool education, one of four conferences in a Council of Europe preschool project relating to equal educational opportunity. Delegates from 19 European countries participated. Included in this report are summaries of a paper on the ecology of childhood (discussing the background of…

Data from a self-administered questionnaire survey of all 188 high school juniors and seniors who attended the only high school in a rural county in Kentucky were utilized to explore various dimensions of youth political culture in that county. The study was part of a continuing effort to understand and analyze the political culture and…

Rural high school girls face a strong home-versus-career conflict stemming from traditional rural values and myths about women. They also face the reality of few local job opportunities, due to rural economic and value structures and to occupational sex-stereotyping. For the most part, rural secondary vocational education maintains its…

A 1973 study of 341 Mexican American nonmetropolitan high school sophomores in South Texas and 300 Mexican American sophomores and seniors in El Paso high schools and a 1978-79 replication study of 89 metropolitan and 65 nonmetropolitan Mexican American youth explored the difference in their Spanish-English language usage patterns. Both studies…

Because stability in career choice for agricultural occupations is desirable, vocational guidance and orientations which make children and adolescents theoretically and practically familiar with agricultural production must be increased and improved. Data from East Germany indicate that the influence of parents and friends is of major importance…

Eighteen papers about education, training, and extension in rural areas of the developing world are presented in this 1975 journal published jointly by three United Nations agencies closely concerned with education and rural development: Food and Agriculture Organization; Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization; International Labor…

A longitudinal study conducted in six southern states dealt with four population categories (poor youth, rural youth, black youth, and females) frequently neglected in status aspiration, career goal, and life plans research. The term "life plans" included educational and occupational aspirations as well as expectations of age at…

IN THIS STUDY OF EXPERIMENTAL AND DEMONSTRATION BASIS EDUCATION PROJECTS FOR DISADVANTAGED YOUTHS, VISITS WERE MADE TO THE JOB UPGRADING PROJECT (NORTH RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA), THE MAYOR'S YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROJECT (DETROIT), THE LANE COUNTY YOUTH PROJECT (EUGENE, OREGON), JOB OPPORTUNITIES, THROUGH BETTER SKILLS (CHICAGO), THE YMCA…

Presented are condensed versions of background papers for the National Conference on Problems of Rural Youth in a Changing Environment held in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on September 22-25, 1963. Twenty-seven papers are grouped under the following divisions: (1) rural community backgrounds; (2) rural education; (3) physical and mental health of rural…

Presented are the proceedings of three concurrent training institutes conducted to better prepare professional workers in vocational education to meet the needs of rural disadvantaged students through secondary, postsecondary, and adult vocational education programs in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Included are the program objectives,…

The five-part document reviews the literature of job placement and the relationship between youth and employment--the barriers, services, and specific needs. The first part discusses in particular the importance of the work role, the preparation of youth for employment, and the methods used to secure work as these affect youth's entry into the…

Three years of intensive activity, which characterized the development and management of the rural psychological service, are overviewed. Five adjacent rural school district superintendents proposed a project to determine the feasibility of providing psychological and social work services in a sparsely populated area. Planning Phase 1 sought to…