The conservation task is analyzed into three essential components, a theoretical framework for interpreting cross-cultural studies is presented, and its applicability to existing empirical results is demonstrated. (JM)

WITHIN THE DEFINITION OF RURAL YOUTH ARE FOUND YOUNG PEOPLE FROM FARMS, MIGRANT STREAMS, SMALL COMMUNITIES, AND ISOLATED HILLS IN APPALACHIA. YET, A COMMONALITY FOUND IS THAT THEY ARE YOUTH AND AS SUCH THEY SHOULD BE DEALT WITH AS TOTAL PERSONS AND NOT AS GROUPS. GOOD EMPLOYMENT PREPARATION PROGRAMS, SUCH AS THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR'S…

One of the most consistent empirical findings in the increasing research on the sociology of sport revealed that white urban male high school athletes manifest higher-level educational orientations than their non-athlete counterparts. This study expanded this empirical literature by assessing the nature of the athletic participation and…

This study investigated the performance of three groups of educationally advantaged and educationally disadvantaged eighth grade boys on each of five measures of cognitive, linguistic, and intellectual functioning. The five measures included: (1) general intelligence, (2) field dependence assessed by an embedded-figures task, (3) level of…

The occupational and educational expectations of high school seniors in 1970 were compared to those of seniors in 1963. Data were obtained in 1963 for 1,200 seniors and in 1970 for 3,100. Both samples were from North Carolina high schools, although the 1970 sample had a much larger urban component and included non-public school students. The…

This study investigated how urban and rural children who lived along a major river in Brazil understand and value their relationship with the natural environment. Forty-four Brazilian children in fifth grade were interviewed, and background of the city and village they lived in was ascertained. Each child was individually administered a…

National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data were used to analyze the educational goals and attainment of rural and urban youth; boys and girls; and advantaged, average, and disadvantaged youth. Boys and girls had similar educational aspirations and attainment, but family background characteristics mattered more to girls, especially rural girls.…

Problem: Various demographic and familial risk factors have been linked to runaway behavior. To date, there has not been a systematic investigation of the impact of size of community on runaway behavior. This study will compare runaways from smaller cities and rural areas to their urban counterparts. Methods: A convenience sample of 602…

To investigate and compare educational and vocational goals of urban youth from rural and non-rural backgrounds, with each other and with their parents and to explore the effect of sex of child, level-of-living, and family size on these goals, 11 schools were randomly selected from predominantly white junior high schools in cities of at least…

Examines the relations among achievement motivation, locus of control, and the occupational and educational aspirations of 92 rural and 98 metropolitan 11th graders from South Dakota. Rural subjects had lower occupational and educational aspirations but did not differ from urban subjects in achievement motivation or locus of control. (Author/TES)

Describes differences in preferred modes of group interaction between 743 students from grades four to eight and from four relatively distinct social environments: rural Maine, suburban New Hampshire, urban Columbus, Ohio, and inner city Cincinnati, Ohio. Rural and inner city groups prefer similar modes as do urban and suburban groups. (Author/NEC)

Compared substance use perceptions and behavior using a sample of 3,009 African American youth. Overall, substance abuse is perceived as a serious problem at school. Early substance use and peer influence are major determinants of later substance use, although important differences exist in the prediction of alcohol and marijuana use. (RJM)

Investigated factors associated with gang involvement among rural and urban adolescents using data from a sample of 1,183 Nevada students in grades 7 through 12. There was no significant difference in gang membership or pressure to join gangs between the rural and urban samples, but there were differences on other gang and violence indicators.…

This study compares the abilities of urban, suburban, and rural students to think critically in the social studies. The specific purpose was to determine if differences existed among the three categories of elementary students. Eight hundred and twenty five 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students from urban, suburban, and rural schools in Washington D.…

This study compared the developmental levels of spatial concepts in children from three different environments in the United States. Matched groups of twenty 10-year-olds were selected from a rural Appalachian community, a middle-class suburban community, and a lower-middle-class urban community, and administered a Piaget-based map drawing task.…