Discusses social belonging as both a health-related goal and an antidote for emotional crises. Examines how social connectedess represents both a content and process variable in Northern Scottish young people's discussion of their health concerns. Analyses reveal both the potency of all these concerns and participants' belief that skills acquired…

A profile of 150 out-of-school rural Botswana youth revealed most were ages 16-18, 55% female, 52% with only primary education, and 60% unemployed. The majority chose farm occupations. Problems of rural areas included lack of educational and recreational facilities, employment security, health education, and access to land. Youth clubs, vocational…

Reports a study that examined the value hierarchies of adolescent groups categorized by tobacco use (nonusers, experimenters, and heavy users). Surveys of rural 7th-12th graders indicated significant differences among the 3 groups' value priorities in areas including health, family security, and a world at peace. (SM)

Based on case studies centered on two rural secondary schools in Lesotho and Zimbabwe, this article examines the gendered impacts of schooling on young people's transitions to adulthood. School attendance is shown first to disrupt the conventional pathways to adulthood: Young people attending school may leave home sooner than they otherwise would…

Rural youth in economically troubled regions develop plans for their future in a context in which opportunities for educational and occupational success generally lie elsewhere, prompting the need to migrate. This study investigates the links between rural adolescents' residential preferences and their plans for the future, perceptions of local…

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…

Purpose: This study examined the awareness and impact of antitobacco media messages among rural, suburban, and urban youth. Method: Self-administered questionnaires were received from 1,622, 1,059, and 1,177 middle school (sixth, seventh, and eighth grade) students in rural, suburban, and urban locations, respectively. Logistic regression compared…

This study examined the relative contribution of psychological engagement with a service activity and number of hours spent in that activity as predictors of change over time in community belonging and social responsibility. Sixty-eight primarily rural adolescents participated as teen leaders in a sexuality education program, and completed…

In this study, the authors tried to understand the types of dilemmas that adult leaders of youth programs encounter in their daily work with young people. The dilemmas come from an in-depth longitudinal study of ongoing experiences in twelve high-quality urban and rural programs for high school-aged youth. Transcripts from 125 interviews with the…

An exploratory analysis of the meanings families attach to schooling, this article is based upon interviews conducted with three white, middle-class families--one from rural West Virginia, another from a small West Virginia city, and a third from rural Pennsylvania. I hoped that this preliminary effort would help me think about how families view…

Time spent in freely chosen leisure activities offers a distinct developmental context that can support positive youth development; however this potential for growth depends in part on adolescent interest and engagement in their free time activities. Research indicates that many adolescents report experiencing boredom, instead of interest, in…

One of four packets designed to help day care providers meet the needs of handicapped children and their parents, the booklet focuses on ways to improve communication with parents. A workshop on the topic planned by a family counselor is described, and sample publicity forms and handouts from the session are included. A list of 16 provider…

One of four packets designed to help day care providers serve handicapped children and their parents, the booklet describes ways to create awareness of and positive attitudes toward handicapped children. Discussion of a 1-day workshop is followed by excerpts from writings of pediatricians and educators on the needs of children with disabilities.…

The document examines the nature of itinerant teaching with hearing impaired students in rural areas. The itinerant teacher's varied roles in working with teachers, administrators, parents, and students are explored. Needs skills, including mediation skills and experience in counseling, are reviewed. Suggestions are offered for interacting with…

Values are a central concept in understanding and predicting human behavior. Value priority differences have been shown to predict important political, social, and economic attitudes and behaviors. The purpose of this study was to identify differences and similarities among the value hierarchies of adolescents who have never tried alcohol,…