The consolidation of rural schools in the United States has been a controversial topic for policy-makers, school administrators, and rural communities since the 1800s. At issue in the consolidation movement have been concerns of efficiency, economics, student achievement, school size, and community identity. Throughout the history of schooling in…

Rural communities have experienced dramatic demographic, social, and economic transformations over the past 30 years. Historically characterized by close links between natural resources and social, cultural, and economic structures, few of today's rural communities remain heavily dependent upon traditional extractive industries like ranching,…

Describes the diversity in the usage of the term "community" by ecologists and paleoecologists. (BR)

An ethnographic study of the "Literacy in the Community" project examined what ordinary people read and write in their everyday lives, how they make sense of literacy, and how it fits into the rest of their daily activities, focusing on literacy in the home. Subjects, 20 adults from Lancashire, England, between the ages of 20 and 30…

This paper uses multiple linkage analysis to identify greater than expected out-migration flows (salient flows or links) from State Economic Areas (SEAs) within the southeastern United States for two time periods, 1955-60 and 1965-70. In addition, the number of salient flows per SEA are compared with selected characteristics of the SEA, such as…

This study investigated the historical development of the Gage Park community in Chicago, Illinois, including its population changes, education, income, racial composition, housing and crime. The results indicate that the community, which in the past has been primarily composed of persons of German ancestry, has experienced an influx of Latino and…

In attempting to make the community come alive with a sense of itself, the author investigated the past of his community, its families, and the reason his city, Berkeley, California, is the way it is today. (Author/RK)

An opinion survey of 7,000 people in 36 communities yielded information regarding both new communities and others. Data were obtained on schools, health care, recreation, shopping, working, and overall ratings. (RH)

The process of becoming American was accomplished, at least in part and at least at first, by groups of immigrants from the same countries interacting with each other and with the new national system, and with the other groups of immigrants with whom they came into contact. (Author)

The characteristics and interactions of Bushler Bay (rural Washington) locals and public employees are examined in terms of the concepts of universalism and particularism. Models of social organization held by these populations are also examined, and the role of scientific analysis in the conflicts characterizing their interaction is discussed.…

The purpose of this study is to examine the concept of "municipal overburden", the way it has been operationalized by some states, and its relationship to school district fiscal capacity. (Author)

In pictures and essays, students describe community life in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky. (KS)

Presents a path analytic model that both measures local health system differentiation and explains differences between communities in a causal manner. The policy relevance of this model is discussed. (Author/AM)