21 pages., Online via UI e-subscription, "This essay makes the argument for the centrality of communication in studying and developing community." Following discussion of general theoretical arguments affirming and advancing this case, the author examined a specific type of community-oriented communicative event - civic communion. "Civic communions are episodes of community interaction that function as rhetorical and performative civic sacraments bonding citizenry around the social and political structures of a specific locale."
AGRICOLA IND 90037907, The rural crisis of the 1980s exacerbated the chronic problem of maintaining basic public and private services in rural communities. Although the adoption of innovative service-delivery systems to address these concerns has occurred in rural communities, the extent of such adoption has been limited. Not enough knowledge is currently available on the adoption of innovations by communities to help community development practitioners develop effective diffusion self- images are less likely to be innovative than are more-confident and less-content communities. Results support the hypothesis that fatalistic communities are less innovative. Contrary to the hypothesis, however, rural communities with greater contentment are also more innovative. The findings indicate that community development practitioners need to consider a community's image before introducing new ideas and practices to a community for consideration and adoption.
Examines five cases of rural areas that deployed information and communication technology programs. "There is little evidence that telecommunications lead to economic growth or that businesses in the communities are using ICT extensively." Instead, "the physical deployment of the hardware is not sufficient to achieve success."
Ekstrom, Brenda L. (author), Leistritz, F. Larry (author), Rathge, Richard W. (author), and Department of Agricultural Economics, North Dakota State University.
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1989
Published:
USA: Athens, GA : The University of Georgia.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 85 Document Number: C05583
AGRICOLA IND 90037924, This study explores the characteristics of North Dakota families who quit farming between 1980 and 1986 for economic reasons. It describes (1) the demographic characteristics of former operators as well as the structural and financial characteristics of their former farms, (2) the financial circumstances of their departure from farming and the support systems they used in their transition, and (3) their current employment situation and perceived family financial well-being. These data are compared with those of a cross section of households that were operating farms in the state in 1986. The findings clearly indicate that significant numbers of farm families are making the transition to other occupations and that, in many cases, this transition involves migrating to urban areas. Displaced farmers who chose to leave their community were typically younger, more educated, and had less equity than those who chose to stay. Such selective migration poses numerous negative consequences for communities, such as declining school enrollments, membership losses in churches, a reduction in volunteers, and stagnation in community organizations. Additionally, the findings indicate that one in three displaced farmers did not take advantage of important community-based support systems to aid in their transition. This suggests that an important role for community development practitioners is to develop community-based programs that reduce the stigma of failure associated with those who quit farming while offering aid and assistance to marginal farmers. The major challenge for practitioners, however, is to devise a strategy that will broaden their area's economic base. Programs focusing on educational and technical assistance for local business operators, alternative delivery systems for community services, and the recruitment of young leaders and volunteers must receive high priority.
