Understanding Persistent Poverty: Social Class Context in Rural Communities¹

Abstract

Urban and rural poverty researchers have been paying increased attention to the social context in which the poor are embedded. This paper argues that the scale, familiarity among social actors, and relatively bounded nature of poor rural communities offer unique advantages for understanding why poverty persists across generations in the same places. Rural sociologists can observe the social interaction associated with particular class and race relations, track the evolution of these patterns over time, and uncover the process through which the social class context perpetuates poverty and underdevelopment. Studies of poverty in rural Texas, rural Mississippi, and Appalachia are reviewed to illustrate how political economies that rely on low wages and extreme control over labor generate rigid stratification. This structure of inequality determines social interaction and the allocation of opportunities in rural communities, blocking upward mobility, and undermines investment and trust in social institutions, blocking development.

Consequences of School Violence: Personal Coping and Protection Measures by School Personnel in Their Personal Lives

“…Thus, the role of the external environment in combination with the fact that this particular school district has not experienced any serious violent activities on campus against staff or students may further translate into an increased perception of effectiveness and/or confidence in handling potential offenders (e.g., students) both in-and outside the school setting. Similarly, rural schools serve as the cultural and social center for the community and as such function as a positive change agent (Duncan 1996;McCracken and Barcinas 1991). As the cultural and social center, the dynamics of the teacher-pupil-parent relationship is further influenced by the size of the school setting typically resulting in more positive encounters in smaller, rural environments (Bauch 2001).…”

Intersectional Perspective and Rural Poverty Research: Benefits, Challenges and Policy Implications

“…In this context, the question of structural influences as well as the significance of earlier policy decisions on future possibilities, so-called path dependency (Sydow, Schreyögg, & Koch, 2009), have become critical in addressing the nature of rural poverty. For instance, Duncan (1996) posits that successful community development efforts are contingent upon an in depth understanding of the historical relations within and between class and race.…”

“…And, despite the recent changes in the geographic concentration of the rural poor, the poor racial-ethnic minorities and the poor racial minority children still tend to live in high poverty areas (Lichter & Johnson, 2007). Given that rural poverty has unique characteristics and rural areas house a disproportionate share of the nation's poor (see Cotter, 2002;Duncan, 1996;Tickamyer & Duncan, 1990), rural poverty issues have recently resurfaced receiving significant interest from scholars and policymakers alike.…”

“…Over the past two decades, socio-economic concerns, including the effects of globalization on rural populations, and the questions regarding access to financial resources and labor markets, have emerged as the primary focal areas offering insights into the nature of rural poverty (Cobb, 1992;Dewees, Lobao, & Swanson, 2003;Duncan, 1996;Tickamyer & Duncan, 1990). In addition, issues related to increasing diversity of rural populations, including the low-income and the poor, have recently received due attention (Gimpel & Lay, 2008).…”

Beyond formal groups: neighboring acts and watershed protection in Appalachia

“…Because of a history of violence against formal labor organizations (e.g. Lee 1969), limited trust in social institutions (Duncan 1996), and the present-day politicized nature of environmental groups in southern West Virginia (Bell and Braun 2010), few locals may be willing to join a group or voluntarily interact with government officials. In addition, the region suffers from class divisions and low community-level social capital (Duncan 2001).…”