Rural Sociology electronic theses and dissertations (MU)
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The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the Department of Rural Sociology. Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Columbia. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
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Item Understanding women's perspectives and experience in sustainable agrifood systems in the Mid-South region of the United States(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2025) Srivastava, Garima; Qin, Hua; Hendrickson, MaryWomen's participation in farming in the United States is increasing, with a notable concentration in the Mid-South region (Southern MO, eastern OK, northern AR, western TN, and KY). This region, marked by persistent economic challenges, exhibits low adoption rates of sustainable practices like USDA-certified organic farming. This presents a conundrum, as scholarship suggests women farmers often favor sustainable methods due to family and community nutrition motivations. Women characteristically manage smaller landholdings, rely on lower-input methods, and utilize direct-to-consumer markets. Despite this inclination, they face significant barriers, including limited access to resources, information, and extension services, along with challenges in gaining full acceptance of their farmer identities. This study investigates this paradox within an understudied and demographically deprived region. It explores the gendered perspectives of women farmers in the Mid-South's sustainable agrifood systems (SAFS) to identify factors constraining or enabling their empowerment. The three central questions are: a) How do women farmers perceive their relationships with various institutions, in managing resources for farming activities and business in the Midsouth region? b) What are their motivations, benefits, and constraints for participating in SAFS at various institutional levels? c) How do women farmers perceive their contributions within SAFS in this region? This exploratory case study uses constructivist ontology and interpretivist epistemology, emphasizing that reality is socially constructed and knowledge is gained by understanding the subjective, lived experiences of participants. For the case-study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 women farmers engaged in sustainable vegetable, crop, and livestock enterprises from across the region. Women participants were recruited using snowball sampling, with initial contacts gained from USDA’s National Organic Integrity database. Other initial contacts came from other certification schemes, such as Certified Naturally Grown. While sustainable agriculture was initially defined as having USDA Organic certification, this is a flawed proxy for indicating adoption of sustainable agriculture as snowball sampling revealed. In addition, it is likely that all the study participants identify as White; because demographic questions regarding race or income were not asked, nor was there specific outreach to Black or other underserved communities. The exclusion of non-White farmers was likely intensified by snowball sampling and is a limitation of the case study. Data were analyzed using a hybrid inductive-deductive thematic approach, guided by an analytical framework, ‘Gender Relation Framework for Women Farmers in Sustainable AgriFood Systems (GRFWF-SAFS)’, a synthesized framework integrating Kabeer's Social Research Approach (SRA) and Feminist Agrifood Systems Theory (FAST). The research findings suggest that adoption of sustainable agriculture in the Mid-South region and the rise in female farmers in the region is likely unrelated. Such a finding may reflect initial sampling as several pull and push factors influence how women orient themselves to adopting sustainable agricultural practices, including choosing not to certify. Moreover, it was difficult to target women farmers using sustainable practices such as cover cropping, where lack of data is an issue. Women in the sample who have been farming for more than a decade indicated they now see more women farmers in sustainable agriculture, potentially because of women obtaining relevant education and experiences, motivating them to pursue sustainable agriculture as a profession. Findings also suggest that women farmers in the Mid-South are dynamic agents of change, actively architecting a more resilient, community-focused, and ecologically sound agricultural paradigm. Their motivations are deeply rooted in a commitment to health, stewardship, and collaboration, and their innovative, relational business strategies respond to consumer demand for local food systems. Despite a collective vision for transforming food systems, their potential is systematically constrained by legacy systems. Key barriers identified include patriarchal landownership structures that create precarious access to land; inflexible economic and institutional frameworks that fail to support their unique business models; and pervasive socio-cultural norms that impose a "double shift" of farm and domestic labor while simultaneously questioning their credibility as farmers. The central conclusion of the study is that achieving a sustainable food system is inseparable from achieving genuine gender equity. Systemic barriers inhibiting women farmers weaken the entire agricultural landscape. Therefore, supporting women farmers through targeted policy reform, redesigned support services, and a cultural shift that recognizes their contributions is not merely an issue of social justice but a pragmatic prerequisite for building a healthy and sustainable food future. Notably, education and digital technology have played a crucial role in enabling women to navigate informational barriers and enhance market diversification. . Recommendations, based on the learning from women farmers’ experiences, include involving women in policy decisions, focusing on targeted education and land access, and developing the institutional standing of women’s organizations. Theoretically, this study proposes adding a new principle to Sachs et. al.’s (2016) Feminist Agrifood System Theory (FAST), “Defining Achievements by the women farmers in sustainable agrifood systems,” which is derived from the integration of Kabeer’s (1999) Social Relations Approach into FAST. Methodologically, it contributes the Gendered Sustainable Agriculture Pathways (GSAP) Model for identifying opportunities for enhancing the situation of women farmers by strengthening the “gender relations” to the resources.Item The creating entrepreneurial opportunities (CEO) program : a mixed methods case study(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Henness, Steven; Hendrickson, Mary; Jeanetta, StephenThis dissertation explores how real-world learning influences entrepreneurial mindset and social capital of high school students in the rural Midwest. A mixed-methods case study design was used to document the overall case of the Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) program. CEO is an experiential high-school entrepreneurship program that originated in Effingham, Illinois, in 2008, and has been replicated in over 70 communities in 10 states. This case study applies entrepreneurial development, positive youth development, and community development frameworks for an integrated in-depth case description and interpretation. Qualitative fieldwork with program leaders and community stakeholders combines with a quantitative survey of CEO alums from the program's 15-year history. Findings affirm the experiential and community-driven nature of the program, and community and institutional contexts supporting successful implementation. Results attest to how real-world learning facilitates entrepreneurial mindset and social capital of students, with entrepreneurial activities and civic involvement continuing into adulthood. Evidence also found a co-formation of outcomes. The study aims to narrow gaps in research on community-based experiential learning and engagement of younger generations. Findings provide insights for researchers of entrepreneurship, youth engagement, and community vibrancy, and for practitioners working to build more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems.Item Forming supply chains framed within agroecological principles : possibilities for the Andean blueberry in Antioquia, Colombia.(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023) Mesa Valencia, Andres Felipe; Hendrickson, MaryThis study discusses the importance of agroecology and food sovereignty in ensuring sustainable food systems. Agroecology improves productivity by utilizing ecosystem services while recognizing the significance of farmers and food producers' knowledge and practices, offering localized solutions for global challenges, and reducing costs and negative environmental impacts by using fewer external resources. Food sovereignty provides a broader political and social context for agroecology, emphasizing the importance of empowering communities through control and local decision-making in food production and distribution. However, traditional approaches to analyzing power in the agricultural food industry have yet to notice the unique characteristics of rural communities. Agroecological social movement studies must take action to prevent smallholders from being overcome by global market pressures. Social capital, which can promote sustainable agricultural practices by encouraging cooperation, knowledge exchange, and resource sharing, cannot be assumed implicitly within agroecological networks, particularly in areas historically impacted by violence and displacement. This dissertation proposes an analytical framework to examine how social capital shapes power relations within agroecological networks in a region affected by violence and displacement in Colombia. Using a qualitative approach, the study examines how power relations and social capital elements interact within agroecological networks in Eastern Antioquia, a region with a history of violence where networks struggle to perdure despite the pressure of urban expansion, gentrification, and the agroindustry's expansion. The study explores the obstacles actors within the Andean blueberry (Vaccinium Meridionale Swartz) supply chain encounter when trying to associate, access institutions and external resources, and influence policies, considering Colombia's legal framework governing food supply chains. Overall, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how social capital shapes power relations and affects the formation of agroecological networks, particularly in areas affected by violence and displacement, and offers insights into the challenges of forming agroecological supply chains and joining agroecological networks in such contexts.Item Digital agriculture' implications for small farmers : evidence from Colombia(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023) Melo Velasco, Jenny Marcela; Hendrickson, MaryDigital agriculture proposes to revolutionize the processes of production, marketing, and consumption within food systems through the use of tools that collect, store, analyze, and share information digitally. While its proponents emphasize potential benefits, such as improved technical efficiency, resource allocation, and reduced transaction costs, the understanding of the risks and challenges associated with its implementation remains limited. This qualitative study focuses on exploring the social and ethical implications of digital agriculture technologies and their specific impact on small-scale farmers. Digital agriculture operates at the intersection of technology and food systems, presenting a critical challenge due to the non-neutrality of technology intersecting with an already highly concentrated, centralized, and globalized food system. Understanding how these technologies can effectively serve resource-limited small-scale farmers and prevent further marginalization is urgent. This study investigates the current state of digital agriculture technologies available in Colombia and analyzes the perspectives of Colombian promoters regarding the promises, dangers, and implications of these technologies. The review of the Colombian case reveals an emerging sector with a variety of digital products and services, driven by a mix of public and private actors, including startups, medium-sized enterprises, and large corporations. The perspectives of Colombian promoters predominantly align with an optimistic narrative, emphasizing the positive outcomes of efficiency and productivity for adopting farmers. This thesis provides applicable knowledge for academia, practitioners, and the community alike. Its aim is to empower those with less power and agency, especially small-scale farmers, by shedding light on the broader implications of digital agriculture that must be taken into account. This work underscores the importance of addressing access to these technologies and implementing appropriate governance to ensure equitable distribution of benefits within the agricultural sector.Item Mobile truck entrepreneurship: motivations and strategies of non-food mobile retail truck entrepreneurs in the United States(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2022) Link, Stephanie A.; Grigsby, MaryThis dissertation set out to explore the emerging phenomenon of modern mobile retail trucks opening for business across the United States starting in the early 2010s. Thirty-one participants were interviewed, and the data collected was used to glean a further understanding of who mobile retailers are and the key motivations drawing these individuals to alternative retail spaces on wheels. This study was conducted using qualitative methods and thirty-one participants participated in in-depth interviews. A grounded theory approach was used to inform data interpretation and allowed the themes to emerge directly from the data. The data sorted participants into four cohorts, just out of school (10), career shift (9), escapist (8), and retired hobbiest (4). Four primary motivations emerged among participants, need for flexibility, desire for autonomy, creativity, and social interaction. All of these motivations were representative across the four cohorts; however, each cohort emphasized the motivations in different combinations. All the participants had access to high-speed internet and relied on smartphones for many daily business activities. This study can offer contributions to both academia and the retail industry giving insight into this emerging retail venue. Study limitations include the short duration of the study and the small number of participants, which does not allow for the data to be generalized across all mobile retailers. This study offers a preliminary exploratory view of the phenomenon of modern mobile retail emerging across the United States.