RSS 1.0Rural Sociology electronic theses and dissertations (MU)
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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Recent Submissions
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Modes of reflexivity in community supported agriculture : the case of the people’s republic of delicious foods
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)As food has become unknowable, untrustworthy, and deleterious to all involved, people have responded with alternatives to the industrial agrifood system. One method in particular is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) ... -
The relationship between satisfaction with life as a whole and three other factors (domain satisfaction, social network ties, and perceptions of service delivery): Rural Russian village panel study 1995-2003
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)It is found in the literature that satisfaction with life as a whole (LS) is very multi-dimensional subjective indicator. This dissertation wanted to see this multi-dimensionality of LS and examined LS from three different ... -
The role of social support : homeless youth and young adults in two communities in central Missouri
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)While there is a great deal of research about the homeless in general, there is far less about homeless youth and young adults. Most of the research that has been done about this group has been done in large urban centers. ... -
Spatial cluster analysis of female breast cancer diagnosis in Missouri: using GIS and spatial analyst functions
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2012)The stage at cancer diagnosis has a tremendous impact on type of treatment, recovery and survivor. In most cases the earlier the cancer is detected and treated the higher the survival rate for the patient. Various studies ... -
Exploring the impact of the Millennium Village Promise on community networks: the case of Sauri Millennium Village in western Kenya
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2012)For several decades, international development experts have been involved in attempts to help rural communities in Africa attain the economic development. The Millennium Village Promise is the recent strategy which is ... -
A case study of a bio-science network: the Kansas City animal health and nutrition corridor
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2012)The research combines network theory with aspects of social network analysis to identify and explicate the strong and weak ties in bioscience network. Data was gathered from personal interviews and a survey of 22 organizations ... -
Preparing for rural ministry: a qualitative analysis of curriculum used in theological education to prepare clergy for ministry in a rural context
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2012)This qualitative content analysis of course descriptions, goals and objectives and an analysis of the content covered in twenty syllabi, reading materials and films was conducted to provide current and sociologically ... -
Factors effecting Black natural resources professionals' decisions to relocate
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2011)This research focuses on Black Natural Resources Professionals (BNRPs) career advancement opportunities and factors effecting their decisions to relocate when moving to rural or remote communities. The purpose of this study ... -
Investigations from the ribcage: the (dis)embodied order of safety, children, and the problematics of public school policy practice
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2011)This dissertation endeavors to explore the ways in which policies of safety in the public school order the everyday lives of student-children. Using varying feminist methodologies, I explore the experiences that children ... -
Gendered waters: the participation of women on the program 'One million cisterns' in the Brazilian semi-arid region
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2011)This dissertation presents a qualitative case study of women participation in the Program 'OneMillion Cisterns' in the Brazilian Semi-Arid region, in three locations: Afogados da Ingazeira, Mossoro and Fortaleza, using ... -
Value chain integration, cluster cooperation, and sustainable livelihoods: bridging small farmers to high value markets
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2011)This study explores the conditions for the possibility of an effective participation of small vegetable farmers in the modern value chains and the effects of this participation on the farmers' livelihood sustainability. ... -
Spatial analysis of poverty and prosperity in the U.S. counties
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2010)Prosperity is often associated with income. This study goes beyond the economic determinant of prosperity and develops a prosperity index by using indicators of education, employment, housing occupancy, and poverty status ... -
Land dykes in the Ozarks: lesbian feminists living menopause and beyond
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2009)This dissertation explores the experience and meaning of menopause and aging within a community of lesbian women residing in the Ozarks. Using multiple methods of in-depth interviews and participant observation, this ... -
The socio-cultural perceptions of food habits, body image and obesity of black-American women in Columbia, Missouri
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2010)Obesity as a growing epidemic in the United States occurs in higher rates within Black-American populations. Although 100 million Americans in the United States are considered overweight or obese, Black-American women have ... -
America's invisible workers: a study of migrant out-of-school youth
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2010)The steady stream of new immigrant labor into the Midwest has clearly begun to change the very fabric of rural life. Mostly male, Latino, single, childless, highly mobile, and with limited education, migrant out-of-school ... -
Successful black entrepreneurs in Columbia, Missouri
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2010)The focus this research is on the aspects of success for African American entrepreneurs in Columbia, Missouri that could be emulated to grow more sustainable black businesses thereby increasing the economy of the community. ... -
Leading in the Mississippi Delta: an exploratory study of race, class and gender
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2009)While there is much work on the Mississippi Delta, it is varied. There is a large literature base focusing on the Civil Rights Movement. There is also a large literature base focusing on the social and economic issues such ... -
A case study on the use of focus groups as participatory research
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2009)Participatory approaches to research involve the commitment of a researcher, as well as those supporting the researcher (i.e., academic institutions, funding organizations), to the other people who are also involved in the ... -
Encounter on a home-delivered raw milk route
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2007)Local food practices are an increasingly visible as acts of resistance to the mainstream food system. Some characterize these initiatives as a quiet social movement while others view them as utopian and fairly innocuous ... -
Competing agri-environmental paradigms and technology transfer: negotiating the nature of agroforestry in Missouri
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2007)Agroforestry is promoted as an ecologically beneficial and economically viable alternative to the high-input, capital-intensive, commodity-oriented agricultural model that is dominant in Missouri and the Midwest. Despite ...