Michigan State University Extension
Diversity and Pluralism - DP130028
12/95/
ERIC TITLE NUMBER: ED335180 AUTHOR: Huang, Gary; Howley, Craig
TITLE: Recent Trends in Rural Poverty: A Summary for
Educators. ERIC Digest.
YEAR PUBLISHED: 1991
NOTE: 3 p.
ABSTRACT: This ERIC digest summarizes recent studies on
poverty in rural areas. In 1986, the poverty rate in rural
areas was 50 percent higher than the urban rate. During the
1980s, rural poverty stayed higher, rising more rapidly
during recession, and falling more slowly in the "recovery"
period. Characteristics that distinguish the rural poor
from the urban poor are: (1) the rural poor are more likely
than the urban poor to work, but low wages keep them in
poverty; (2) the majority of poor rural families are
two-parent families, whereas the poor urban family is
typically headed by a single parent; and (3) a much larger
portion of the rural poor are whites than in urban areas.
Some analysts believe poverty is more a function of history
and economic structure than of individual or group
characteristics. The rural economy is characterized by
dependence on natural resources, a narrow industrial base
in a given locale, and emphasis on low skill labor. Other
analysts believe lack of human capital is a major cause of
rural poverty, and blame an educationally disadvantaged
labor force. However, the largest poverty gap between urban
and rural populations is among those with more education,
and the smallest among high school dropouts. As a potential
influence on the well-being of individual student from poor
families, education is clearly important. On the other
hand, the role of education in changing the structural
features of rural poverty is clearly limited. (KS)
KEY DESCRIPTORS: Elementary-Secondary-Education; Employment
Level; Family-Structure; Race-; Rural-Areas; Socioeconomic
Influences
KEY DESCRIPTORS: *Poverty-; *Role-of-Education; *Rural
Education; *Rural-Urban-Differences
This is an ERIC database document. ERIC is the National
Education Information Network for providing ready access
to the literature of education -descriptions of exemplary
programs, research and development efforts, and related
information that can be used in developing more effective
educational programs. The ERIC database is currently
available on CD-ROM in the main library (ground floor of
the west wing) at Michigan State University. To locate
ERIC documents in the library identify the first line of
each record (i.e., the field ERIC TITLE NUMBER). ED
following ERIC TITLE NUMBER indicates an ERIC document,
an unpublished research study. Most of these items are
available in the Microforms library, located on the 3rd
floor of the west wing. All you need is the six digit ED
number. If EJ follows ERIC TITLE NUMBER the item is a
journal article. The complete journal name is listed after
the code JOURNAL.
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This file was generated from data base DP on 06/25/02.
Data base DP was last revised on 12/95/ .
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