Southern Rural Development Center
 

Box 9656
410 Bost Extension Bldg.
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Phone: (662) 325-3207
Fax: (662) 325-8915
http://srdc.msstate.edu

 

 

 

Around the SouthAugust 2006, Vol. 2 No. 8

In this Issue . . .


SRDC Publications

  • SRDC Surplus Publications Available Upon Request
    The SRDC is doing some summer cleaning--and you can benefit from it! A list of surplus publications with a request form is available at http://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/06surplus.htm. The publications listed are available on a first come, first serve basis. Available quantities vary by issue. Requested quantities will be honored when possible. There is no charge for these publications.


SRDC Items of Interest

  • SRDC Staff Member and Colleagues Release Welfare Reform Book
    Welfare Reform in Persistent Rural Poverty: Dreams, Disenchantments, and Diversity, written by Kathleen Pickering, Mark H. Harvey (a post-doctoral associate with the SRDC overseeing evaluation research in the Mid South Delta region), Gene F. Summers, and David Mushinski and available from Pennsylvania State University Press, examines the impacts of the 1996 welfare reform act on families and communities in chronically poor rural areas of the United States where there are few job opportunities and poor systems of education, transportation and child care.

    Kathleen Pickering and her colleagues look at welfare reform as it has been experienced on American Indian Reservations in South Dakota, in the colonias of the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, Applachian Kentucky and the Mississippi Delta. Throughout these areas the rhetoric of reform created expectations of new opportunities to find decent work and receive education and training. In fact, these expectations have largely gone unfulfilled as the potential benefits of work-based reform failed to penetrate poor areas isolated from the economic and social mainstream of American society.

    Welfare Reform in Persistent Rural Poverty     sheds light on the myriad challenges and limited opportunities that reform has presented to low-income families in disadvantaged regions. Combining qualitative and quantitative research methods, it will be an excellent guide for scholars and practitioners alike seeking to address the problem of poverty in rural America. Available for purchase online at http://www.psupress.org/books/titles/0-271-02877-7.html.


National Items of Interest

  • 2007 Farm Bill Information
    In 2007, Congress will be considering reauthorization of the Farm Bill. In an effort to obtain community input, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns has sponsored a series of Farm Bill Forums across the United States. These Forums provide rural residents with an opportunity to provide their own ideas on what should be in the 2007 Farm Bill. A summary of these forums has been published, and USDA staff have published a series of papers on key topics such as rural development, crop supports, etc. To learn more about the Farm Bill Forums and to access papers on various issues related to agriculture and rural development, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Bill Forums webpage at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdafarmbill?navtype=SU&navid=FARM_BILL_FORUMS.

  • Call for Proposals Announced for 2007 NACDEP Conference
    The third annual National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) conference, "Declaration of Interdependence: The Fabric of Community," will be held April 16-19, 2007, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Building on the experience and evaluations of the first two national conferences, the 2007 conference will feature 10 tracks some with sub-tracks. For more information, please visit http://nacdep.net/confs/2007/CallPresentations.htm.

  • Journals Seek Papers About Sustainable Agriculture and Community Development
    October 1 is the abstract deadline for two separate calls for papers addressing the connection between sustainable agriculture and community development. A special issue of the journal Community Development is seeking papers on "Connecting Community Development and Sustainable Agriculture: Sustaining Community Innovation." This theme stems from the Sustainable Community Innovation Grants program (http://www.southernsare.uga.edu/scig_page.htm), which is supported through a partnership between SARE and the RRDCs in the Southern and Northeastern Regions. Papers may highlight impacts from the grant program or they may explore the conceptual framework that guides successful community innovation strategies. Additionally, a special issue of Southern Rural Sociology is seeking papers on sustainable agriculture and the quality of life in rural communities. This special issue of SRS will focus on sustainable agriculture and community and how the two intersect in the South. Both calls can be viewed at http://www.southernsare.org.

  • New Community Development Resource
    Practicing Community Development     is a new book by Don and Doris Littrell that focuses on the ethical and practical aspects of community development. It is full of examples of people coming together and working through challenges. The authors use their experience as a basis to explore how to help community members implement their visions. This book is for community members and the people in agencies, government and nonprofit organizations who work with them. It will serve as a textbook for foundation courses in community development or other social sciences. MU Extension's Web site includes a description of the book, information about the authors, and a table of contents. Visit http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/commdm/dm7616.htm.

  • Second Issue of the Rural Sociological Society's Rural Realities Now Available
    The Rural Sociological Society's second issue of Rural Realities is now available. This latest issue, "Rural People, Rural Places: The Hidden Costs of Hurricane Katrina," was written by Rogelio Saenz and Walter G. Peacock. This brief draws much needed attention to nonmetro areas affected by Hurricane Katrina and outlines the key features of the rural people and places that have been impacted by this major disaster. Most important, it offers a series of policy recommendations that can assist in rebuilding the region’s nonmetro counties and parishes. The hope is that these policy ideas can offer a meaningful set of strategies for lessening the future vulnerability of rural areas within and outside this region of the country. This issue is available on the RSS website at http://ruralsociology.org/pubs/RuralRealities/RuralRealities1-2.pdf.

  • Urban Institute Report on Improving Financial Literacy
    Many of today's household decisions require a good understanding of complex financial information. Yet, studies show, most Americans do not have basic financial literacy, thus limiting their ability to make sound decisions for
    their future. A number of public agencies, private foundations, school systems, and employers have begun to sponsor financial education programs to fill this knowledge gap. "Financial Literacy Strategies: Where Do We Go From Here?" -- a new report released by the Urban Institute -- looks at some of these efforts and reviews surveys measuring their efficacy. The report is available at http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=311352.


Funding Opportunities

  • 2006 Southern Region Sustainable Community Innovation Grants Announced
    The new round of Sustainable Community Innovation Grants have just been announced. A partnership of the Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, the Southern Rural Development Center and the Appalachian Regional Commission, the deadline date for submissions is November 28, 2006. The grant information is available at http://www.southernsare.uga.edu/currentcalls/sci.doc.

  • SRDC's Grant Connections: Rural Development Funding Opportunities
    Volume 8, Number 5, August 2006 -- Available Aug. 28
    http://srdc.msstate.edu/funding/aug06.htm

    The SRDC staff compiles Grant Connections primarily for the faculty of land-grant colleges and universities in the South to provide funding information in support of activities in agricultural economics, education, human sciences, rural sociology, youth development, and other related disciplines.


SRDC Sponsored Conferences & Trainings


Other Conferences & Trainings


Job Opportunities


Submit Announcements

Job announcements and other items of interest may be sent to Rachel Welborn, rachelw@srdc.msstate.edu, for possible inclusion in future issues.


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