Washington Is Broken

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wuthnow
Keyword(s):  
Small Town ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Grassroots Activism ◽  
Small Communities

This chapter examines how a new populism took root in small towns. In particular, it considers the ways that residents of small towns show antipathy toward big government, such as concerns about the scale of big bureaucracy, its inability to adapt to the norms and practices of small towns in which people know one another, and government's unresponsiveness to the needs of small communities in comparison with its attentiveness to problems in cities. The chapter first provides an overview of small-town politics before explaining how antipathy toward government is further reinforced by negative opinions about people on welfare. It also discusses the reasons for the popularity of Republicans in small towns and concludes by assessing the possibilities present in small towns for grassroots activism.

How can Internet help develop small poorly-communicated communities?

2003 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 169-175
Author(s):  
Jaime Jiménez ◽  
Sergio Rafael Coria-Olguín
Keyword(s):  
Computer Literacy ◽  
Small Town ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
The State ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
E Mail

Internet and e-mail have proved to be instrumental for the development of individuals and communities, provided they are properly used. Is it possible to benefit small communities with limited telephone resources? A solution is proposed to provide Internet and additional services to small towns' inhabitants in such a manner that the service is both self-sustainable and economically accessible to the user. The solution takes into account the telephone infrastructure constraints, the limitations in terms of computer literacy of the population, and the need to keep the service at an affordable cost for the user. It has been successfully proven as a pilot project in a small town of the state of Veracruz, México.

Keep Your Doors Open

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wuthnow
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Young People ◽  
Small Town ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Future Planning ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
The Future ◽  
Community Ties ◽  
University Training

This chapter examines the future that small communities may—or may not—hold for the next generation. As residents nearly always see it, young people who grow up in small towns should go to college in order to be well prepared for whatever the future may hold. However, the reasons given along with the concerns underlying these reasons are more complex than surveys and census data reveal. Although they consider higher education critical, residents—parents and educators alike—acknowledge that there are aspects of small-town culture that make it difficult for young people to plan appropriately in order to make the most of college or university training. The chapter considers the importance of college for future planning among young people, as well as the disadvantages of living in a small town, and how community ties remain among residents.

Small-Town America

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wuthnow
Keyword(s):  
Small Town ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Social Role ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Economic Decline ◽  
Religious Congregations ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
The Social

More than thirty million Americans live in small, out-of-the-way places. Many of them could have joined the vast majority of Americans who live in cities and suburbs. They could live closer to more lucrative careers and convenient shopping, a wider range of educational opportunities, and more robust health care. But they have opted to live differently. In this book, we meet factory workers, shop owners, retirees, teachers, clergy, and mayors—residents who show neighborliness in small ways, but who also worry about everything from school closings and their children's futures to the ups and downs of the local economy. Drawing on more than 700 in-depth interviews in hundreds of towns across America and three decades of census data, the book shows the fragility of community in small towns. It covers a host of topics, including the symbols and rituals of small-town life, the roles of formal and informal leaders, the social role of religious congregations, the perception of moral and economic decline, and the myriad ways by which residents in small towns make sense of their own lives. It also tackles difficult issues such as class and race, abortion, homosexuality, and substance abuse. The book paints a rich panorama of individuals who reside in small communities, finding that, for many people, living in a small town is an important part of self-identity.

The Frog Pond

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wuthnow
Keyword(s):  
Small Town ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
Career Opportunities ◽  
Job Opportunities ◽  
The Impact

This chapter examines the ways in which residents of small towns make sense of their own lives, and especially with respect to work and money. People in small towns know it is unlikely that they will ever become rich living there. Job opportunities, for one, are limited. Many lines of work that might be interesting are simply unavailable. This is particularly true for people seeking employment in the professions or managerial occupations. Nevertheless, the scale of one's community can have a decided effect on the scope of one's aspirations. The influence can be understood as a frog-pond effect. The chapter suggests that small communities create a frog-pond identity that residents draw on to formulate narratives about why they chose to live in a small town, how that choice has limited or enriched their career opportunities, and whether they feel regret or are satisfied. It also considers the impact of agriculture on the lives of small-town residents.

Introduction

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wuthnow
Keyword(s):  
Small Town ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Community Leaders ◽  
Religious Congregations ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Rich Sense ◽  
Do So

This book examines why many Americans choose to live in small towns—and what it means to do so. Drawing on in-depth semistructured qualitative interviews with more than 700 people currently living in small towns scattered among forty-three states—from community leaders to ordinary residents—the book offers an exceptionally rich sense of what it is like to live in a small town and the various ways in which residents find community in these places. The interviews reveal the diversity of social strata of which small communities are composed, as well as how residents of small towns construct the meaning of their community in ways that reinforce loyalty to it and one another. The book also explores the meanings of community spirit in small towns, social and political issues such as abortion and homosexuality, and the roles played in small towns by religious congregations.

An Academic-Community Collaboration to Deliver Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Services to Patients Living in Rural Counties of a Southwestern State in the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 089719002110002
Author(s):  
David Rhys Axon ◽  
Melissa Johnson ◽  
Brittany Abeln ◽  
Stephanie Forbes ◽  
Elizabeth J. Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Program Effectiveness ◽  
Small Town ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Service Needs ◽  
Medication Therapy

Background: Patients living in rural communities often experience pronounced health disparities, have a higher prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, and poorer access to care compared to urban areas. To address these unmet healthcare service needs, an established, academic-based MTM provider created a novel, collaborative program to provide comprehensive, telephonic services to patients living in rural Arizona counties. Objective: This study assessed the program effectiveness and described differences in health process and outcome measures (e.g., clinical outcomes, gaps in care for prescribed medications, medication-related problems) between individuals residing in different rural-urban commuting area (RUCA) groups (urban, micropolitan, and small town) in rural Arizona counties. Methods: Subjects eligible for inclusion were 18 years or older with diabetes and/or hypertension, living in rural Arizona counties. Data were collected on: demographic characteristics, medical conditions, clinical values, gaps in care, medication-related problems (MRPs), and health promotion guidance. Subjects were analyzed using 3 intra-county RUCA levels (i.e., urban, micropolitan, and small town). Results: A total of 384 patients were included from: urban (36.7%), micropolitan (19.3%) and small town (44.0%) areas. Positive trends were observed for clinical values, gaps in care, and MRPs between initial and follow-up consultations. Urban dwellers had significantly lower average SBP values at follow-up than those from small towns (p < 0.05). A total of 192 MRPs were identified; 75.0% were resolved immediately or referred to providers and 16.7% were accepted by prescribers. Conclusion: This academic-community partnership highlights the benefits of innovative collaborative programs, such as this, for individuals living in underserved, rural areas.

“Small town” entrepreneurial ecosystems

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 238-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip T. Roundy
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Small Town ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Small Cities ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Developed Economies ◽  
Entrepreneurial Ecosystems ◽  
Economic Landscape

Purpose Entrepreneurial ecosystems are receiving growing attention from scholars, practitioners and policy-makers in both developed and developing countries. Studies of this phenomenon have focused almost exclusively on ecosystems in large, urbanized regions and metropolitan areas, located primarily in developed economies. However, the prevalence of small cities across the globe and the increasing acknowledgment that entrepreneurship in small towns is a key determinant of their economic development and rejuvenation suggests that entrepreneurial ecosystems research would benefit from a broader lens of inquiry. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to introduce a framework for studying entrepreneurial ecosystems in small towns. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper introduces the concept of small town entrepreneurial ecosystems (STEEs), draws from a wide-ranging set of disciplines to delineate the ways in which small town ecosystems are similar to and different than their larger counterparts and theorizes about several strategies STEEs use to overcome their limitations. Findings It is theorized that entrepreneurship in small cities is best conceptualized as the outcome of an ecosystem, which means that although small towns may not have some of the same key components as entrepreneurial ecosystems in large urban centers, other elements of the ecosystem may be able to bolster these deficiencies. It also suggests that those attempting to create or develop small town ecosystems may need to be entrepreneurial in the way they attract, view and utilize resources. Finally, it is theorized that small cities may be able to engage in several strategies to overcome their limitations and create vibrant entrepreneurial communities. Originality/value The theory developed produces implications for scholars focused on entrepreneurial ecosystems, economic development and emerging economies and suggests practical implications for policy-makers and development organizations seeking to improve the economic landscape of small cities.

scholarly journals The dynamics of age structure of out-patient visits and calls of emergency medical care in population of small town during 2011-2015

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-22
Author(s):  
I. P. Artyukhov ◽  
F. V. Kapitonov ◽  
Vladimir F. Kapitonov
Keyword(s):  
Medical Care ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Emergency Care ◽  
Small Town ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Emergency Medical Care ◽  
Primary Medical Care ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Care Support

The shortcomings offunctioning of ambulatory polyclinic service and overrated volume ofprovided emergency medical care became actual propblemin primary medical care support of population in small towns due to age structure of population. Purpose of study. To investigate dynamics of age structure of out-patient visits and calls of emergency care by population of small town in 2011-2015. The analysis of out-patient visits and calls emergency care in 2011-2015 demonstrated that during five years number of visits to polyclinic decreased up to 5.3% mainly (14%) at the expense of residents of able-bodied age while number ofpatients of junior and senior able-bodied age increased on 1.5% and 5.1% correspondingly. The analysis of calls of emergency medical care revealed shortcomings in organization of ambulatory polyclinic care: more than a half (70.4%) of all calls because of instant diseases and conditions falls on the period of working hours of polyclinic (from 8 to 20 h.) The occasion of call by population of junior able-bodied age in 68.7% became acute diseases of respiratory organs (acute respiratory viral infection - in 93.6%) and by patients of senior ablebodied age in 72.6% - exacerbation of chronic pathology (ischemic heart disease, hypertension disease). The correction of these calls could be implemented by ambulatory polyclinic service itself. The acquired data corresponds to publication data and indicates to existing problems of primary medical care support of rural population in various regions of the Russian Federation. The investigation of age structure of out-patient visits, calls of emergency medical care of data of sociological survey of respondents revealed shortcomings in organization of functioning of municipal polyclinic related to population of senior able-bodied age that result in increasing of volume of work implemented by teams of emergency care.

Leadership

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wuthnow
Keyword(s):  
Social Innovation ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Voluntary Organizations ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
Stepping Stones ◽  
Electronic Communications ◽  
Cultural Leadership ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
Informal Leaders

This chapter examines the role of formal and informal leaders, including local public officials and heads of voluntary organizations, in small communities' efforts to adapt to changing social and economic conditions. It considers how residents confer respect on leaders and how leaders draw on this respect in performing their roles. Leaders discuss why they take on civic responsibilities, the gratifications and frustrations involved, and how these activities serve as stepping-stones for public office in larger venues. Although it is sometimes suggested that small towns lack interesting cultural amenities, local cultural leadership is particularly important, and figures prominently in communities' understanding of their distinctive history and identity. The chapter also shows that small towns are laboratories for social innovation, judging from leaders' descriptions of new technology, electronic communications, sustainable energy projects, and efforts to rebuild following natural disasters.

The Decline of Small Communities

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wuthnow
Keyword(s):  
Small Towns ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
Declining Populations ◽  
Middle West ◽  
The Military

This chapter examines the decline of small communities in the Middle West. In 1980, 76 percent of all the incorporated towns and cities in the Middle West had fewer than 1,500 people. The region's nine states ranked first through ninth nationally (not counting Alaska) in having the highest proportion of small towns this size. These figures indicate that the Middle West was defined by its small communities. The chapter considers the changing size of communities in the Middle West, focusing on how small towns were being affected by and responding to stable or declining populations. It also explores three factors that influenced the trajectory of Middle Western towns: oil, agriculture, and the military. Finally, it discusses the efforts of residents of small communities to keep their towns as livable and attractive as possible.

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