Measuring the Rural Continuum in Political Science

Recent accounts of American politics focus heavily on urban–rural gaps in political behavior. Rural politics research is growing but may be stymied by difficulties defining and measuring which Americans qualify as “rural.” We discuss theoretical and empirical challenges to studying rurality. Much existing research has been inattentive to conceptualization and measurement of rural geography. We focus on improving estimation of different notions of rurality and provide a new dataset on urban–rural measurement of U.S. state legislative districts. We scrutinize construct validity and measurement in two studies of rural politics. First, we replicate Flavin and Franko (2020, Political Behavior, 845–864) to demonstrate empirical results may be sensitive to measurement of rural residents. Second, we use Mummolo and Nall’s (2017, The Journal of Politics, 45–59) survey data to show rural self-identification is not well-captured with objective, place-based classifications, suggesting a rethinking of theoretical and empirical accounts of rural identity. We conclude with strategies for operationalizing rurality using readily available tools.

A rationale and framework for seeking remote electronic or phone consent approval in endovascular stroke trials – special relevance in the COVID-19 environment and beyond

BackgroundEnrollment in time-sensitive endovascular stroke trials can be challenging because of an inability to consent a debilitated patient. Often the legally authorized representative is not on site. Remote consent procedures in the US are inconsistent with the majority of sites shunning these approaches. The current pandemic with visitor restrictions highlights the need for enhancing these options.MethodsRemote electronic and phone consent procedures specifically for endovascular stroke trials from two comprehensive stroke centers (CSC) are presented. An overview of the genesis of informed consent procedures in the US is also included.ResultsThe two CSCs identified as Institution-1 and Institution-2 are large tertiary systems. Institution-1 is a non-profit university-affiliated academic medical center in rural geography. Institution-2 is an HCA hospital in an urban environment. Both serve patients through a spoke-and-hub network, have participated in multiple randomized endovascular stroke trials, and have successfully used these remote options for enrollment. A tiered approach is employed at both institutions with an emphasis on obtaining informed consent in person and resorting to alternatives methods when efforts to that are unsuccessful. A rationale for electronic and phone consent is included, followed by step-by-step illustration of the process at each institution.ConclusionTwo examples of remote electronic or phone consent procedures from institutions in different geographic environments and organization structures demonstrate that these options can be successfully used for enrollment in stroke trials. The current pandemic highlights the need to enhance these approaches while maintaining appropriate adherence to ethical and legal frameworks.

Nachhaltiges Wohnen auf dem Dorf?

Dörfer, Kleinstädte und ländliche Regionen spielen in den kritischen Sozialwissenschaften bislang nur eine untergeordnete Rolle. Noch weniger Beachtung findet die Verknüpfung von ökologischer und Wohnungsfrage in ländlichen Kontexten. Die angloamerikanische kritische Humangeographie bietet für die Untersuchung ländlicher Umbrüche zahlreiche konzeptionelle und empirische Anregungen, die in der deutschsprachigen Forschung bisher jedoch kaum rezipiert wurden. Der Beitrag schließt an die kritische rural geography an und plädiert für ein 'Recht auf das Dorf', das die ökologische und die Wohnungsfrage miteinander verbindet. Jenseits von romantisierender 'Landlust' und dystopischen Schrumpfungsszenarien kann das 'Recht auf das Dorf' eine Orientierung für eine sozial-ökologische Transformation ländlicher Räume darstellen.

CONSIDERAÇÕES SOBRE CULTURA, ESPAÇO E GEOGRAFIA RURAL

The purpose of this article is to systematize the notes about the articulations between the concept of culture and human spatiality. Based on a bibliographical research, the text focuses on the contributions of Cultural Studies to Geography, focusing on Rural Geography and points out that, in spite of the increasing interest and decisive role that culture has gained in the current period, studies with this approach are still not widespread in Brazilian Geography, especially in relation to issues involving rural areas.