Paradoxes of Providing Rural Social Services: The Case of Homeless Youth

Economic and demographic changes in rural areas continue to introduce big-city problems in small towns. These communities' ability and willingness to respond are likely to be influenced by the geography, culture, and array of organizations in rural places. But how these characteristics of rural...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Rural sociology 2009-09, Vol.74 (3), p.330-355
Main Authors: Edwards, Mark Evan, Torgerson, Melissa, Sattem, Jennifer
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Children & youth
Community
Community Characteristics
Community Relations
Crime
Cultural factors
Demographic change
Demographics
Drug abuse
Drug Addiction
Drug Use
Economic decline
Economic problems
Family (Sociological Unit)
Geography
Grade 8
Homeless People
Homelessness
Housing
Interviews
Literature Reviews
Municipalities
Organizational culture
Poverty
Prostitution
Racial Relations
Researchers
Rural and urban sociology
Rural Areas
Rural communities
Rural Population
Rural sociology
Rural Youth
School Community Relationship
Sexual Abuse
Sexual assault
Social Capital
Social conditions
Social Problems
Social problems and social policy. Social work
Social Services
sociodemographic characteristics
Sociology
Technological Advancement
Towns
U.S.A
Urban Areas
Young Adults
Youth
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Summary:Economic and demographic changes in rural areas continue to introduce big-city problems in small towns. These communities' ability and willingness to respond are likely to be influenced by the geography, culture, and array of organizations in rural places. But how these characteristics of rural places shape local response is hard to predict and as yet unexplored. This article reports data from interviews with social-service providers and homeless youth in a rural county in the northwestern United States, drawing insights from both groups about the challenges of providing social services in rural places. Findings about drug use, sexual abuse and prostitution in rural communities illustrate how aspects of a rural context can influence the way small towns address social problems.
ISSN:0036-0112
1549-0831
DOI:10.1526/003601109789037204