Premium
CONTRIBUTIONS OF RURAL SOCIOLOGY RESEARCH AND EVALUATION TO EXTENSION DEVELOPMENT IN THE UNITED STATES
Author(s) -
LARSON OLAF F.
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
sociologia ruralis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.005
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1467-9523
pISSN - 0038-0199
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9523.1965.tb00524.x
Subject(s) - extension (predicate logic) , sociology , locality , rural sociology , action (physics) , social science , rural development , computer science , agriculture , ecology , philosophy , linguistics , physics , quantum mechanics , biology , programming language
Summary Contributions of Rural Sociology Research and Evaluation to Extension Development in the United States The development of rural sociology in the United States as a scientific discipline corresponds in time to the development of extension work (advisory services). An understanding of the characteristics of the extension services among the states and of changes made over time facilitates understanding the contributions of rural sociology to extension development in the United States. The institutional setting in which rural sociology has developed also helps to explain the contributions which the discipline has made to extension. Five categories of sociological contributions to extension may be identified. In the broadest sense, sociology contributes ‘understanding’ to extension about problems, situations requiring policy decisions, and about extension itself. In the narrowest sense, sociology may contribute a single item of data or a specific methodological technique which may be utilized for extension purposes. The five categories of contributions are: (i) understanding of basic concepts relevant to extension, such as adoption and diffusion of new farm ideas and practices, social action, leadership, locality groups, and informal groups; (2) techniques ‐ developed by sociological research ‐ which may be applied by extension, such as locality group identification and delineation techniques and the sociometric technique for locating informal groups and their leaders; (3) understanding of general problem situations about which broad policy decisions must be made for the extension system; (4) understanding of specific problem situations about which operating or procedural decisions must be made; and (5) research on the extension system itself, along with evaluation of the extension organization, program, methods, and results. Included in the last category is sociological research and evaluation of basic experimental approaches or programs undertaken by extension. Illustrations of these contributions are cited. The direction of changes made by extension has created increased need for sociological knowledge.