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Poverty and Social Context in Remote Rural Communities 1
Author(s) -
Duncan Cynthia M.,
Lamborghini Nita
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
rural sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.083
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1549-0831
pISSN - 0036-0112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1549-0831.1994.tb00541.x
Subject(s) - poverty , context (archaeology) , scarcity , socioeconomic status , economic growth , sociology , resource (disambiguation) , socioeconomics , geography , economics , population , demography , archaeology , microeconomics , computer network , computer science
Many urban analysts studying poor inner city communities argue that social isolation in poor neighborhoods perpetuates poverty. This paper extends analysis of social context to rural areas, comparing a chronically poor coal‐dependent Appalachian community with a more diverse, resource‐rich community in northern New England. The Appalachian community has more limited job opportunities and over time the scarcity of jobs in a volatile coal economy generated a divided social context. In contrast, the community in northern New England offers both more opportunities for work and has a stable, working middle class that invests in and uses public goods; the poor are not deliberately segregated. These differences in communities' socioeconomic context are reflected in poor women's experiences and aspirations.