Rural Poverty

Rural areas are defined as "open country and settlements with fewer that 2,500 residents," (Measuring Rurality, 2003). Rural areas in the United States compromise over 2,000 counties, contain 75 percent of the nation's land, and include 49 million people--7.5 million of which are living in poverty (Enhanced Quality of Life for Rural Americans, 2005).

Persistently poor communities are often compromised of a disproportionate number of economically at-risk people, including racial/ethnic minorities, female-headed households, and high school dropouts. The characteristics of rural communities and the people living in these areas present many challenges. Compared with urban areas, many rural communities have higher poverty rates, greater unemployment, lower education levels and lower incomes. Low population densities in rural areas equate to people being forced to travel further to jobs creating an increased need for reliable transportation, less accessibility to key social and educational services, and fewer options for affordable childcare services and greater difficulty arranging care (Whitener, Weber, Duncan, 2001).

Rural communities have always experienced growth and decline as changes occur within our economy. However, with the nation's emphasis being placed on industrial markets as well as a lack of use for natural resources produced in the rural community--a large part of the rural population has been left living in poverty. The future of America's rural communities and people depend on the availability of good jobs, access to critical services, such as education, health care, adequate food and development of strong communities.

History of Rural Poverty

The issue of poverty has persisted throughout the history of the United States since its inception. Many Americans living in poverty have been unable to adequately provide food, shelter and clothing for themselves and their families. Dating back to colonial times, poverty was widespread due to competition over scarce resources. Also during this time there was a large population of slaves and indentured servants that "lived near the margins of subsistence," (Poverty, n.d.).

Poverty is experienced differently in the rural South than in other rural areas. The experience of southerners living in poverty is characterized by a social structure in which there is a distinct line between the "haves and have nots," (Tickamyer & Duncan, 1990). During the 1930's white farm owners stopped federal efforts to diversify the structure of Southern agriculture. The rural poor were not given access to land, education or political access giving them no opportunity to escape poverty (Tickamyer & Duncan, 1990, p72). Tickamyer and Duncan state that white landholders treated the rural poor as children who deserved their low status because they were "ignorant and shiftless." Recent studies show that little has changed in the attitudes of Southerners towards those living in poverty.

Poverty was experienced differently in the North. The rural poor in the North place high value on "work and self-sufficiency," (Tickamyer & Duncan, 1990, p74). The northerner poor were not trapped by an oppressive social system but instead experienced the inability to find and keep stable jobs. Years of inability to find steady work have made them "cautious about trying new avenues or venturing out from the world they know and the family on whom they rely," (Tickamyer & Duncan, 1990, p74). The limited opportunity for work as well as accumulation of assets explains why poverty persists in this region.

The eighteenth century brought about economic growth spurred on by agricultural expansion and the Industrial revolution. Despite this economic boom poverty was still being experienced especially in rural communities. Rural areas were experiencing greater levels of poverty associated with scarce resources as a result of "large immigration, rapid urbanization and the formation of a large industrial working class" that were also on the verge of poverty (Poverty, n.d., p1).

At this time in American history, it was the responsibility of private charities or local government to give aid to the poor. The emergence of several European nations instituting public-welfare programs lead in a slow road for the United States government to follow (Christopher et al., 1997.) The government was blind to the span of poverty in rural communities due to the rapid pace of industrialization and the ready availability of farmland--making it seem that anyone who was willing to work could find a job.

In the face of an emerging epidemic of people living in poverty, the government initiated programs during the Depression era that provided temporary relief for people living in poverty (Christopher et al., 1997, pch.10). Programs such as the Social Security Act provided relief for retired persons over the age of 65, aid for the blind and disabled, as well as aid for widows and their children.

In the years since Roosevelt, other American presidents, particularly Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s, have established assistance programs (Christopher et al., 1997.) These social programs include Medicaid and Medicare, food stamps, and public housing, which is built at federal expense and made available to persons with low incomes.

The economy in the United States has gone through ups and downs since the inception of these social programs directly affecting the percent of people experiencing poverty. The government has taken greater interest in alleviating persistent poverty in rural areas by readdressing and redefining "rural" to meet the needs of this population (Poverty, n.d.) Despite all of the governmental programs aimed at alleviating poverty, few of these programs continue to make a difference in the lives of the rural poor. People living in rural communities are still facing problems in availability of good jobs, access to critical services, such as education, health care, adequate food and development of strong communities.

The Rural Context

According to the Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR) 17% or 49 million people that are spread out on 80 percent of the nation's land mass are members of the United States rural population. The population in rural communities has increased due to urban expansion, high birth rates, immigration, and immigration of retirees. These factors contribute to rural areas becoming more diverse in their ethnical and racial makeup. (Burwich A., Grosso D. P., Jethwani V., Ponza M., and Strong A. D. 2006)

The economic status of rural areas is mixed. Lower levels of human capital distinguish rural labor markets from urban ones. Unemployment in both