Insights into Rural Stress: Using the Community Capitals Framework to Help Inform Rural Policies and Interventions

Abstract

Communities in rural America have experienced significant decline over the past century. Professionals working within these communities, such as extension or community development professionals, may leverage their position as trusted sources to decrease negative outcomes associated with novel and emerging societal problems, such as rural stress. This study was grounded in the community capitals framework and sought to examine the importance of capitals relative to the perception of rural stress. A sample of extension agents from a southeastern land-grant university in the United States provided rating and ranking data. A modified Borda Count and weighted ranking score were computed to generate a heuristic ranking of capitals relative to importance to rural stress. Human and natural capital were consistently regarded as highly important, while cultural and built–financial capital were consistently sorted to the bottom. Therefore, human and natural capital may represent critical entry points for professionals to develop programming related to rural stress perceptions and coping mechanisms. Overall, the results of this study support the continued use of the community capitals framework to guide community development strategies that address rural stress concerns and provides evidence to inform rural development policies and interventions. Such strategies should involve community members to facilitate an inside-out approach and develop sustainable solutions based on local knowledge and needs.