After my 8 states in ‘08 trip (Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania) through the rural southeast, it is good to return to Ohio.  As I was driving through these beautiful hills, valleys, mountains and other scenic displays of rural life, I was once again reminded of the question that has motivated much of our work on this website:  What is rural?

Rural is defined in many ways.  For example, government agencies use factors such as population and distance from large urban centers as the demarcations of rural places.  The television, media, and, in some cases, comedians, define rural as a stereotype, linked to backward ways of being, thinking and living.  More traditional researchers use a variety of perspectives, including size, economic resources, and distance from cities as defining parameters.  There are, without question, a variety of ways to define this notion of rural.

As a group, I asked my graduate students to consider how, in the scholarship in the field, rural is being defined.  As expected, the students found that defining this idea is very fluid and, in the end, up to the individual.  However, one group presented an interesting perspective:  “Rural is a state of mind.”

This group proposed that being rural was a cultural way of being that was reflected in a mental attitude.  As we discussed this concept further, certain characteristics of this way of thinking were developed.  For example, being rural, to us, is represented in an extreme commitment to family.  A strong sense of independence and dedication to the land were also characteristics we identified as representative of a “rural mindset”.  In the end we decided that there are cultural characteristics that are found in the rural mindset that require further exploration and study.  Additionally, we found that trying to discover one “rural” way of being is impossible and, quite frankly, does not appreciate the diversity of the definition that exists in this country.  For example, even within Columbiana County, Ohio, there are different cultural characteristics that are unique to different segments of this area.  “Rural” is truly a complex concept.

In an effort to get some dialogue going, what is rural to you?  What are some of the cultural characteristics that you think represent the rural state of mind? How do you define being rural?

Feel free to respond to this post.  I look forward to the discussion.  

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Welcome to the first blog entry of the gotDIRT website. As you’ll see from perusing our webspace, our goal is to create a virtual teaching and learning center for rural educators to share resources, ideas, and/or to just connect with other professionals.

As a group we have been motivated by several things. First and foremost, we wanted to create a space that demonstrates that a democratic mindset (a commitment to inquiry, community, and personal responsibility) does not have to be compromised in a high-stakes, standards-based environment. Too often in public education today we are seeing schools that, in the name of passing the test, limit the educational experiences that are so important to prepare our children to be democratic citizens. Through this website we wanted to model that mandated curricular choices do not have to get in the way of practicing and encouraging a democratic way of living.

My role in this weekly blog is, hopefully, to invite interesting dialogue around democratic education in a rural environment. I am positive, as I am sure my students will agree, some weeks will be more interesting than others. However, I hope you will always feel free to join in the discussion and contribute your thoughts, insights, and/or resources as we create a virtual space for rural educators to explore important professional ideas with each other.

Some of the topics I want to explore in the blog are:

What does it mean to be rural?
What are the specific issues that are unique to teaching in a rural setting?
Is there such a thing as rural identity? If so, are there stages to rural identity? Is there a regional difference between these definitions of culture?
What evidence exists that addresses how rural/Appalachian culture influences teaching/learning?
What are possible solutions that have been proposed to address teaching/learning in a rural/Appalachian environment?
How is rural/Appalachian culture changing and/or shifting in this new technological/flat world?

Please, feel free to suggest other thoughts and questions that you would like to explore. Our vision is that this website becomes a virtual learning community where professionals meet to share and discuss ideas relevant to rural educators. So please, join us in the dialogue.

David M. Dees, Ph.D.
Kent State University Salem Campus