A Rural Community Pauses to Gauge Attitudes on the Road to an Alternative Economic Strategy

This community-based research uses Q methodology to examine perceptions of tourism and downtown development in a lower Midwest town that has experienced continual economic downturn and decreasing population. With memories of the thriving ranching and oil heyday, some community members are approaching tourism as the new black gold. At the same time, there is a perception of a fractious community characterized by a heritage of racism, cultural tension, and an aging, burned-out volunteer base. One of the goals of this study was to help community planners make sense out of what they perceived as a jumble of viewpoints. The results of a Q study can help planners determine in a systematic way the significant, persistent attitudes surrounding the issue of tourism development from a broad community perspective. The Chamber of Commerce board members, community leaders, and volunteers used this study as a building block for their strategic plan in tourism

A Rural Community Pauses to Gauge Attitudes on the Road to an Alternative Economic Strategy

This is the publisher's official version, also available electronically from: http://dx.doi.org/10.4148/ojrrp.v5i3.201This community-based research uses Q methodology to examine perceptions of tourism and downtown development in a lower Midwest town that has experienced continual economic downturn and decreasing population. With memories of the thriving ranching and oil heyday, some community members are approaching tourism as the new black gold. At the same time, there is a perception of a fractious community characterized by a heritage of racism, cultural tension, and an aging, burned-out volunteer base. One of the goals of this study was to help community planners make sense out of what they perceived as a jumble of viewpoints. The results of a Q study can help planners determine in a systematic way the significant, persistent attitudes surrounding the issue of tourism development from a broad community perspective. The Chamber of Commerce board members, community leaders, and volunteers used this study as a building block for their strategic plan in tourism

Are Anti-Spit Tobacco Campaigns Striking Out? A Survey of Iowa and Nebraska College Baseball Players

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/greatplainsresearch/842Anti-spit tobacco information is replete with fear appeals, including firsthand accounts of death and debilitation, to make users aware of the health risks and dangers. Those dangers, however, are well known by baseball players whose association with spit tobacco is historic. A survey of 217 Iowa and Nebraska college players showed that despite their awareness of spit tobacco's dangers, the players use spit tobacco to relax and focus on the field. This study supports other research showing that fear appeals may not be the most appropriate approach for anti-tobacco advertising campaigns. The study suggests that campaigns should promote relaxation and stress reduction techniques as alternatives to spit tobacco

Transcending the digital divide: A framing analysis of information and communication technologies news in Native American tribal newspapers

It appears that the divide between the Native American communities and the mainstream population is multifaceted. The social divide affects the perception of and the ability to use Information and Communication Technology to bring about improvements in the lives of people living in Native American communities. While the technology may be available in some parts and not in others, its effects on the development of these communities appears to be important. The purpose of the paper is to investigate how information and communication technology is communicated in Native American communities. Following a framing analysis of tribal newspapers, this paper develops key concepts and relationships that explain how the digital divides take place. The contribution of this paper is in a model that provides insight into the perceptions and use of ICTs to bring about development. 1