"Rural Prairie Women" contains the work of two task forces: the Rural Social Work Task Force which looked at the forces active in North Dakota rural areas and the Rural Women Task Force which examined the position of women within those same rural communities. The relationship between the land, small towns, and sparse population is explored, as is the impact of tradition for both descendants of immigrants and Native Americans. Ways in which change occur are examined to show how change is handled. It is noted that social patterns present in the more recent rural communities bear striking similarities to those long existing among Native Americans. The paper's second part addresses specific concerns of rural North Dakota women: women's roles defined by tradition (wife and mother); local community definition of role expectancy; distinctions between responsibilities and power of husbands and wives; and frustrations arising from emerging role expectations. The role of women within their own families is considered. Changes brought about by new community property and inheritance laws are identified. It is concluded that like other women, equal compensation for comparable work is the basic issue for rural women, and tradition is what all women must overcome wherever they live. (BRR)