To determine whether social forces have changed the attitudes of rural women or whether the cohesiveness of the rural family unit produces such strong attitudinal transference that attitudes do not change, researchers studied the attitudes of three generations of women in Dawes County, Nebraska. The study was distinctive because it covered more than two generations, focused on same-sex attitude linkages, involved a rural population rather than students, and was conducted in a rural area. Eighty sets of grandmothers, mothers, and daughters responded to a pre-tested questionnaire concerning four attitude areas: male/female relationships, religion, parenting, and self-concept and self-potential. While the highest area of attitudinal transference in the study was religion, not all attitudes transferred so strongly. Major differences appeared in the areas of attitudes towards male/female relationships (perhaps because of media, educational, or other social forces) and parenting (perhaps due to the acceptance of children as individuals in their own right and the acceptance of parents as helpers instead of authority figures). No major differences appeared in the area of self-concept. Strong attitudinal transference occurred among protestant, conservative, close-knit families. (SB)