This book contains 11 essays that compare economic and social conditions in Appalachia to those in rural regions of other countries. These rural, frequently mountainous, regions suffer similar economic problems due to their peripheral position in the national economies of their countries. Among the topics of particular educational interest are the interrelationships among unemployment, educational attainment, and capital investment in education; women's participation in the labor force; the ambiguous role of well-educated credentialed newcomers in community development efforts; job training; adolescents' educational and occupational aspirations and mental health; and regional inequalities in educational attainment and income. Chapters are: (1) "Introduction: Appalachia and the Study of Regionalism" (William W. Philliber); (2) "The Future of the Welfare State: The Case of Appalachia" (Richard A. Couto); (3) "Place for Sale: Repopulation and Change in an Appalachian and a Highland Scottish Community" (John B. Stephenson); (4) "The Reconstruction of Wales and Appalachia: Development and Regional Identity" (Graham Day); (5) "The British Coalminers' Strike, 1984-1985: Class and Regional Inequality in Post-Industrial Economies" (Richard A. Couto); (6) "Local Development Activities in Newfoundland and Central Appalachia" (Nelda K. Pearson); (7) "Regional Resurgence: The Case of Industrial Catalonia in Spain" (Glenn A. Mitchell); (8) "Mountain Foragers in Southeast Asia and Appalachia: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on the 'Mountain Man' Stereotype" (Benita J. Howell); (9) "Gender Roles As Reflected in Adolescents' Expressed Values and Attitudes: An Eastern Kentucky/Kenya Comparison" (Susan Abbott); (10) "From the Mountains to the Maquiladoras: A Case Study of Capital Flight and Its Impact on Workers" (John Gaventa); (11) "From the Apennines to the Appalachians: Regional Development in Italy and the U.S." (Phillip J. Obermiller); and (12) "Poor Regions, Poor Theory: Toward Improved Understanding of Regional Inequality" (Peter R. Sinclair). Contains over 350 references and an index. (SV)