Preparations for a Canadian exhibit in a Paris museum prompted reflections on how the adversity encountered in Canada's northern wilderness has fostered Inuit inventiveness and creativity. Anecdotes of other people's adaptations to harsh conditions illustrate that inventiveness is universal to the human condition. Perhaps the best example of…

To overcome barriers to participation in small business training faced by rural Australian women, training needs and delivery issues were identified and a good practice matrix was developed with the following components: marketing, content, delivery, support, impact, and innovation. Underlying principles included unique needs, diversity, use of…

Details the act of writing and publishing a literacy autobiography on the World Wide Web for an English course at a college located on a small island in the Bahamas. Notes that this activity gave geographically isolated writers an opportunity to consider the intricate powers of language and their space in the larger social and cultural influences…

The influence of family and school on vocational decisions of 24 rural Australian students was measured. The students lived in areas lacking full secondary facilities, necessitating earlier decisions. Family influence was much stronger than that of schools. Teachers had more influence on boys than on girls. (SK)

Wales must overcome political, social, economic, and cultural exclusion in developing a response to European education and training initiatives. Democratic funding and accountability are needed to enable Wales to benefit from the new Europe. (SK)

Discussion of the impact of Australia's geographic isolation focuses on four linked strategies being implemented to position New South Wales public libraries for success in the emerging information economy. Highlights include promoting Internet access; creating client-focused content and services; developing strategic partnerships; and renewing a…

This report, in response to a request by 10 U.S. Senators examines the status of broadband deployment in the United States. The rate of deployment of broadband services will be key to future economic growth, particularly in rural areas far from urban and world markets. This report finds that rural areas, especially remote areas outside of towns,…

This paper reports on the second phase of multiple-year research in the Phuthaditjhaba schools of QwaQwa, South Africa, which is studying implementation issues related to educational transformation. Investigated was the extent to which educational reforms in these schools address language rights as human rights, reduce backlogs, and promote…

Explains the development and delivery of a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree as a distance education program at James Cook University (Australia). Topics include physical isolation; distance and access; resources; financial costs to students; course development; scheduling clinical placements and residential schools; student expectations;…

Using the case of a vernacular variety spoken on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, this article demonstrates how linguistic-systemic principles such as remorphologization, psycholinguistic principles of perceptual saliency, and sociolinguistic processes of symbolic identity converge to account for the development of leveling in this community.…

In the rural regions of Nova Scotia, the Network for Children & Youth of Eastern Nova Scotia is attacking the problem of service fragmentation. The network addresses the multiple factors of health that contribute to the well-being of populations by coordinating the efforts of the 37 member agencies. Accomplishments and practical rules for…

The study of language in its social context and the role of language in society has developed over the past four decades into the field called sociolinguistics. In approaching language as a social activity, sociolinguists focus on discovering the specific patterns or social rules for talk; for example, they might examine how people manage their…

This paper examines the unmet service needs and problems of persons with disabilities in rural and remote regions of New South Wales (Australia). Data were collected through consultations with disabled persons, families, and service providers in Sydney and four rural areas; a literature review; compilation of an in-depth inventory of service…

Communication and information technologies can reduce the barriers of distance and space that disadvantage rural areas. This report defines a set of distinct voice, computer, and video telecommunication services; describes several rural information applications that make use of these services; and surveys various wireline and wireless systems and…

A study examined technology gaps in rural schools and computer accessibility and Internet use by teachers. Findings from surveys of 205 teachers in the rural Ozarks region of Missouri indicate significant differences in Internet accessibility among rural schools with a low, middle, or high technology status; and no significant interaction effects…