Rural Women and Isolation: Pathways to Reconnection

Abstract

Interviews with 21 women in a rural Colorado county yielded personal descriptions of isolation and the feelings and strategies that exist in response to isolating events and circumstances. Isolation emerged as three distinct categories of relational disconnection: from specific individuals; from nonspecific others, such as groups or the larger community; or as a combination of both. Factors affecting relational disconnection were choice, control, and duration. Women who had the support of significant others and those who connected with themselves through self-talk or the achievement of goals were often able to move beyond the isolating situation and successfully reconnect.Social workers and other human services professionals who attempt to address the specific needs of rural women can expect to encounter a scarcity of literature in this area. In lamenting the near absence of investigations into the experiences of rural women, Cheitman (1981) stated: &dquo;The worst kind of oppression and inequality occurs to groups that are, in effect, 'invisible.' If no one has identified rural women as an oppressed class and is asking questions about them, whence will come the solutions to problems?&dquo; (p. 19). In addition to the lack of focus upon rural women, rurality is often stereotyped negatively and labeled as isolating (Cheitman, 1981). As students and a faculty member in a graduate social work program with a rural community

The Impact of Same-Sex Friendships on the Weil-Being of Women

“…The authors hypothesize that this may be reflective of greater need and greater autonomy among female single heads of household. Geissinger, Lazzari, Porter, and Tungate (1993) investigated the experience of rural women as a marginalized, isolated, and invisible population. The authors assert that isolation is a label frequently assigned to marginalized groups (e.g., poor, depressed, elderly, battered, widowed, and rural women) and commonly associated with increased loneliness and psychopathology.…”

Social Isolation and Weapon Use in Intimate Partner Violence Incidents in Rural Areas

“…They may also inspect phone bills, incoming/outgoing mail or anything else that could indicate a cry for help. Victims have been known to be denied/forbidden contact with relatives, friends or the greater community (Feyen, 1989;Geissinger, Lazzari, Porter and Tungate, 1993;Goeckermann et al, 1994;Websdale, 1998).…”

Rural Elderly Women's Attitudes Toward Professional and Governmental Assistance

“…However, Gove, Ortega, and Style's (1989) study of the relationships among health, social support, and depression in rural elderly people indicated that close-knit social support in rural areas mediates against the negative health effects created by limited services and poverty. Furthermore, although it is often assumed that rurality means isolation, Geissinger, Lazzari, Porter, and Tungate (1993) noted that rural women do not necessarily feel isolated. Rather, what appear to be obstacles, such as rural telephone systems and small-town structures, could lead them to establish connections with others.…”