“…Many rural scholars acknowledge that in addition to low population density, rural areas share social, economic, and cultural elements, including fewer economic resources, dense social networks, and an emphasis on the importance of self-reliance and self-sufficiency (Dengerink & Cross, 1982; Mulder et al, 2000). Rural residents have more traditional values, tend to be more conservative, and are more likely to assign traditional gender roles than urban peers (Bescher-Donnelly & Smith, 1981; Pruitt, 2008; Snyder & McLaughlin, 2004; Struthers & Bokemeier, 2003). Many rural communities experience high rates of persistent, intergenerational poverty, in part because of lack of diversity in local economies and scarce, scattered job opportunities (Joliffe, 2004; McLaughlin & Coleman-Jensen, 2008).…”