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This article presents the research papers published in this issue of the journal "Rural Sociology." The first paper by James H. Copp represents a stage in the maturation of research on farm practice acceptance. It is one of the first attempts to compare the results of studies conducted in different agricultural regions. Using data from Wilkening's study in Wisconsin and from his own study in Kansas, he developed comparable measures of certain personal, social, and economic variables. Another paper by Copp and colleagues deals with the informational aspect of the acceptance of new farm practices. They attempt essentially to specify the function of information sources in the adoption process. By asking a series of questions about the sources of information at various times, from the awareness of a new practice until its adoption, they find that institutionalized sources tend to perform a function separate from that of noninstitutionalized sources. The study by Charles R. Hoffer and Dale Stangland is a worthy attempt to take into account the farmer's value orientations as they affect his adoption of practices.

The purpose of this paper is the analysis of the interactional patterns of Wisconsin farm couples with their parents. Step-wise multiple regression analysis provides a technique to solve a sequence of one or more multiple linear models by step-wise application of the least sum-of-squares method. The predictor variables used in this analysis include: distance, husband's age, stage in the family life-cycle, husband's education, wife's education, gross farm income, agricultural training of the husband, productive-man-work-units, and level of living. The results showed that distance is an important factor in the interaction between generations in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers news briefs related to sociology, and also presents several announcements related to conferences. The International Sociological Association (ISA) is exploring the possibilities of international cooperation in the field of sociology, for which it is collecting a number of proposals for international research. UNESCO has released a report on Social Tensions research. The Second International Gerontological Congress will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, during September 9-14, 1951. Annual conference of the National Council on Family Relations will be held during August 27-31, 1951, in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

Canonical correlation analysis permits the sociologist to study empirically the patterns of relationships between 2 sets of variables, but the technique has not been widely applied. Data from a random sample of farm families in Wisconsin were utilized to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique in predicting the joint satisfaction of husbands and wives with their occupational success. The results suggest a single satisfaction profile. Joint satisfaction of the couple occurred for high-status farmers with mechanized operations, having high corn yield per acre and providing adequate income, in which high farm aspiration of the husband combined with high home aspiration of the wife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A typology of the part-time farmer is presented, based upon past, present, and future commitment to farm and nonfarm occupations. This career typology is applied to data for 153 part-time farmers from a Wisconsin study, resulting in a reduction from 90 to 24 types. A necessary condition for the usefulness of part of the typology is demonstrated with the Wisconsin data by showing types to be different on the basis of related occupational variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sample of 903 Wisconsin farm operators was classified into matched high and low technological competence groups to test the hypothesis that farm operator technological competence is associated with an "integrative-supportive" wife marital role. Comparison of the wives of these two groups on 46 items hypothesized to reflect this concept shows one third significantly differentiate the two groups. The number and nature of the significant items supports the hypothesis under test. The differentiating items are used to form a Wife Role Supportiveness Index. Multiple and partial correlation shows this index to add a significant increment to the total explained variance in use of improved farm practices. Implications for theory and action programs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was supported in part by the research phase of the University of Wisconsin Urban program under the terms of a grant from the Ford Foundation. The author is grateful t Glenn Fugiutt, Leo F. Schnore, Henry S. Shryock, Jr., Gideon Sjoberg, and Conrad Taeuber for commenting on an earlier draft of this manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents information and announcements related to American sociology. One brief profiles Sister M. Agnes of Rome. Agnes received her bachelor's degree at Catholic Teachers College, Providence, Rhode Island, her master's degree at Boston College, and her doctorate in Sociology at Catholic University of America. Another brief profiles Sister Marynia, who was professor of Sociology and chairman of the Department of Sociology at Regis College, Weston, Massachusetts until her death on April 4, 1959. Sister Marynia taught History and Sociology for fifteen years at Regis College and was dean of students from 1949 to 1954. Personally, Sister Marynia was characterized by her wholehearted commitment to her work, sincerity, dedication to truth, and her sympathetic understanding of colleagues and students. A yet another brief informs that the Sociology department of Marquette University was host on November fourth for the annual meetings of The Wisconsin Sociological Association. George Christel of Canisius College and Frank Santora of Fordham University have been appointed graduate assistants in the department.