Public Scholarship Partnerships: Political Culture Considerations in Rural School-University Research Communities

• In Event: Rural Education Across Geography: Understanding Marginalization in Domestic and International Contexts

Abstract

During the Obama administration, grant programs provided incentives for community and school-based partnerships including involvement of university-based researchers. Upon announcement of awards, critics noted limited awards to rural communities with more grants going to urban proposals. In the ensuing debate, some scholars denied rurality as a significant, or legitimate, geo-spatial designation. The purpose of this paper is to introduce political culture as means of conceptualizing rural identity and its role in developing rural school-university research partnerships. Such a conceptualization results in a theory of action for addressing rural schools’ diversity, resources, and educational needs. This innovative conceptualization is important due to the sheer numbers of small rural schools and districts across all the U.S. states.

Authors

• Ellen M Hampshire, Clemson University

• Jane Clark Lindle, Clemson University