The social life of older rural Americans is made up of relationships formed through kinship, their neighborhoods, and the organizations to which they belong. These social institutions are shaped by the ways people use them, and therefore change through time. In this precedent-setting study, John van Willigen uses the concept of social network to investigate life-course changes in the relationships of older people within the context of community history. Gettin' Some Age on Me grew out of a study of more than 130 older people in a rural Kentucky county. They were interviewed concerning their relationships with others, and data were collected on the give and take of support that is part of their social life. An understanding of community life and history, developed through interviews and period documentation, provided a context for understanding the changes these people have experienced over time. Finally, related studies by other researchers provided a framework for interpreting rural and urban differences. Van Willigen skillfully interweaves these various accounts to reveal fundamentally important patterns. It is clear that these other people should be viewed not as dependent and isolated but as important sources for social support; that even though their social relationships decline in number late in life, early in the post retirement period there is an apparent increase in social involvement; and that older people are much less isolated in the rural community studied than in many urban areas. This book makes a substantial contribution to the very limited literature on aging in rural America. It is important reading for social gerontologists and for all social scientists with an interest in American communities.

Participant observation is the foundation of ethnographic research design and supports and complements other types of qualitative and quantitative data collection. Qualitative research in such diverse areas as anthropology, sociology, education, medicine draws on the insights gained through the use of participant observation. The authors have written a guide to the collection of systematic data in naturalistic settings - communities in many different cultures - to achieve an understanding of the most fundamental processes and patterns of social life. This book serves as a basic primer for the beginning researcher and as a useful reference and guide for experienced researchers in many fields who wish to reexamine their own skills and abilities in light of best practices of participant observation. This new edition includes discussions of participant observation in nontypical settings, such as the Internet, participant observation in applied research, and ethics of participant observation. It also explores in greater depth the use of computer-assisted analysis of textual data in issues of sampling and in linking method with theory.

Tourniquet is a gripping, hair-raising tale about the age-old conflict in the Middle East. It portrays an unthinkable yet plausible scenario leading to a no-win holocaust if the present situation goes unresolved. In his crisp, unique writing style, Monson proceeds to link the Middle East to the flash-point of the American border with Mexico. Fly with Israeli Air Force Daniel Kaplan as he protects Haifa Bay from the cold-blooded Osvaldo Sabino deep in the water below / Partner with Senator Madena as he flies to Mexico City with the Presidents plan for the Mexican borderhis Tourniquet / Hear A.E. Smith debate his love of the beautiful Alicia Roth, architect of the Tourniquet . . . and a Jew / Crash through the Mexican out-back with A.E. and Hector as they search for Alicia, captured and wounded by a band of Osvaldos outlaws / Live the suspense as in 2017 a plan is hatched to destroy the entire coastal Middle East / Escape the Mediterranean aboard the USS Kitty Hawk / See the bombing of the Gold Key Casino in Laughlin / Feel the heat as Alicia learns her real-estate father used her to engage in insider-trading / Warm to A.E. and Alicia as they dance and romance at the Cotton Ball in Memphis / Fly with Major Kaplan as he rescues a special artifact from ruins in Jerusalem / Marvel at Dr. Sobols spectacular museum on the El Sasabe river / And join the celebration as the great diversity that is Tourniquet comes together in a thrilling and amazing conclusion.