2012 Rural MN Journal
Request For Authors
Center seeks authors for 2012 Rural Minnesota Journal:
“Who lives in rural Minnesota?”
RMJ is an annual publication discussing topics of interest to rural residents, containing articles written by experts from around the state. Click HERE to see past issues. The theme for the 2012 issue will be “Who Lives in Rural Minnesota?” which will be an examination of current issues being driven by the state’s changing demographics. Please review the following list of articles developed by our editorial committee for a topic that may interest you. The details in each article topic are simply guidance outlining the direction we are interested in, but we are open to discussing different directions and/or focus. Research- supported articles are preferred.
If you would like more information, please contact Marnie Werner, mwerner@ruralmn.org. If you are interested in authoring one of these articles, please send your contact information, a summary of your article proposal (300 words max) and CV to Marnie Werner by Jan. 25, 2012. Article length: 3,000-8,000 words, with an approximate deadline of May 31, 2012 (deadline is flexible). Honoraria are available.
To download a pdf of the article list, click here.
• Census 2010 and rural Minnesota: A basic demographics article interpreting the data to answer questions we all have about what has changed since the last Census.
o What has changed and where?
o How is the population shifting around the state?
o What changes have we seen in the immigrant and minority populations in rural areas?
o Other unique questions no one’s thought of yet.
Examine state as whole, but also compare and contrast rural and metro, population centers, small towns and the spaces in between, region by region if practical.
• Impact of aging Baby Boomers: Infrastructure: Are we overbuilding to accommodate boomers? What happens when they have moved through?
• Impact of aging Baby Boomers: Community leadership succession: Who will take over? How to get young people interested and involved?
• Impact of aging Baby Boomers: Workforce: How is the job landscape evolving as Baby Boomers retire in rural communities, especially small communities? Is this creating job openings? Is there a skills gap between the skills required and those of the local workforce? How to address this?
What kinds of jobs could be available if the workforce and other necessary factors were addressed? What are those factors?
• Impact of aging Baby Boomers: Volunteering: Older residents require more services, but as government services are cut back, many services for the aging are being turned over to private organizations, which are then often carried out by the aging as well. How can services be made sustainable? What services are provided? How important are these volunteer organizations to rural communities, what’s their current state, and how can they be maintained as things like government support and reimbursements are cut back?
• Immigration: A current look at immigrants in rural Minnesota. Look at implications for small towns and population centers. Some communities have had sizable immigrant populations longer than others. What are the short-term and long-term effects on population growth, economic development, schools, services, and other aspects of life?
• Redistricting: What does this latest round’s impacts mean for representation and the political influence of rural Minnesota? How does rural Minnesota maintain political influence?
• Technology: Significant advances have been made in the last ten years to move broadband into rural communities, with millions more being spent as a result of federal stimulus funding. How is this development impacting wealth generation as well as productivity and costs savings for the private sector and/or governments?
• Philanthropy: What is the health of philanthropy in rural areas in general? How is philanthropy being affected by the demographic trends in rural counties? How does the emerging agricultural wealth figure in? Potential case in point: Community foundations. How are they doing? What impact are they having on rural communities? Are Baby Boomers trending toward philanthropy? Can we look at examples using a few successful community foundations?