Farm families' preferences toward the personal social services

In this exploratory study, the attitudes and preferences of 42 farm households toward help, helping, and helpers were examined. The study group included 44 farm families in Iowa and Pennsylvania. The researchers investigated how families viewed the process of giving and receiving help from natural helpers and formal agencies and whether the families' attitudes changed relative to their degree of financial stress. Also, the study explored preferences on the sponsorship and location of social service agencies as well as on the personal attributes of the helping person. Some recommendations are presented for policymakers and providers who serve farm constituencies.