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Spring 2002, Vol. 9, No. 2
The Smiths—A Rural Family
by Lee J. Zook, Ph.D.
INTERACTIVE ARTICLE
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The following is a combination of family situations I know as a result of living in a rural community. I have used this case in an exam for a meso-methods course that I teach. The questions that I raise at the end are questions that I have never completely answered for myself. I would learn from a discussion of the case by social worker students and others.
One thing that strikes me as students discuss the case is that their own cultural understanding of rural farm life becomes involved in the case itself. Various students have reported that this reminds them of their own families—sometimes their parents’ family of origin. Other students seem not to relate personally to the case at all. I see the case as a specific opportunity to educate students about the realities of rural life, but more broadly, the implications of understanding culture that is or is not like one’s own, especially when working with families.
The Smiths
Imagine you are a professional working as a social worker in a family service agency. Mrs. Smith, age 63, comes to your agency because of her depression. She is self-referred. You know Mrs. Smith and the family, because they live in the same county and attend your church. Everybody in town knows this family, as they are seen as leaders in the church and the community.
In a very short period of time, you learn a great deal of information about Mrs. Smith and her family. She is very open with you and quite able to articulate her concerns.
Mrs. Smith is the mother of three adult children—Tom, who is 24, Kathy, who is 29, and Harry, who is 35. Harry, married to Mary, lives on the family farm with his two young children—Sam, 14, and Susan, 9. They live in the farmhouse where Mrs. Smith grew up and raised her family. In fact, Mrs. Smith’s family has owned and lived on this farm since settlers moved to the area about 150 years ago. The farm is termed a Century Farm, so designated because the same family has owned it for over a hundred years.
The elder Smiths still own the land and buildings on the farm, though Harry has purchased some of the equipment needed to maintain and work the farm. Harry and Mary actually pay rent to the elder Smiths for the use of the farmland. Mr. Smith does a great deal of work on the farm but does not get a salary from the farm, as he now draws Social Security. Mr. and Mrs. Smith live in a house trailer about 100 yards from the farmhouse. When Mary and Harry were first married, they lived in the house trailer, but when their second child, Susan, was born, the elder and younger Smiths exchanged residences so the children could have separate bedrooms.
Tom, who is single, is attending graduate school in agribusiness at State University. He thinks he may like to come back to the Smith homestead and farm sometime.
Kathy lives in a city several hours from the Smith homestead. She works as an account executive with a fast-growing software company and is very successful. Her husband is an accountant with a well-known consulting firm. They do not have any children. Each of them individually earns more income than the farm generates.
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