From Combines to Computers

Amy K. Glasmeier is Associate Professor of Geography and Regional Planning at The Pennsylvania State University. Marie Howland is Director and Associate Professor of the Urban Studies and Planning Program at the University of Maryland.

• List of Figures List of Tables Acknowledgments 1. Introduction Why a Concern about Services Now?The Transformation of the Structure of the U.S. EconomyThe Role of Services in Rural America: An Outline of the BookThe Current Rural Situation2. Rural Services in an Age of Information Technology: Definitions, Theories, and Empirical Evidence Defining ServicesSocial Change and the Growth of ServicesThe Growth Experience of Services in Peripheral AreasWhat the Service Sector Means for Development in Rural AreasModels of Service Industry Development and LocationConclusion3. Rural Services: A New Source of Export-Led Development or a Continuing Dependence on Traditional Sectors? Manufacturing's ExperienceAn Overview of Services Growth in AmericaThe Top Ten Job-Generating Industries: A Comparison of the National and Rural ExperiencesPercentage Change in Services at the National LevelEconomic Diversity and the Structure of ServicesServices as a Share of Total Rural EmploymentConclusion4. Producer Services: Back Offices, Niche Markets, New Exports? The National View of Complex Corporate ActivitiesPatterns of Growth in Export-Oriented Producer ServicesConclusion5. Rural Computer Services in an International Economy Computer Services: The ExpectationOverview of Rural Computer ServicesComputer Programming in Rural EconomiesData Entry and Processing in Rural EconomiesConclusion6. The Changing Face of Banking in Rural Communities Competitive Context Steers Structural Changes and Market OrientationThe Case StudiesDiscussion of the Case Studies and Their ImplicationsConclusion7. The Transformation of the Residentiary Sector: From Local Services to Branch Operations Retail ServicesCase Study: Olney, IllinoisConsumer ServicesConclusion8. Conclusions The Service Economy in Rural AmericaImplications for Development PracticeStrategies for Rural Service ExportersImplications for Development TheoryAppendix I: Geographic System Used to Identify Rural Areas Appendix II: Data Sources and Limitations The Organizational Basis of County Business Patterns, Recent Revisions and Classification ChangesUSEEM DatasetNotes Bibliography Index

"This book targets an important but little understood element of the rural economy and systematically debunks some prevalent myths about changes that are occurring in rural America. While doing this, the authors clearly articulate key theoretical issues about rural socioeconomic change and convincingly ground their conclusions with their empirical analyses." — Forrest A. Deseran, Colorado State University"This is the first large-scale, systematic treatment of service industries in rural areas. It is an original and genuine contribution to the literature on rural industrial development." — Charles M. Tolbert, Louisiana State University