Handbook of attitudes

This paper examines the incentive structures in rural communities that encourage or discourage the accumulation of human capital. This is done by identifying the factors that influence educational performance in four school districts in rural Appalachian Virginia and Kentucky. A review of human capital theory, models, and functions generated six hypotheses concerning the relationships of youth valuation of education to parent attitudes, perceived availability of local employment opportunities, willingness to m grate, educational performance, and educational and occupational aspirations. Data were derived from student records, surveys of high school seniors and deopouts in 12 high schools, and interviews with their parelltb. Thr results suggest that the value that youths place on education is influenced by local job opportunities and, to a lesser extent, by willingness to leave the local community to fin