Theses and Dissertations Collection

The purpose of this study was to examine the coping strategies utilized by working families living below the poverty level whom reside in rural areas. This exploratory qualitative study involved standardized open-ended interviews with each family being interviewed separately. The population of this study is families living in rural North Idaho whom have at least one child enrolled in the Head Start Program. The sample included eight families chosen from the population of study. The types of coping strategies focused on in this study includes: 1) internally directed strategies, 2) network-based strategies, and 3) agency-based strategies and 4) government-based strategies. Emergent in the interview data were findings that low-income families utilize all types of coping strategies; however, the feelings associated with each type of strategy vary greatly from negative to positive.