URBAN-RURAL DIFFERENCES IN HELPING FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS

I use a large national probability sample to test the hypothesis of urban-rural differences in helping between friends and family members. A very weak trend is apparent whereby urbanites receive more help from friends than do rural dwellers, give more help to friends, expect more help from friends, and expect less help from relatives. These differences exist mainly because of the demographic compositions of urban and rural areas and because urban dwellers live farther from relatives than do I ural dwellers. A different pattern appears among the elderly; in this group, urbanism is associated with receiving less assistance from others in general. The association between giving and receiving assistance is stronger in urban than in rural areas. I interpret these results in the light of social disorganization, overload, and subculture theory.