Education
Discussion and RecommendationsWhen thinking about Durham County, it is easy to simply generalize it as a part of the greater Triangle area. While this is certainly an accurate portrayal of the downtown area and many of the southern regions of the county, the characteristic growth and development common to the Triangle area has differentially impacted the county as a whole. Communities in the north such as Bahama and Rougemont have retained a much more rural composition than the more southern regions of Durham and as a result experience a host of issues that are dissimilar from downtown and the southern suburbs. Yet the generalization of Durham County as a "growth area" often overshadows these needs.
Of the 202,411 residents in Durham County, slightly more than 15% live in the more rural areas (United States Bureau of the Census, 1996). The region exhibits the typical characteristics of a rural locale with substantially less housing, more farms, and greater isolation than is observed in the southern suburbs. Residents interviewed in this area (n=12) identify themselves as almost a separate community that exists within greater Durham County, due much in part to their "long southern history of togetherness." They state that they have a very strong sense of community that is driven by the cohesiveness and independence of the people who live in these areas. Because most growth and in-migration has occurred in southern Durham County, many residents in the north have lived near the same neighbors for generations, thereby creating strong ties and a sense of pride. So strong is this notion of community that one service provider who has worked for years in the area stated "It's not easy to break into this area. At times, I still feel like an outsider."
Despite this strong sense of identity, residents in the northern regions still consider themselves as an important part of the overall county and express frustration at the lack of attention and services that they receive. One service provider stated, "When it comes to the quality of community life, you know, it really does make a difference what type of services you have available. And there's not a whole lot."
The provider described the important role that community centers play in meeting the needs of area residents due to the perceived lack of services from county and state governments. Such centers fill in the gaps by providing education, childcare, community programming, limited financial assistance, and emotional support to area residents thereby contributing to the sense of independence expressed by this population. Moreover, they often advocate for greater county services in the area on behalf of the residents that they serve, yet they admit that too often it appears that their requests fall on deaf ears. Frustrations regarding the perceived lack of county services are exacerbated by the belief that the county has abandoned the northern communities, ignoring its unique needs and only taking interest in the area when resources needed by the southern regions of the county, such as water, are threatened:
You want north Durham County to be your watershed, your quaint tourist attraction, but you [the county] don't want to give us shit. And it's true...There's resentment. A whole lot of resentment.
Among the needs expressed by residents of these communities was a lack of medical services. While the county population to physician ratio is 520:1 (Durham County Health Department, 1998), it does not appear to be evenly distributed across all areas of Durham:
There used to be a doctor up here...and now the closest place for medical care is Lincoln Health Center. So there's no health services out here and there is a need, but not the numbers to draw a private doctor out here.
Senior citizens stated a profound need for home health services, particularly because of the isolation of the area and small population which prevent easy access to neighbors who would normally provide assistance. Others were concerned about the growing cost of health services stating that "sometimes it seems like I have to make the choice to buy my pills or eat...".
When county service providers were asked about the availability of services in these areas, the general consensus was that there was adequate programming available. One such provider stated that "Frustration may be related to infrastructure issues but there are plenty of services available in the northern county." Clearly, some degree of miscommunication is occurring.
Not surprisingly, knowledge of service availability was low among those interviewed. People were unsure about who to call for health and service questions, and seniors were unaware of the number of resources available specifically for their cohort. Residents did express an interest in having a resource guide with names, addresses, and phone numbers of health resources available in the county.
Other concerns expressed by northern residents related to the lack of available transportation services. When asked where people would go for services if the community centers were not available, one service provider said, "Well, they wouldn't get a lot of what we offer. Parents have told us they'd have to drive at least 10 miles into the city." Other comments were in reference to transportation for children:
Headstart, they don't even want to provide transportation out here. I mean, they have a great Smartstart that provides transportation for the Headstart program, but they don't come out here because it's too far. A lot of services just cover Durham.
Senior citizens expressed concern about the distances that they have to drive in order to reach health services in the city. They stated that while there were currently driving, they were "severely limited in the amounts and distances that they are willing to go." Often seniors stated that they were forced to rely on friends to get them to services or to the pharmacy, which was difficult to do. Seniors were asked about the availability of public transportation services into the city specifically for health care, and all agreed that they were unaware of any such services in their area. It has been difficult to ascertain whether or not such transportation services do in fact exist and are simply unknown to the senior citizen population or if they were correct in saying that no such services exist for this area of the county. Given the testimonials of service providers in the area regarding the lack of public services and the need for transportation for Headstart programs, it seems safe to assume that no such transportation services exist for health services in the city either.
The northern region of Durham County exhibits unique characteristics and needs due to its more rural composition and sparse population. Despite strong community cohesiveness, residents expressed a high level of need for services in the area, particularly for medical care and transportation. While many service providers at county agencies would argue that there are adequate resources available for the northern communities, it is clear that a perceived sense of abandonment and need in fact exists.
On a positive note, the strong traditions and sense of community held by northern residents of Durham County are strong assets that will favor the efforts of residents who are working to improve the quality of life within northern Durham County. Moreover, the strong presence of community centers in the area will continue to serve as important resources and advocates for the issues that are important to area residents. However, these strong notions of identity will make it particularly challenging for outside service providers to be trusted and accepted, and should be taken into account whenever future efforts are directed in these areas.
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