A study was made of 538 disadvantaged and 247 non-disadvantaged household heads in Iowa -- their occupation, training desired, material possessions, membership and participation. The sample included 643 males and 142 females and was distributed in zones from open country to large urban areas. According to the prescribed criteria 14% of the households in Iowa were disadvantaged. The largest portion of the disadvantaged (31%) were located in the large urban areas in cities over 50,000. Fifty-nine percent of the participants were interested in more training; this desire increased with education but decreased with age. There was little difference in training desired by zones of residence; a division into occupational groups showed, however, that the professional group had the most interest and farmers the least. Training in the areas of metal work, teaching, mechanics, electronics, and drafting were most often mentioned by the total group. Females desired training in licensed practical nursing, social work, office machines, computer programing, and accounting. The disadvantaged had fewer automobiles, newspapers, and magazines, and were less likely to be members of organizations or to be active participants in them. (nl)