Journal of Rural and Community Development
Not a member yet
598 research outputs found
Sort by
Seeking for Opportunities: Livelihood Strategies in the Challenge of Peripherality
Get PDFOne of the main objectives of rural households is economic development, i.e. sustainability and efforts to improve their income situation. The number and type of livelihoods may affect the level of family income. This paper discusses changes in livelihood strategies of rural families living in 5 selected villages located in peripheral areas in Poland. It identifies the most widespread strategies and indicates the most income-efficient ones. According to the findings, due to the enhancement of the overall economic situation after Poland's accession to the European Union, the share of families treating farm income as a vital component of their livelihood strategies has been on the decline, whereas paid employment has been gaining in importance. At the same time, EU direct payments have considerably contributed to an increased proportion of benefits from agricultural land in the livelihood structure.
Keywords: income diversification, livelihood strategies, rural areas, Polan
Apiculture and Conservation Opportunities: The Case of Sayinga-Kasena-Gavara-Kara
Get PDFIt is a concern for many governments and natural resource utilization regulators to maintain ecosystems to function well in order to provide support for livelihoods—especially those in rural developing countries. The Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission of Ghana quest to improve livelihoods as means of winning support from rural people to conserve natural resources, is the main objective of embarking on collaborative natural resources management. The purpose of this study was to find out how livelihoods and environmental conservation have been impacted by apiculture in Sayinga-Kasena-Gavara-Kara (SKGK) in northern Ghana. A qualitative research approach through a narrative inquiry was applied to gather data. An in-depth interview was conducted based on a conceptual model developed to relate business and environmental opportunities and their barriers in apiculture. Findings suggest the SKGK apiculture has created environmental awareness, engaged participants from activities that degrade the environment, and provided supplementary income. There are investment opportunities for social investors, donors, or private businesses into beekeeping. The environmental benefits of the venture to the larger ecosystem with its added economic benefits into increasing agricultural production through pollination are discussed.
Keywords: apiary, apiculture, biodiversity, renewable, sustainably, wildlife
----------------------------------------------------------
Résumé
C'est une préoccupation pour beaucoup de gouvernments et les régulateurs d'utilisation des ressources naturelles de maintenir les écosystèmes en bon état de fonctionnement afin de fournir des moyens de subsistance—en particulier ceux situés dans les pays ruraux en développement. La Division de La Faune (Wildlife Division) de la Commission Forestière du Ghana poursuit un effort d'améliorer la qualité de vie, afin de gagner le support de la communauté rurale pour conserver les ressources naturelles. Cet effort est le but principal de cette gestion collaborative des ressources naturelles. L'objectif de cette étude était de trouver comment les moyens de subsitance et la conservation de l'environnement ont été touchés par l'agriculture dans les régions du Sayinga-Kassena-Gavara-Kara (SKGK), au nord du Ghana. Une approche de recherche qualitative via une enquête narrative fut appliquée pour collecter les données. Une entrevue approfondie fut menée et basée sur un modèle conceptuel développé pour mettre en relation les entreprises, les opportunités environnementales et leurs barrières en apiculture. Les résultats suggèrent que les régions apicoles des SKGK ont crée une sensibilisation à l'environnement, ont impliqué les participants des activités qui dégradent l'environnement et ont fourni des revenus supplémentaires. Il y a des opportunités d'investissement pour des investisseurs sociaux, des donateurs ou des entreprises privées dans l'apiculture. Les bénéfices environnementaux de cette entreprise à un écosystème plus large avec ses avantages économiques additionels dans la production agricole croissante grâce à la pollinisation sont discutés
Supportive communities and a sense of belonging in rural and non-rural communities in Canada
Get PDFThis analysis examines where people turn in times of change, and factors that affect one's sense of belonging to a community. Cycle 22 of the Canadian General Social Survey provides data on rural and non-rural areas; the New Rural Economy Project has detailed information on twenty rural communities. Many of the changes participants experienced in the last year had neutral or positive effects. Family and friends are the principal source of support in both rural and non-rural communities. (Bureaucratic and informal associative networks are important for fewer.) Like rural participants, non-rural participants also report they belong to their community, a feeling that is stronger in rural communities which are open to diversity, have many, effective leaders, and encourage community participation.
Keywords: youth, community attachment, rural, social networks, social suppor
University-Community Partnerships as a Pathway to Rural Development: Benefits of an Ontario Land Use Planning Project
Get PDFA growing body of research has demonstrated that rural communities can achieve highly positive outcomes when they engage in local planning and development through the use of 'bottom-up' and place-based' strategies. However, many communities lack the capacity to do so for reasons such as a shortage of financial resources, an absence of local residents who understand how to initiate and carry out development projects, or even an absence of social cohesion that prevents the community from working together. At the same time, university-based researchers have increasingly been called upon to engage with communities outside the academy in order both to demonstrate the practical relevance of their research activities and to provide their students with hands-on experience that might help them secure employment after graduating. Thus, there is an excellent opportunity for universities to partner with rural communities to address their respective needs. This article documents one such initiative, a five-year project where the author and a total of seventeen Brock University Geography students worked with the Township of South Algonquin to create its first ever land use plan. Among other benefits, this initiative provided a much-needed set of formal land use policies for the municipality, a rich body of rural development research data for the faculty member, and career-oriented community planning experience for the students.
Keywords: rural development; university-community partnerships; service learning; action research; rural land use plannin
Diversity in Rural Communities: Palliative Care for the Low German Mennonites
Get PDFMulticulturalism is an important concept in Canada although there has been limited examination of its meaning in rural settings. To expand this knowledge base, this article presents the Low German (LG) Mennonites as a case example within a context of providing palliative care to this diverse population which is one of the Anabaptist groups that practice adult baptism and focus on a literal interpretation of the Bible. Findings from a mixed methods study and a graduate thesis conducted within the framework of this study focus on three main ideas to understand the perspectives related to death and dying among this group: faith-based healthcare facilities; family, community and mutual aid; and, keeping the dying connected. Implications of these concepts to health and social service providers are included.
Canada has prided itself in being a multicultural country, but there has been little in-depth examination of cultural or religious diversity in rural settings. This article presents the research related to understanding death and dying among the Low German (LG) Mennonites as a case example to illustrate the complexity of providing care to a unique religious group in rural Canada. The mixed methods and qualitative research were conducted in both Canada and Mexico. The findings are presented according to the following three ideas: (1) faith-based healthcare facilities; (2) family, community and mutual aid; and, (3) keeping the dying connected. The significance of the findings for the provision of care of this group are also included.
Keywords: religious diversity, Low German Mennonites, rural health, palliative care, rural communit
Changing Community Perceptions of Sustainable Rural Development in Scotland
Get PDFThe growing popularity of community land trusts as a mechanism for greater community participation in the control of local improvement is a particularly significant aspect of sustainable rural development in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Combining purposive selective interviews with members of a local Land Trust, observations at public meetings, and a review of recent literature on the development of the region, a case study of the Galson Estate Trust, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, is presented. Community ownership of land is seen as being instrumental in the shift in perceptions from short-term, marginal, externally-dependent activities towards solutions that are long-term (as indicated by schemes for renewable energy generation and environmental enhancement), core identity (seen as greater community confidence and enhanced local democracy) and locally driven developmental priorities (supported by revenue income streams). The process of local empowerment accompanying this shift in perceptions is regarded as having substantial benefits for social capital and skills acquisition at the community level. Early results from Trust activities indicate that ownership of the land, together with the capacity-building process of community participation in its management, has encouraged growth in a sense of local empowerment, together with providing employment, confidence, and other social improvements.
Keywords: Community, land, rural, sustainability, localism, crofting, energy
-----------------------------------------------------
Résumé
La popularité croissante de la fiducie foncière communautaire, comme mécanisme visant à faire participer davantage la communauté au contrôle des améliorations locales, est un aspect particulièrement significatif du développement durable des Hauts plateaux (Highlands) et des îles d'Écosse. En combinant une sélection d'entrevues ciblées avec les membres de la fiducie foncière locale, les observations durant les réunions publiques ainsi que les études de la littérature récente sur le développement de la région, une étude de cas est présentée sur le patrimoine fiduciaire Galson, dans l'île de Lewis, en Écosse. La propriété collective des terres est vue comme un remède aux variations et aux activités externes et marginales à court-terme, dont les habitants dépendent. Ils recherchent des solutions à long-terme (tel qu'indiqué sur les projets pour la production d'énergie renouvelable et l'amélioration de l'environnement), une identité fondamentale (vue comme une plus grande confiance communautaire et une amélioration de la démocratie locale) et des priorités de développement orientées localement (qui s'appuient sur les sources de revenus). Le processus d'autonomisation local accompagnant ce changement de perceptions est perçu comme ayant des bénéfices substantiels pour le capital social et l'acquisition de compétences au niveau de la communauté. Des premiers résultats d'activités de fiducie indiquent que la propriété terrestre, associée au processus de renforcement des capacités de participation communautaire à la gestion, a encouragé la croissance d'un sentiment accru d'autonomie locale, tout en développant la création d'emplois, la confiance et d'autres améliorations sociales
Geographical Perspective on Gender Relations in Rural Areas: A Comparative Study in North and West of Iran
Get PDFToday, for a better understanding of rural features, we need a deeper understanding of our rural areas where social and gender relations are well understood. The goal of this comparative study is to identify the effect of geographical variation on creating gender identity and female participation in rural areas. To achieve this goal, two geographically different rural locations were examined in Iran—the Langroud Township in the North, and the Paveh Township in the West of Iran. The statistical population of the study were women and men who live in these rural areas and the data was gathered through a questionnaire. The results indicate significant differences in many aspects of the outlook between women and men in these two studied areas, towards women's social rights and duties regarding their participation in the economic and social activities.
Keywords: gender relations, rural areas, women's participation, men's attitudes, women and agriculture, Iran
--------------------------------------------------
Résumé
De nos jours, pour une meilleure compréhension des caractéristiques rurales, nous avons besoin d'une compréhension approfondie de nos zones rurales où les rapports sociaux de sexe sont bien compris. L'objectif de cette étude comparative est d'identifier l'effet de la variation géographique sur la création de l'identité de genre et la participation féminine dans les zones rurales. Pour atteindre ce but, deux lieux ruraux géographiquement différents ont été examinés en Iran—La municipalité de Langroud dans le nord, et celle de Paveh dans l'ouest du pays. La population statistique de l'étude fut des femmes et des hommes qui vivent dans ses zones rurales et les données furent regroupées dans un questionnaire. Les résultats indiquent des différences significatives dans divers aspects du point de vue entre les femmes et les hommes de ces deux zones étudiées, concernant les droits sociaux des femmes et les devoirs par rapport à leur participation aux activités économiques et sociales
Post-disaster Community Development in Rural Sichuan, China
Get PDFAn enormous earthquake hit Wenchuan County in Sichuan province of China on May 12, 2008. Since that time, we have worked together with the local community, implementing an alternative model of community development. This is an action research project that devoted to post-disaster community rebuilding, which not only restores local livelihoods but also creates sustainable economic development. This paper examines our role in disaster intervention, the theoretical background of new model, and the process of the intervention itself.
Keywords: China, rural-urban alliance, post-disaster community reconstruction, capacity and assets building, sustainable livelihoo
Aging-in-Place in a Mid-sized Canadian City: A Case Study of the Housing Experiences of Seniors in Kelowna's Housing Market
Get PDFKelowna, a mid-size city in the interior of the Okanagan Valley, is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada with one of the most expensive real estate markets. Despite Kelowna’s high proportion of seniors, little has been published about the housing experiences of its senior homeowners and renters. This study focuses on the main housing barriers seniors face, their coping strategies, and the benefits of aging-in-place. The data were obtained from a survey of 79 seniors (aged 65 or older) who are residents of Kelowna (45 homeowners and 34 renters), and semi-structured interviews with 12 key informants who are familiar with housing and seniors’ issues in Kelowna. The evidence indicates that most of the senior homeowners and renters are happy living in the city of Kelowna, find it a good place to retire and a safe place to live, with enough opportunities to meet other seniors and make friends. While most of them aspire to age-in-place, they face significant problems, mostly due to housing affordability and/or accessibility issues. To make aging-in-place more feasible, the seniors and key informants called for more senior government support in the form of affordable housing, as well as policy initiatives for future housing development in Kelowna to accommodate the housing and service needs of its growing senior population.
Keywords: seniors; affordable housing; aging-in-place; mid-size city; Kelown
Exploring the Purchasing Experience of Cross-Cultural Consumers in Northern Remote, Rural Communities: Thompson, Manitoba
Get PDFThompson is the largest community in northern Manitoba which was built originally to service the mining industry. This community has faced challenges in providing effective customer service and sufficient goods to meet local demands. Like many other resource based communities in northern Canada, the human resource base includes transitory workers, a large First Nations and Metis population and in recent years an increasing immigrant and temporary foreign worker population. As a service centre for northern Manitoba, it is critical to maintain a robust retail and service sector which meets the purchasing needs of the community. This research explores some of the nuances of purchasing patterns through primary and retail service sector gaps, experience of residents with customer service, and the role of various cultural groups and variations in purchasing experiences. Our findings indicate that there were low levels of customer satisfaction and there was a need for cross cultural customer service. Respondents also indicated that the limited availability of products and services in the community resulted in retail leakage. While the economic livelihood of this community is not solely tied to resource extractive industries such as mining, the link is significant enough to merit significant vision by local leadership to ensure that the economy is diverse and responsive to the economic, social and cultural climate of the region