Journal of Rural and Community Development
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Lottery and Landscape: Rural Development through Re-Creation of Historic Landscapes Examples from the English West Midlands
Get PDFEnvironmental management and community development in rural areas of
Developed Countries have frequently sought to identify particular landscape
components that it is deemed appropriate to re-establish or to re-create. Hence key
elements in government-supported projects have included native vegetation,
cultural artefacts, historic buildings and particular elements in the landscape, such
as hedges, stone walls and riparian woodland. The targeting of 'heritage
landscapes' has been extended into new areas in the United Kingdom (UK)
through funding associated with the National Lottery scheme, first launched in
1994. This paper examines the Lottery's contribution to landscape restoration and
related aspects of community development, drawing upon two case studies in the
English West Midlands.
The case studies reflect different scales at which restoration associated with
Lottery funding are occurring. The Leasowes estate near Birmingham offers a
micro-scale case study where an 18th century example of the English Picturesque
landscape is being restored. This is essentially one individual's vision that has been
resuscitated in recent years. In contrast, the Malvern Hills in the county of
Worcestershire covers several thousands of ha and is a human-created landscape
traceable to prehistory. Here the restoration aims to maintain landscape features
dependent on longstanding grazing practices threatened by changing farm
economics. Potential loss of perceived amenity associated with landscape change
has driven public debate in the case of the Malverns whereas investment in
landscape restoration for the Leasowes has been driven primarily by the local
authority. The article highlights future research opportunities to address tensions
between official views about landscape and cultural values possessed within the
community.
Keywords: historic landscapes, The Picturesque, heritage lottery, English
Midlands, landscape restoratio
Retirement Transition Migration: Implications for Rural Development
Get PDFRecent literature suggests that the increasingly blurred relationship between paid
employment and retirement facilitates a retirement transition period, a life course
stage which may involve a change of residence. The role of pre-retirement
mobility in the repopulation of rural areas has, however, received relatively little
academic scrutiny from UK geographers. This article draws upon findings from
a two-year study conducted in three UK case study areas. It examines the extent
of pre-retirement age (aged 50-64) migration into rural communities and the
impacts this type of movement has upon economic activity, social and
community engagement and service provision. It is argued that while this underresearched
group offers significant potential to support the social and economic
sustainability of rural communities (at least in the short and medium term), there
are notable regional variations which are likely to have important long term
implications for rural communities as this cohort ages in situ.
Keywords: lifecourse migration, middle-age, retirement, rural economic and
community impacts, U.K
Quantifying Equity with Messrs. Markov, Lorenz and Gini: Retaining and Distributing Benefits in Natural Resource-dependent Communities
Get PDFIn this paper, a modified version of the Gini coefficient and social network-based
Markov chains are combined to quantify the distribution of benefits in natural
resource-dependent communities. This distribution includes both the width and
the depth of the circulation of economic benefits from resource extraction. The
modified Gini coefficient is used to calculate the share of benefits each party
receives (width) while the social network analysis-based Markov chains are used
to map the local economy and calculate the average number of times a dollar
circulates in that economy (depth). These two values are combined to create an
"equity" factor that considers localization and other financial benefits to the
community. This combination allows resource managers to optimize resource
access based on quantified values other than highest bid/lowest cost.
Keywords: equity, community, management, resources, benefit
Rural Economic Performance and U.S. Federal Credit Programs
Get PDFSeveral theories of externalities and asymmetric information suggest a potential role for government programs to assist credit markets. We examine empirical associations between funding by several U.S. government programs and six measures of subsequent economic outcomes, for nonmetropolitan U.S. counties during the 1990s. Significant differences emerge across programs and performance measures. The results suggest a need to compare policy objectives with acceptable costs in some cases. Overall, the results are consistent with theoretical predictions and with several standard policy objectives.
Keywords: federal credit programs; growth; volatility; employment; rural economic performanc
Concerning Knowledge: Assessing Radon Knowledge and Concern in Rural Nova Scotia
Get PDFA homeowner survey (n=152), designed to assess knowledge of radon health effects,
concern regarding radon exposure in the home, and interest in radon testing, was
conducted in a small university town in uranium-rich Nova Scotia, Canada.
Although approximately 10% of lung cancer deaths in Canada are attributable to
residential radon exposure, most respondents indicated that they had little
knowledge of and little concern about radon and its health effects. There was a
significant positive relationship between knowledge and concern but even when
knowledge is high, levels of concern remain relatively low. Unless government
policies address residential radon testing and mitigation, families will remain at risk
of radon exposure in their homes.
Keywords: Public health, family health, health policy, radon, risk perceptio
Community Based Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation: Impacts on Farmer Organization Functioning, Social Capital and Accountability
Get PDFFarmer organizations have taken root in the development agenda and practice in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is because they are recognized as a best-bet approach for achieving inclusive sustainable development. Group performance has, however, been varied - hence different mechanisms for improving group functioning have been developed, such as community driven Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E). The effectiveness of community driven Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation in improving group functioning has not been rigorously evaluated. A study was therefore conducted to determine the impact of community driven Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation on group functioning using three Kenyan groups. Using a mixed methods approach, the study finds that farmer groups that integrated community driven Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation had higher indices for group social capital and performance. These groups exhibited greater group cohesion and members had higher satisfaction with group performance.
Accountability, a key factor determining group functioning, was found to not differ significantly between groups with and without community driven Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation. Conclusions are that integrating community Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation in groups is essential for improving internal group functioning. However, this should be implemented in combination with other strategies that specifically aim to improve accountability. Without such an approach there is the danger of eroding the benefits of community driven Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation. Strategies to improve accountability must incorporate capacity building of group members' basic numeracy and literacy skills. This will enable the mostly illiterate membership to better understand and enforce accountability and, to better participate.
Keywords: Kenya, community monitoring and evaluation, innovation, social capital, mixed method
An Appreciative Inquiry into the Healthcare Concerns of the Elder Hmong Women Living in Alaska, USA
Get PDFIn addition to high levels of poverty and ignorance of the structure and conduct of the healthcare system, language and cultural barriers hamper efforts by Hmong women in the US to meet their healthcare needs. To better understand the complex interconnections among these factors, the researchers conducted a number of focus group interviews. The focus group interviews were conducted in the spirit of appreciative inquiry and resulted in thick and situated knowledge about some of the major healthcare issues faced by female members of the Hmong community. Certain methods to cope with the barriers have already organically evolved within the community framework. While highlighting and appreciating such developments, the researchers also propose alternatives to ensure that the community gets the best out of the national healthcare system.
Keywords: Illiteracy, communication difficulties, cultural isolation, healthcare quality, Hmong, Alask
It's Raining Men in Darwin: Gendered Effects from the Construction of Major Oil and Gas Projects
No full textConstruction of large onshore oil and gas processing plants brings the promise of significant local economic attributions; however, the injection of a high churning male construction workforce can change and dominate the host community's demographics. This can generate a range of issues which are well documented in the literature on resource 'Boomtowns'. But because most studies are retrospective and focus on small towns, findings may hold limited transitivity to relatively large and economically diverse towns or cities. Consequently research based knowledge for the facilitation of dialogue between governments, the community and industry on the scale and timing of construction impacts is absent. Darwin, a city of around 130,000 residents in the north of Australia, has secured a large liquid natural gas processing plant which is currently under construction. The plant is touted to bring substantial economic benefits with a peak construction workforce of more than 3,500 anticipated. But little meaningful discussion on possible effects on population makeup and social fabric of the city has been forthcoming. This study profiles the INPEX plant construction workforce under several scenarios based on combinations of local worker engagement and total workforce size. Profiles are overlayed onto population projection data to appraise the scale of demographic and social impacts. Findings show that, despite Darwin's size and pre-existing population, labour force and family profiles, the project will contribute significant demographic and social upheaval during construction. Governments, the community and industry are advised to engage in an early and open dialogue focused on mitigating negative and garnering positive long-term outcomes with this research as the basis.
Keywords: boomtowns, Darwin, liquid natural gas, gender bias, resource development, oil and ga
Return Migration and Belonging in Rural Ireland: Methodological Considerations
Get PDFAssociated with the success of the 'Celtic Tiger' economy in the late 1990s and
early 2000s, Ireland has seen a rapid demographic shift from large scale
emigration to immigration. For the first time Irish-born migrants comprised the
majority of this immigration flow (Ní Laoire, 2008) but have received negligible
attention from academic researchers. Significantly, many returnees have
returned to the predominately rural counties along the west coast of Ireland
which historically bore the largest numbers of emigrants. For the most part their
return, which is commonly equated to a return 'home', does not recognise that it
can never be exactly the "same" place to which they return. This article seeks to
discuss return migration in Ireland using an ethnographic approach influenced
by the mobilities turn in geography. In particular, life story interviews will be
discussed and reflections on the 'doing' of life-story interviews opens up space
for reflections about this methodology as a way in which the structural openness
of migrants' lives can be accommodated.
Keywords: return migration, mobility, life stories and Irelan
