Journal of Rural and Community Development
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Between the Volcano and the Well: A Review of the Outcomes and Impact of the Tomas Project for the Mag-Antsi Aetas of Anupul, Bamban, Tarlac,Philippines
Get PDFIn 2001, the University of Santo Tomas Office for Community Development of the University started to journey, through its Aeta Integrated Development Program (AIDP), with the Mag-antsi Aetas of Bamban, Tarlac, seeking to help them recover from the severe effects of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991. Towards a tangible and sustained development, it designed and implemented its Tomas Project in response to the Aetas' expressed needs and challenges at that time. The title of the study depicts its overarching intent to carve a path for the dispossessed and displaced people that hopefully will bring them from the volcano to a better place of choice and opportunity as symbolized by the well. Close to 10 years after its implementation, a comprehensive assessment of the Tomas Project seemed timely in order to take stock of its disaster reconstruction efforts and outcomes. A central underlying question in this endeavor is, "Did the Tomas Project work?" Using participative action research and triangulating data-gathering techniques, the study sought to answer this question. Findings suggest that the Aetas continue to struggle with the combined impact of displacement from their ancestral land and the needed socio-economic adjustments they have to make in the resettlement areas. In some respects, the desired tangible and sustainable outcomes of the Project have not led them yet to a "geography of opportunity" that can at least approximate what the hospitable mountain and forest of Pinatubo provided them since time immemorial. In spite of its unquestionable organizational commitment, proven capacity, good funding, and substantive control of the development process, it appears that the Tomas Project remains a work in progress and has not made a significant and sustainable dent on their grinding living conditions. This work may be relevant to studies on disaster recovery, vulnerability, and resilience of communities with similar experience.
Keywords: indigenous people, community development, outcome and impact evaluatio
Fear of the Dark? How Access to Electric Lighting Affects Security Attitudes and Nighttime Activities in Rural Senegal
Get PDFProviding access to electricity is widely considered a precondition for socio-economic improvement in rural areas of developing countries. While electrification interventions are often expected to reduce poverty through their application in income generating purposes (business), the reality of rural usage patterns suggests a different actuality, with electricity being used for lighting and entertainment devices only. It is particularly lighting, with its implications for security and convenience, which explains the importance assigned to electrification. This paper investigates the effects of Solar Home System (SHS) electricity usage on lighting consumption and activities after nightfall, applying cross-sectional household-level data from rural Senegal. We apply a new matching algorithm to control for a possible self-selection into SHS ownership and find substantially higher lighting usage and study time for school children after nightfall. We also find some indication for improvements in perceived security.
Keywords: Electricification; Senegal; socio-economic impacts; attitude, perceptio
Preserving Mobile Home Communities through Shared-Equity Ownership Mechanisms: A Case Study of the Burnsville Land Community (BLC)
No full textAs sprawl and an increase of new residents in many rural areas in Western North Carolina (WNC) lead to increased land values, the owners of many mobile home communities (MHCs) are selling the land for development, resulting in the displacement of tenants. In some areas of the U.S. residents of MHCs have formed models of social ownership of the land on which their homes are located to prevent such displacement. This case study traces the events leading up to and surrounding the establishment of the Burnsville Land Community (BLC), the result of the first such effort in North Carolina. Initiated in 2007 by a group of predominantly Mexican families, residents were assisted by a number of non-profit organizations from outside the community. In describing the events leading up to and surrounding the establishment of the BLC the authors seek to meet three research objectives:
a) Shed light on the emerging and under-researched phenomenon of predominantly Latino mobile home communities in the mountains of Southern/Central Appalachia;
b) Consider the efficacy of social models of home ownership in preventing displacement of mobile home residents in this region; and
c) Explore similarities between development of Latino MHCs in Appalachia and colonia housing developments along the U.S./Mexico border region. We do so for the purpose of determining whether lessons learned from the colonia experience could have been, or might still be, useful to those concerned with displacement of residents in predominantly Latino MHCs in Southern/Central Appalachia or elsewhere
"This is just where I live": A Situational Analysis of Rural End-of-Life Caregiving
Get PDFKeating, 2001; Kaden & MacDonald, 1990; MacLean, Cairn, & Sellick, 1998). Women caring for dying persons at the end-of-life have been identified in the literature as those most likely to experience negative physical and mental health outcomes such as declines in health status, depression and anxiety from caregiver burden (Cranwick, 1997). Family caregivers, who do not have access to palliative services including counselling and bereavement services, such as those in rural areas, are in need of more support than other populations (Wilson et al., 2006). Living in rural/remote areas presents challenges for dying persons and their families, such as reduced and difficult access to needed services (Kelley, Sellick & Linkewich, 2003; McConigley, Kristjanson & Nikolette, 2000; Wilson et al., 2009). Additional social and community services are often found only in distant larger communities (Wilson et al., 2006; World Health Organization, 2007). Researchers have noted the paucity of attention to place, particularly rural and 2011). This article contributes to the remedy of this gap; our research study aimed to better understand female provided end-of-life care-giving in rural and remote Ontario communities. In particular, we were interested in the extent to which geography intersects with gender; that is, to what extent (if any) does rural location impact end-of-life care-giving?
Keywords: rural, palliative care, qualitative researc
Bullying and Victimization in Rural Schools: Risks, Reasons, and Responses
Get PDFUsing multiple waves of large-scale administrative data sets, we compare student and parent reports of serious peer victimization in rural and urban schools in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Higher levels of risk are generally found for rural students relative to their urban counterparts. Rural parents report higher levels of serious peer victimization, while both urban and rural parents do not differ in their perceptions of school safety. Data from focus groups conducted with rural Ontario school and youth-serving agency staff, in addition to interviews with BC school staff, are used to interpret these findings. We also use the qualitative data to illuminate unique challenges and opportunities for accessing and implementing bullying prevention programs in rural schools.
Keywords: mental health promotion; school-based programs; rural urban differences; access to servicesdifferences; access to service
Participation and Leadership in Food Security Groups in Southeast Uganda: Determinants and Implications for Development Programs and Policies
No full textLocal groups are increasingly being promoted as a vehicle for effective involvement of community members in development initiatives in the Global South, with expectations of successful and sustained achievements. Previous studies on participation and leadership in groups yield mixed results, implying that some underlying and contextual factors influence participation dynamics. In this study, using 281 household interviews and discussions with 21 farmers' groups in southeast Uganda, we established that group participation is positively associated with age of household head, household size and proximity to trading and health facilities. Group leadership is positively associated with educational level of household head, land size and non-agricultural sources of income, the latter two indicating wealth of an individual. Implications for development programs and policies include special efforts to support participation of youth as well as dedicating extra efforts to reach remote households and groups. Regarding leadership, groups should make it easier for non-educated members to take up leadership roles, the young generation should be enabled to benefit from the government policy of Universal Primary Education, and measures to avoid elite capture should be establishe
Ageing in place in rural areas of Western Australia: actions, choices and preferences
Get PDFThe objective of the study was to explore the moving and staying actions and intentions of older people (50+) living in rural areas of Western Australia (WA) and to compare results with those living in metropolitan Perth/Fremantle. The design involved a cross-sectional postal survey of a sample of WA members of National Seniors Australia, living in their own homes in the community, followed by in-depth interviews with a subset of survey respondents (n=39). Most survey respondents lived in metropolitan Perth/ Fremantle (1630), followed by country towns (1092) and more rural locations (291). Interviews were conducted with 39 participants, 19 of whom lived outside the metropolitan area. The main outcome measures consisted of the proportions of respondents by location and age group who had moved, were thinking of moving or were intending to stay put; also the main reasons for such actions and intentions. Rural respondents were 1.3 times more likely to be thinking of moving in the short term compared to metropolitan respondents. A key reason given for moving from rural areas was 'thinking about where wanted to live for rest of lives', this tending to be associated with 'employment' or 'retirement' for those under 65; with 'retirement', 'closer to family/friends' and 'upkeep/maintenance difficulties' being particularly important for those 65+. 'Wanting a lifestyle change' was a key reason for moving to a rural location for those aged under 65. The study concluded that there are a number of issues faced by older people living in rural areas of WA which limit the extent to which 'ageing in place' is a viable choice for them as they age.
Keywords: moving, staying, housing, location, support, modifications
Community capacity building in palliative care: An illustrative case study in rural Northwestern Ontario
No full textDespite the increasing need for palliative care, it is well recognized that people who are dying in rural and remote areas have less access to palliative care services than their urban counterparts. Barriers to accessing palliative care for rural residents include geographic isolation, shortage of human resources, and lack of palliative care education and training for rural health care providers. Community capacity development has become an accepted practice approach to developing rural health services, essentially 'building on what already exists'. This case study research conducted in northwestern Ontario, Canada, examined the application of a four phase community capacity development model as an intervention to develop a palliative care program in a rural community. Data were collected over the three-year period using a participatory action research approach. Findings illustrated the applicability of the model to guide rural palliative care development and provided
details of the community change process. Conclusions support the applicability of the model for use as a theory of change to guide and evaluate rural palliative care service development.
Keywords: rural health, rural palliative care, palliative care, community capacity development, participatory action research, rural health teamwork, end-of-life care
Palliative Care Professionals' Perceptions of Effective Interpersonal Communication in the Context of Caring for Older Adults in Rural Settings
Get PDFThe purpose of this article was to report an in-depth appraisal of palliative care professionals' perceptions of effective interpersonal communication while providing palliative care for older adults in rural settings. A total of four focus group interviews were conducted involving 12 palliative care professionals who were practicing in rural settings in a Western Canadian province. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings of this study suggest the importance of: a) understanding the context of aging and dying in rural settings, b) focusing on essential information needs, and c) effective interpersonal communication within this context. The factors related to effective interpersonal communication between professionals and care recipients and their family members could be grouped into three themes: i) rural care 'for your own,' ii) independence and individuality, and iii) timing and early access/rural rapport. Although the challenges of providing integrated palliative care services in rural areas were apparent in this study, from an interpersonal perspective, the participants were connected to their patients/family members. They often viewed their older care recipients as part of their own lives. Having a rural sense of closeness and community connection seemed to have a positive impact on the professional participants. The participants also felt that their sense of closeness also provided a sense of peace for their care recipients.
Keywords: palliative care professionals, interpersonal communications, qualitative stud