Rural Communities and Well-Being: A Good Place to Grow Up?

2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Glendinning ◽  
Mark Nuttall ◽  
Leo Hendry ◽  
Marion Kloep ◽  
Sheila Wood
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Young People ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Aspects ◽  
Community Life ◽  
Social Lives ◽  
The Future

This study looks at young people's accounts of life in communities in rural northern Scotland, and considers in what ways affective and social aspects of community are bound up with well-being, over and above young people's concerns for the future, rural youth transitions, and out-migration. Interviews were held with 15–18 year-olds in four study areas (16 groups, N = 60+) and a parallel survey of 11–16 year-olds was conducted in eight study areas (N = 2400+). Themes to emerge from the interviews included: opportunities locally, the future and staying on, as well as local amenities and services; but older teenagers also spoke at length about their social lives, family and social networks, and their community, both as close-knit and caring and as intrusive and controlling. Rural communities were seen as good places in childhood, but not necessarily for young people. In parallel with that, the survey data paints a picture where feelings of support, control, autonomy, and attachment were all associated with emotional well-being. Importantly, links between emotional well-being and practical, material concerns were outweighed by positive identifications of community as close-knit and caring; and equally, by negative identifications as intrusive and constraining, where the latter was felt more strongly by young women. Certainly, beliefs about future employment and educational opportunities were also linked to well-being, but that was over and above, and independently of, affective and social aspects of community life. Additionally, migration intentions were also bound up with sense of self and well-being, and with feelings about community life; and links between thoughts about leaving and community life as controlling and constraining were, yet again, felt more strongly by young women. Thus, gender was a key dimension affecting young people's feelings about their communities with significant implications for well-being, and out-migration. The study illustrates the importance of understanding the experiences young people have of growing up in rural areas, and how they evaluate those experiences: particularly, how life in rural communities matters for young people's well-being; and especially, for young women.

‘The Most Valuable National Fund’

2021 ◽  
pp. 112-150
Author(s):  
Jan Rybak
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Summer Camps ◽  
East Central Europe ◽  
Zionist Movement ◽  
The Future ◽  
To Come ◽  
Age Relations ◽  
Building Project

At the heart of Zionists’ nation-building project was the care and education of Jewish children in East-Central Europe. Young people were particularly affected by the war, often having lost family and home. Zionists saw them as the future of the nation, and the struggle for their well-being and education came to be a key element of their efforts during the war. This chapter shows how Zionists built orphanages and kindergartens, schools, and summer camps, and how these institutions functioned on a day-to day basis. These efforts in particular demonstrate that the war was also a time of great opportunity and experimentation for education activists. They tried to apply new pedagogical theories within their institutions based on their ideas of Jewish childhood and its role in producing upright, nationally conscious Jews who were the future of the nation. Gender relations are particularly key in this context: young women played an ever-increasing role in the movement through their involvement with childcare and education. The war opened up a range of new possibilities for young people, and particularly for young women to attain hitherto unheard-of roles within the Zionist movement. These changing gender and age relations within the Zionist movement mirrored changed relations within the wider society, due to the pressure of the war, and shaped the movement for decades to come.

ICTS and Their Role in Health Promotion

2011 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Motshedisi B. Sabone ◽  
Keitshokile D. Mogobe ◽  
Tiny G. Sabone
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Access To Health Services ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
Level Of Effort

This chapter presents findings of mini-survey that utilized an exploratory descriptive design to examine the accessibility, affordability, acceptability, and utility of ICTs with specific reference to health promotion for selected rural communities. Specifically, the study focused on access to radio, television, mobile phone, and Internet services at a level of effort and cost that is both acceptable to and within the means of a large majority in a given village. The findings indicate that ICTs gadgets explored have opened up possibility for health services and information to reach even people in the rural areas. Ultimately, access affects the general well-being of individuals. One of the major initiatives under the umbrella of health is improving access to health services and information; and this covers among other things, expanding the delivery of health information through the radio and television. This study confirms breakthrough in this respect. Challenges that accompany the use of these ICT gadgets include no connectivity in some areas and lack of training to use them.

Mobile Lives, Immobile Representations

Transfers ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raili Nugin
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Nonprofit Organization ◽  
Rural Life ◽  
Cultural Constructs ◽  
Short Films ◽  
The Future ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Cultural Constructions

The article looks at how cultural constructs of “urban” and “rural” are used in policy measures. The question is opened by analyzing twenty-five short films submitted for the competition Once upon a Time in Our Village organized by the Estonian Ministry of Agriculture and Just Film (a nonprofit organization). The competition calls for young people to “depict the future and possibilities of rural life.” The aim was to prevent out-migration of young people from the rural areas. As the data show, the films echo cultural constructions that depict the rural as opposed to the urban: traditional, quiet, and a haven of the national past. The future and technological possibilities are something that are constructed as an urban phenomenon, and thus, not present in the films.

scholarly journals Underlying social attitudes towards conservation of threatened carnivores in human-dominated landscapes

Oryx ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Zorondo-Rodríguez ◽  
Darío Moreira-Arce ◽  
Stan Boutin
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Puma Concolor ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Domestic Animals ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
People’S Attitudes ◽  
Leopardus Guigna

AbstractCarnivore conservation depends on people's willingness to implement management practices to reduce threats to carnivores and mitigate conflicts between carnivores and domestic animals. We assessed the willingness of rural communities in central-southern Chile to (1) conserve carnivores, and (2) adopt management practices to reduce predation of domestic animals, a key factor triggering carnivore–human conflicts in rural areas. The study focused on five carnivores: the chilla Lycalopex griseus, the culpeo Lycalopex culpaeus, Darwin's fox Lycalopex fulvipes, the guiña or kodkod Leopardus guigna, and the puma Puma concolor. We found that rural communities perceived that threats towards carnivores rarely occurr in their region, contrary to the literature on this subject; people's attitudes differed depending on the carnivore; and people were willing to adopt management practices to help conserve carnivores (e.g. overnight protection of domestic animals and investment in infrastructure for henhouses and cowsheds), except leashing dogs. The willingness to conserve carnivores and adopt practices that would help do so may be associated with how these measures affect people's well-being. Although rural communities would like carnivores to be conserved, this cannot be achieved unless some pivotal practices, such as management of domestic dogs, are adopted by these communities. For successful biodiversity conservation outcomes in human-dominated landscapes, the social incentives necessary for rural communities to adopt appropriate management practices must be identified and implemented.

scholarly journals Compositional, Contextual, and Collective Community Factors in Mental Health and Well-Being in Australian Rural Communities

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 677-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Collins ◽  
Bernadette M. Ward ◽  
Pamela Snow ◽  
Sandra Kippen ◽  
Fiona Judd
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Geographic Variations ◽  
Community Factors ◽  
Health And Well Being

There are disproportionately higher and inconsistently distributed rates of recorded suicides in rural areas. Patterns of rural suicide are well documented, but they remain poorly understood. Geographic variations in physical and mental health can be understood through the combination of compositional, contextual, and collective factors pertaining to particular places. The aim of this study was to explore the role of “place” contributing to suicide rates in rural communities. Seventeen mental health professionals participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. Principles of grounded theory were used to guide the analysis. Compositional themes were demographics and perceived mental health issues; contextual themes were physical environment, employment, housing, and mental health services; and collective themes were town identity, community values, social cohesion, perceptions of safety, and attitudes to mental illness. It is proposed that connectedness may be the underlying mechanism by which compositional, contextual, and collective factors influence mental health and well-being in rural communities.

Agricultural structure and farmers’ interconnections with rural communities

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 362-376
Author(s):  
T. Besser ◽  
C. Jurt ◽  
S. Mann
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Farm Work ◽  
Active Involvement ◽  
Farm Diversification ◽  
North East ◽  
Ne Germany

Purpose In the context of rural development, the question how farmers are interconnected with local rural communities is crucial, as farmers historically have played a key role in rural areas, always shaped by the cultural-systemic context in which they acted. The purpose of this paper is to explore this connection in North-East (NE) Germany and Switzerland, two countries whose agricultural systems can be seen as diametrically opposed to each other with respect to their structure. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a survey on NE German and Swiss farmers to assess the connectivity between farms and rural communities in terms of the farm managers’ perceptions of their social networks, social support, sense of belonging, and active involvement in organizations. Findings The results show commonalities and differences between both study regions. Smaller farms are characterized by strongly locally based networks and a higher sense of community belonging, whereas larger farms rather have networks with strong ties outside the local dimension. Moreover, farmers’ local origin and farm diversification are positively associated with strengthening the connection between farms and local communities. Off-farm work is a means for this connection only in NE Germany. Originality/value This paper contributes to the discussion about adverse effects of farming scale and corporate farming on community well-being by simultaneously delivering insights into two structurally different agricultural systems. At the same time the approach allows for a comparison between the systems.

scholarly journals Towards Strengths-Based Planning Strategies for Rural Localities in Finland

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 397-415
Author(s):  
Emilia Rönkkö ◽  
Eeva Aarrevaara
Keyword(s):  
Capacity Building ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Strategic Alliances ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Society Business ◽  
The Future ◽  
Planning Strategies ◽  
Being There

Abstract In this article, we will introduce the topic of strengths-based planning strategies for rural localities in Finland. The strengths-based approach focuses on capacity building and competence enhancement with the local people, encouraging communities to valorise, identify and mobilise existing but often unrecognised assets. Setting focus only on the deficiencies and problems easily inflicts a ‘surrender mentality‘ in places outside of the urbanisation impact, creating a narrative that both decision-makers and community members start to believe. Hence, the role and potential of smaller rural localities is easily forgotten by planners, politicians and the public at large. Addressing the scale of rural localities in spatial planning, we will first reflect upon the main findings from our earlier research project “Finnish rural localities in the 2010`s” conducted by Lahti University of Applied Sciences, the University of Oulu and Aalto University in 2013-2015. Findings from the research project affirmed the unfortunate consequences of rapid urbanisation, rational blueprint planning and overoptimistic expectations of growth in the 1960s and 70s, which have resulted in the state of permanent incompleteness in rural localities today. However, these localities possess many under-utilised strengths, and we consider it essential for the future development of rural localities to make the most of this potential, and not only tackle the downwards spiral. This requires the ability to engage local stakeholders around a common vision for the future, and strategic approach based on endogenous strengths. We will discuss these possibilities via two theoretically informed case studies. The first one, Vieremä, is situated in the region of Northern Savo, and the other one, Vääksy, is the main centre in the municipality of Asikkala, situated in the region of Päijät-Häme in Southern Finland. Our study design can be characterised as qualitative research benefiting from a case study approach, mixed methods research and participatory action research. Being critical-emancipatory by nature, the exploratory and normative perspectives of Future Studies have also provided methodologies to explore future alternative paths and the available, yet possibly hidden, resources of people, commodities and skills in new ways. Through these case studies, we have identified an urgent need for capacity building and preparedness for sustainable resource management in Finnish rural localities, including natural and cultural heritage protection, climate change management and human well-being. There is a need to start thinking creatively ‘outside-the-box‘ and create strategic alliances between civil society, business and government, and most importantly, between urban and rural areas. Now is the time to start innovating a range of policy options and strategic objectives for addressing rural localities as places where a sustainable future can be developed in Finland.

scholarly journals Scientific appraisal of the Irish grass-based milk production system as a sustainable source of premium quality milk and dairy products

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. O’Brien ◽  
D. Hennessy
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Dairy Products ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Dairy Product ◽  
Dairy Industry ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Export Market ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
The Future

AbstractThe Irish dairy industry is critically important to the economy and general well-being of a large section of the Irish population. Its quality, sustainability and maintenance are the key for a vibrant rural society in the future. Two important elements for the future of this industry include (a) the quality, marketing and sale of dairy products on the export market and (b) sustainability from the perspectives of people, planet and profit. This paper provides a short review of current scientific evidence in relation to a number of topics, each of which is important in maintaining and developing dairy product quality and the sustainability of the Irish dairy industry. The topics addressed in the paper are as follows: the parameters of milk composition; milk processing; hygiene quality and safety; farm management practices and the regulations that govern such practices; animal health and welfare; environmental impacts; economic implications for farm families and rural communities; and the overall future sustainability of the family-based dairy farm structure.

scholarly journals SELF-ESTEEM MEDIATES RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SELF-CONCEPT CLARITY AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE FUTURE

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-108
Author(s):  
Adrian Morawiak ◽  
Błażej Mrozinski ◽  
Joanna Gutral ◽  
Marzena Cypryańska ◽  
John B Nezlek
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Young People ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Future Time Perspective ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Structural Domain ◽  
The Future ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
The Relationship

Aim: The present study was designed to examine relationships between young people’s self-concepts and their perceptions of their futures Methods: High school students (n = 347) completed measures of the two domains of self‑concept, the evaluative domain, self-esteem, and the knowledge or structural domain, self-concept clarity. They also completed two measures of perceptions of their futures, optimism and future time perspective. Results: Both measures of self-concept were positively correlated with both measures of perception of the future. For both measures of perceptions of the future, regression analyses found that when perceptions of the future were regressed onto the two measures of self-concept perceptions of the future were significantly related to only self-esteem. Relationships between perceptions of the future and self-concept clarity were not significant. Analyses of mediation found that self-esteem mediated the relationship between self-concept clarity and both measures of perceptions of the future. Conclusion: Young people with a clearer sense of self and who have higher self-esteem are more optimistic and perceive a longer future than young people with a less clear sense of self and who have lower self-esteem; however, the effects of self-concept clarity disappear after the relationship between clarity and self-esteem are taken into account.

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