scholarly journals Uneven Processes of Rural Change – XXVII European Society for Rural Sociology Congress in Cracow

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 255-262
Author(s):  
Anna Augustyn ◽  
Anna Pluskota

Abstract The aim of the article is to present the main issues discussed at the XXVII European Society for Rural Sociology Congress “Uneven Processes of Rural Change”, held on 24–27 July 2017 in Cracow, Poland. Both the title of the Congress and its keynote speakers focused on rural communities and different ways in which they respond to and cope with new social, demographic and economic challenges, depending on their varied potential across rural areas in different parts of Europe. The paper offers a review of the Congress speeches and may therefore serve as a pretext to analyze participants’ interest in rural community resilience and resilience of social systems as part of grassroots processes aimed at dealing with new challenges.

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecka Milestad ◽  
Johan Ahnström ◽  
Johanna Björklund

AbstractAs farms are consolidated into larger operations and small farms close down for economic reasons, rural areas lose ecological, social and economic functions related to farming. Biodiversity and scenic, open-vista landscapes are lost as fields are left unmanaged. Social and economic benefits such as local job opportunities and meeting places disappear. Four Swedish rural communities were examined to increase our understanding of the functions that a diverse agriculture provides and which of these are lost as farms cease operation and overall rural social capital is depleted. Workshops and interviews with village action groups and with farmers were carried out. Both groups identified key functions from farming that are important to the rural community, such as production of food and fiber, businesses and jobs, human services, local security, ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling and biodiversity, and functions pertaining to quality of life. Several ways in which village action groups can support agriculture were identified that current industrial agriculture and even agri-environmental schemes fail to achieve. These include organizing local meeting places, encouraging local processing and consumption and supporting farmers in their work. We conclude that agriculture and village action groups match well in community development and that policies supporting this match would be useful.


Author(s):  
Kemble Walker ◽  
Mariia Plotnikova

There is a clear need in rural areas for improved methods of self-government. This study examines the most effective approaches to administration in rural communities. What are the most promising types of rural community management? We aim to assess trends in rural selfrehabilitation and development, including an international analysis of ecological and family homestead settlements as models of future society. These models represent an evolution of the traditional village capable of improving the population's quality of life. Family homestead settlements are the most common form of ecological settlement in Ukraine and foster family values, patriotism to the Homeland and effectively demonstrate successful self-government practices. Governance is achieved by way of the Veche, a collective authority, as well as through public organizations, public-private partnerships, regional and international cooperation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9630
Author(s):  
Giovanni Ottomano Palmisano ◽  
Annalisa De Boni ◽  
Rocco Roma ◽  
Claudio Acciani

The relationship between wind energy and rural areas leads to the controversial debate on the effects declared by rural communities after wind farms or single turbines are operative. The literature on this topic lacks dedicated studies analysing how the behaviour of rural communities towards wind turbines can affect the market value of farmlands. This research aims to examine to the extent to which the easement of wind turbines can influence the market value of farmlands in terms of willingness to pay (WTP) by a small rural community, and to identify the main factors affecting the WTP. Starting from data collected via face-to-face interviews, a decision tree is then applied to investigate the WTP for seven types of farmland in a rural town of Puglia Region (Southern Italy) hosting a wind farm. Results of the interviews show a broad acceptance of the wind farm, while the decision tree classification shows a significant reduction of WTP for all farmlands. The main factors influencing the WTP are the education level, the possibility to increase the income, the concerns for impacts on human health and for maintenance workmen. National and local policy measures have to be put in place to inform rural communities about the ‘magnitude’ of the effects they identified as crucial, so that policy-makers and private bodies will contribute to make the farmland market more equitable.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
Hala Omar ◽  
Salah El-Haggar

Millions of people living in rural areas in some developing countries are entombed in extreme poverty well beneath any definition of human decency. They live in squalid areas due to the absence of adequate sewage system, lack of agricultural and municipal solid waste management. As an easy and cheap solution to their problems, residents of rural communities either throw their wastes in the streets and in the nearest water way or burn them in the field. These unintended practices contribute to the deterioration of the quality of air, water, soil and food. In addition to the environmental problems, rural communities in developing countries suffer from illiteracy, unemployment, high risk for disease, high mortality rate, and low life expectancy. Due to this tragic situation, it became imperative to find a solution to reach zero pollution in rural areas. Since the emergence of the concept of sustainable development many efforts have been made to apply the ‘cradle-to-cradle’ approach in different sectors where all waste is used for the production of other goods. Unfortunately, the application of ‘cradle-to-cradle’ concept in rural communities to approach 100% full utilization of all types of wastes is not sufficiently explored. The aim of this paper is to propose solutions for the waste problem in rural areas through the concept of environmentally balanced rural complex called “Zero Waste Rural Community Complex (ZWRC2)”. The idea is to develop a complex in each rural community that groups compatible, simple and low cost technologies including briquetting, composting, biogas, and animal fodder. All wastes generated from the rural community will be transported to this complex and fully utilized as raw material to produce organic fertilizers, energy, animal fodder and other useful products depending on market need.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasan Ziaaddini ◽  
Tayebeh Ziaaddini ◽  
Nouzar Nakhaee

Introduction and Aim. Substance abuse imposes hazards on human health in all biopsychosocial aspects. Limited studies exist on epidemiology of substance abuse and its trend in rural areas. The present study aimed to compare substance abuse in one of the rural areas of southeast Iran, in a 12-year period (2000 and 2012).Design and Methods. In a household survey conducted in 2012, in Dashtkhak/Kerman, 1200 individuals above 12 years of age completed a questionnaire to determine their frequency of substance abuse. The questionnaire included the following three areas: demographic characteristics, frequency of substance abuse and ease of access to various drugs.Results. Among 900 completed questionnaires, majority of the participants (61.8%) were below 30 years of age and among them 54.4% were male. Cigarette (17.0%), opium (15.7%) and opium residue (9.0%) were the most frequent substances abused on a daily basis. Based on the participant’s opinion, we conclude that the ease of access to cigarette, waterpipe and opium contributed to their increase in consumption compared with earlier years.Discussion and Conclusion. The steady rise in substance abuse in rural communities demands immediate attention and emergency preventive measures from policy makers.


Author(s):  
Leon Gwaka ◽  
Julian May ◽  
William Tucker

Investments in digital infrastructure in marginalised communities are set to increase in the next decade. These are premised on the potential of digital technologies to contribute towards solving societal problems, including the fragility of food value chains in rural areas. Although there are mixed empirical findings on the impact of these digital infrastructure investments, huge investments are continuing amid changing ICT policies in most developing countries. This paper, using a case study of a local livestock value chain in a rural community in Zimbabwe, argues for the application of non-conventional approaches towards digital infrastructure transformation impact assessment. Using selected theories and frameworks (socio-ecological systems framework, choice framework and technology affordances theory) as well as empirical data from a project in a rural community, the paper shows that real-time impact assessment using context-specific metrics may reveal hidden digital infrastructure transformation impacts, positive and negative, that are often overlooked when traditional impact assessment approaches are employed. The findings of this study contribute towards improving approaches towards ICT impact assessment. Practitioners engaging in impact assessment are challenged to move beyond dependence on traditional metrics (e.g. access) to the adoption of participatory processes to decipher context-appropriate metrics.


2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 546
Author(s):  
Paulina Rodríguez-Díaz ◽  
Rocío Almuna ◽  
Carla Marchant ◽  
Sally Heinz ◽  
Roxana Lebuy ◽  
...  

Rural livelihoods are under threat, not only from climate change and soil erosion but also because young people in rural areas are increasingly moving to urbanized areas, seeking employment and education opportunities. In the Valparaiso region of Chile, megadrought, soil degradation, and industrialization are driving young people to leave agricultural and livestock activities. In this study, our main objective was to identify the factors influencing young people living in two rural agricultural communities (Valle Hermoso and La Vega). We conducted 90 online surveys of young people aged 13–24 to evaluate their interest in living in the countryside (ILC). We assessed the effect of community satisfaction, connectedness to nature, and social valuation of rural livelihoods on the ILC. The results show that young people were more likely to stay living in the countryside when they felt satisfied and safe in their community, felt a connection with nature, and were surrounded by people who enjoyed the countryside. These results highlight the relevance of promoting place attachment and the feeling of belonging within the rural community. Chilean rural management and local policies need to focus on rural youth and highlight the opportunities that the countryside provides for them.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 309
Author(s):  
Sri Anggraini Kusuma Dewi ◽  
Rezky Panji Perdana Martua Hasibuan

The agrarian disputes often occur in rural areas, considering that the majority of the livelihoods of rural communities are farmers. In this regard, rural communities also cannot be avoided from agrarian conflicts that occur between residents, including in terms of inheritance. This social legal research aims to analyze the factors causing the occurrence of agrarian conflicts in rural areas; and explain the role of the village head in dealing with disputes related to land. This empirical legal research uses a qualitative approach that is based on primary data and secondary data as obtained through a series of observations, interviews, and documentation. The results of the study indicate that rural communities tend to choose the head of village as the party that resolves agrarian disputes in rural areas. Therefore, the rural community perspective believes and considers the head of village to be able to provide a sense of community justice. The scheme used by the head of village is mediation or what is often called 'deliberation for consensus'. KEYWORDS: Land, Customary Law, Head of Village, Amadanom, Malang.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-121
Author(s):  
Marina Muravieva

The paper presents an analysis of the existing system of state support for rural social infrastructure for the first time. To address this goal the author studied the state information resources and data base of research of the models of state support for the sustainable development of rural areas. The researcher reveals the limitations of research on this subject (the analysis of Web of science, Scopus, Science Direct, Springer Link, Agris, Russian research data base), formulates the descriptive models of various countries in Europe and North America, and groups them into two basic systems. The tests revealed the main factors of the system of public funding of social infrastructure projects. In general financing the algorithms of support for rural social infrastructure were brought to light, the basis of which is made up by two main groups of countries: those with a support system for large rural settlements, selected on the principle of “driving member” and the countries with a system of grant and loan support for rural communities based on projects and local initiatives. The list of systems is not closed, because the study does not affect the countries of Asia, South America, Africa and Australia, which have their own distinctive features. The limitations in a single database of comparable statistical data about the objects of social and engineering infrastructure in rural areas do not allow to assess the effectiveness of investments. The author comes to the conclusion that single common methodology and standards for the evaluation of all forms of efficiency (economic, social, demographic and environmental) the use of state and interstate programs of support of social and infrastructural projects in rural areas, including a preliminary assessment of the needs in social and engineering facilities are necessary.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
Nasfi Nasfi

The rural community economic development program in order to reduce poverty in rural areas is carried out with the development of a balanced industry, improving the structure of agriculture and programs to improve the education of rural communities, so as to maintain urbanization. The next program is to increase rural community empowerment programs by environmental preservation programs and strengthening of rural institutions and facilities and infrastructure. By realizing the horizontal top-down policy that includes rural communities, the government is only the general policy holder. Pilot project program by supporting rural production at a competitive level, by strengthening rural institutionalism and improving information and management for rural communities. Various ways in which countries reduce poverty and hunger through sustainable food production and consumption have been established within the framework of global sustainable development goals. This type of research is a qualitative study, where qualitative research by describing activities, phenomena, opinions / thoughts / views and documents, with data analysis techniques systematically compile the data obtained.


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