scholarly journals The Road to the Highlands:  The Socioeconomic Impacts of the Roads Into and Around the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Kris Moore
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Road Networks ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
The Road

<p>There is an ongoing debate over whether the construction and upgrading of roads in remote rural areas is beneficial for the communities that reside within them. The majority of studies carried out thus far have indicated that the introduction of rural roads may assist in alleviating poverty. However, studies commonly do not consider social measures of well-being and resilience (such as education, health care, and the maintenance of cultural identity and way of life), despite the fact that these are increasingly recognised to be important alongside economic measures. This thesis examined the perceptions of the Kelabit community on the social and economic impacts of the construction and upgrading of the road networks into and around the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia. This study is based on a qualitative participatory research design. It gathered data through the use of semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and a literature review (including government documents). In total, 48 community members and eight government employees were interviewed. Results corroborate the findings in or similar research elsewhere, such as the construction of roads has both positive and negative impacts, including the increased mobility of people and goods, increased access to off-farm employment, the increased availability of undesired products and the facilitation of environmental damage. However this study notes some different conclusions from previous work, and finds there was no observed change in enrolment, dropout rates or absenteeism at the highland schools; no increases in exported produce for sale in the urban centres; creation of tension between community groups; and a notable lack of increase of migration in two of the three rural study sites. Moreover, this study revealed that there has been a diverse range of impacts experienced by the Kelabit community in relation to the construction and upgrading of the road network into and around the Kelabit Highlands. The study also found significant local differences of opinion regarding the various impacts of the roads. Differences in opinion at a community level were based on the degree of interaction with the roads, as well as the degree to which groups relied on the roads for mobility. This study shows that there is no consensus amongst the Kelabit community on whether the roads should remain and on whether further development of the road networks into and around the Kelabit Highlands should continue. What can be concluded from this study is that there is still no ‘one size fits all’ strategy to developing rural communities. Using roads to develop rural communities’ can result in a number of community members benefiting, a number of them losing and the rest receiving no evident change. Consequently, at what point do the benefits to some out way the harm to others for the development project to be considered a positive for the community? The debate therefore continues over whether the construction and upgrading of roads in remote rural areas is beneficial for the communities that reside within them.</p>

scholarly journals The Road to the Highlands:  The Socioeconomic Impacts of the Roads Into and Around the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Kris Moore
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Road Networks ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
The Road

<p>There is an ongoing debate over whether the construction and upgrading of roads in remote rural areas is beneficial for the communities that reside within them. The majority of studies carried out thus far have indicated that the introduction of rural roads may assist in alleviating poverty. However, studies commonly do not consider social measures of well-being and resilience (such as education, health care, and the maintenance of cultural identity and way of life), despite the fact that these are increasingly recognised to be important alongside economic measures. This thesis examined the perceptions of the Kelabit community on the social and economic impacts of the construction and upgrading of the road networks into and around the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia. This study is based on a qualitative participatory research design. It gathered data through the use of semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and a literature review (including government documents). In total, 48 community members and eight government employees were interviewed. Results corroborate the findings in or similar research elsewhere, such as the construction of roads has both positive and negative impacts, including the increased mobility of people and goods, increased access to off-farm employment, the increased availability of undesired products and the facilitation of environmental damage. However this study notes some different conclusions from previous work, and finds there was no observed change in enrolment, dropout rates or absenteeism at the highland schools; no increases in exported produce for sale in the urban centres; creation of tension between community groups; and a notable lack of increase of migration in two of the three rural study sites. Moreover, this study revealed that there has been a diverse range of impacts experienced by the Kelabit community in relation to the construction and upgrading of the road network into and around the Kelabit Highlands. The study also found significant local differences of opinion regarding the various impacts of the roads. Differences in opinion at a community level were based on the degree of interaction with the roads, as well as the degree to which groups relied on the roads for mobility. This study shows that there is no consensus amongst the Kelabit community on whether the roads should remain and on whether further development of the road networks into and around the Kelabit Highlands should continue. What can be concluded from this study is that there is still no ‘one size fits all’ strategy to developing rural communities. Using roads to develop rural communities’ can result in a number of community members benefiting, a number of them losing and the rest receiving no evident change. Consequently, at what point do the benefits to some out way the harm to others for the development project to be considered a positive for the community? The debate therefore continues over whether the construction and upgrading of roads in remote rural areas is beneficial for the communities that reside within them.</p>

scholarly journals “My coupons are like gold”: experiences and perceived outcomes of low-income adults participating in the British Columbia Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Stéphanie Caron-Roy ◽  
Sayeeda Amber Sayed ◽  
Katrina Milaney ◽  
Bonnie Lashewicz ◽  
Sharlette Dunn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Qualitative Description ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Farmers Market

ABSTRACT Objective: The British Columbia Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program (FMNCP) provides low-income households with coupons valued at $21/week for 16 weeks to purchase healthy foods in farmers’ markets. Our objective was to explore FMNCP participants’ experiences of accessing nutritious foods, and perceived program outcomes. Design: This study used qualitative description methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with FMNCP participants during the 2019 farmers’ market season. Directed content analysis was used to analyse the data whereby the five domains of Freedman et al’s framework of nutritious food access provided the basis for an initial coding scheme. Data that did not fit within the framework’s domains were coded inductively. Setting: One urban and two rural communities in British Columbia, Canada. Participants: 28 adults who were participating in the FMNCP. Results: Three themes emerged: Autonomy and Dignity; Social Connections and Community Building; and Environmental and Programmatic Constraints. Firstly, the program promoted a sense of autonomy and dignity through financial support, increased access to high-quality produce, food-related education and skill development, and mitigating stigma and shame. Secondly, shopping in farmers’ markets increased social connections and fostered a sense of community. Finally, participants experienced limited food variety in rural farmers’ markets, lack of transportation, and challenges with redeeming coupons. Conclusions: Participation in the FMNCP facilitated access to nutritious foods and enhanced participants’ diet quality, well-being and health. Strategies such as increasing the amount and duration of subsidies, and expanding programs may help improve participants’ experiences and outcomes of farmers’ market food subsidy programs.

Rural Neighborhood Walkability: Implications for Assessment

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (s1) ◽  
pp. S40-S45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle C. Kegler ◽  
Iris Alcantara ◽  
Regine Haardörfer ◽  
Alexandra Gemma ◽  
Denise Ballard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Walking Distance ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Neighborhood Walkability ◽  
Bodies Of Water ◽  
Active Adults

Background:Physical activity levels, including walking, are lower in the southern U.S., particularly in rural areas. This study investigated the concept of rural neighborhood walkability to aid in developing tools for assessing walkability and to identify intervention targets in rural communities.Methods:Semi-structured interviews were conducted with physically active adults (n = 29) in rural Georgia. Mean age of participants was 55.9 years; 66% were male, 76% were white, and 24% were African American. Participants drew maps of their neighborhoods and discussed the relevance of typical domains of walkability to their decisions to exercise. Comparative analyses were conducted to identify major themes.Results:The majority felt the concept of neighborhood was applicable and viewed their neighborhood as small geographically (less than 0.5 square miles). Sidewalks were not viewed as essential for neighborhood-based physical activity and typical destinations for walking were largely absent. Destinations within walking distance included neighbors’ homes and bodies of water. Views were mixed on whether shade, safety, dogs, and aesthetics affected decisions to exercise in their neighborhoods.Conclusions:Measures of neighborhood walkability in rural areas should acknowledge the small size of self-defined neighborhoods, that walking in rural areas is likely for leisure time exercise, and that some domains may not be relevant.

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.

Sustainable Entrepreneurship, Family Farms and the Dairy Industry

2022 ◽  
pp. 898-916
Author(s):  
Vanessa Ratten ◽  
Leo-Paul Dana
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Family Farms ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Regional Competitiveness ◽  
Agricultural Industry ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
International Standing ◽  
Entrepreneurial Strategies

There has been increasing recognition that for regional competitiveness in rural areas there needs to be a focus on sustainable farming initiatives especially for family farms that are competing with global conglomerates. Family farms, whilst declining in number, are the purpose of this paper studying the rural entrepreneurship in family farms as they are at the heart of rural communities and the overall agricultural industry and comprise a high percentage of total farms. This paper takes a case study approach using in-depth semi structured interviews to delve into the types of entrepreneurial strategies that are distinctive of family farms in terms of their sustainability approach to farming. Dairy farms in the West Victorian area of Australia are studied and the findings suggest that family farms can increase their regional competitiveness and international standing by focusing on their collaborative, social and sustainable entrepreneurial strategies.

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.

DIFFUSION OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) THROUGH THE RURAL INTERNET CENTRE: THE MALAYSIAN EXPERIENCE

2010 ◽  
Vol 07 (02) ◽  
pp. 129-143
Author(s):  
AININ SULAIMAN ◽  
NOOR ISMAWATI JAAFAR ◽  
ROHANA JANI
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Communication Channel ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Diffusion Of Information ◽  
E Mail ◽  
By Products

This paper focuses on examining the ICT diffusion by studying an initiative of the Malaysian government to bridge the digital divide that exists across the country's urban and rural communities. This is achieved through investigating the operation and the experience of a typical Rural Internet Centre. The findings of this study showed that there is keen interest among the community to learn and sharpen their ICT-related skills. The Internet Centre serves to provide an avenue for the realisation of this goal. The study showed that despite some operational snags, the Internet Centre performed well. One of the by-products of the centre was that its activities fostered closer relationships among users; it provided an avenue for disparate community members to interact and share their new skills. Bringing the ICT usage and appreciation to the rural areas was successful. About half of the centre users made weekly visits during which they searched for information on the internet, sent and received e-mail and attended the Internet Centre's regular IT classes. They also saw it as a valuable communication channel and a potential leveller of the technological capability gap.

scholarly journals Creative tourism: catalysing artisan entrepreneur networks in rural Portugal

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 731-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Eva Bakas ◽  
Nancy Duxbury ◽  
Tiago Vinagre de Castro
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Multiple Roles ◽  
Social Embeddedness ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Small Cities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rural Context ◽  
First Time

Purpose Given limited research about how artisans become integrated into tourism, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the emergence of artisan entrepreneur–mediators who link artisans to tourism in rural areas and small cities in Portugal. Using social embeddedness as a conceptual framework, this paper views artisan entrepreneur–mediators as existing within an entrepreneurial ecosystem. The paper investigates their role within this ecosystem and how social networks influence the artisan entrepreneur–mediators’ roles in connecting artisans to creative tourism. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on new (2017 and 2018) empirical evidence developed through two rounds of semi-structured interviews of five artisan entrepreneur–mediators. Findings This paper finds that artisan entrepreneur–mediators in rural areas or small cities take on multiple roles as networking agents who organize and offer creative tourism experiences, providing the missing link between artisans and tourists. An analysis of the nuances of the operations of these artisan entrepreneur–mediators suggests that high levels of social embeddedness within local rural communities are important in order for these neo-rural entrepreneurs to attain their goals. Originality/value Originality lies in the identification of a gap in artisan entrepreneurship literature in a rural context. It is the first time that a critical analysis of artisan entrepreneur–mediators who facilitate the link between artisans and tourism is carried out in terms of social embeddedness, their roles and connections to creative tourism, and types of community engagement.

scholarly journals Where are they working? A case study of twenty Cuban-trained South African doctors

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Munirah Motala ◽  
Jacqueline Van Wyk
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
South African ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Career Choices ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Sampling Strategy ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Primary Care Level

Background: The year 2017 marked the 21st anniversary of the South African Cuban Medical Collaboration (SACMC) programme that offers disadvantaged South African (SA) students an opportunity for medical training in Cuba. Graduates are expected to return to practice at a primary care level in rural communities; however, little is known about the professional trajectories and career choices of graduates from the programme.Aim: This study explored the reasons why students enrolled in the programme, their professional and career choices as graduates and their career intentions.Setting: The study setting was the whole of SA although participants were primarily drawn from KwaZulu-Natal.Methods: An exploratory, qualitative case study used a purposive sampling strategy to gather data through semi-structured interviews from participants.Results: Graduates (N = 20) of the SACMC programme were all practicing in local SA settings. Participants preferred the SACMC programme as it offered them a full scholarship for medical training. Nineteen doctors had fulfilled their obligation to work in rural areas. Thirteen doctors are engaged in primary healthcare practice, either as private practice generalists or as public service medical officers. Three doctors had completed specialty training: one doctor was training towards specialisation, one doctor was employed at national government and two doctors were employed as medical managers. At the time of the study, 11 doctors were practicing in rural locations and 19 had indicated a long-term intention to work and live within South Africa.Conclusion: The participants of this study who graduated from the SACMC programme are fulfilling their obligations in rural communities. They all intend to contribute to the SA medical workforce in the long-term.

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.

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