Search

This study elucidated the effects of biogas technology adoption on income and livelihood in rural areas of Bangladesh using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) techniques and the Logit Regression Model...

This article, examines the perspectives of rural people in Manicaland on the barriers to community participation in tourism. A qualitative approach was selected to give local people from the four d...

The present review is an attempt to appraise the status of backyard poultry farming in India and its impact on socioeconomic and nutritional status of rural people, scientific skill development, wo...

The crucial need for land ownership security to structurally transform the agricultural sector motivated Burkina Faso authorities to run a land reform programme in 2009, allowing producers to acqui...

The concepts of food environment were developed in the industrialized countries where non-market-based components and cultural norms were largely overlooked. These are essential when studying the food security of indigenous and local communities undergoing substantial lifestyle transformations. In Namibia, the recently altered food environment of the Khwe San former hunter-gatherer community represent a relevant context to consider the above-mentioned gaps, and to assess the relationship between their current food environment and diet. To undertake this assessment, quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were used, which included participant observation, cultural domain analysis, key informant interviews, dietary surveys and ranking exercises. The dietary diversity of the population is low, and several food groups are missing or poorly represented in the diet. Key informants and food source ranking interviews revealed the comprehensive characteristics and deficiencies of the local food environment and highlighted the contribution of a strict nature conservation measure to the food-insecure condition. The results also provide information for political actors about the best food strategies to adopt to improve the local food environment.

Conservation of protected areas requires understanding of the consumption of forest products by rural people who live near protected forests. Socioeconomic factors such as a better educatio...

This study aims to determine the effect of internal migration and various socio-demographic and socio-economic factors on maternal and child health services utilization in Turkey. In this context, prenatal care, giving birth at health-care facilities, and postnatal care have been examined. The data of Turkey Demographic and Health Survey were used in the study. The best conditions for maternal and child health services utilization were those who lived in urban, then, respectively, those who were rural to urban migrants, urban to rural migrants, and rural women. Rural people constituted the most disadvantaged group in terms of health-care utilization.

In Bihar, India, rural people conceptualize the body through a humoral framework and strive to regulate the body by balancing flows of heating and cooling foods. Rural people’s sense of embodied we...

The management of forests for multiple purposes coupled with a varying socioeconomic profile of forest users can result in attitudinal differences towards forest management. This study examines the...

Rural internet use, although still limited, is growing, raising the question of how rural people are using social media politically. As a vehicle of communication that permits the rapid transmissio...

Rural urbanization is taking place rapidly in most areas of Pakistani Punjab. Although agriculture remains the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, many rural people have abandoned agriculture to adopt ...

Over the next two decades, China, the country with the world’s largest urban population, is orchestrating the urbanization of some 300 million rural people. In its National New-Type Urbanization Pl...

The Seven Sister states of northeast India are characterized by diverse population with different ethnic backgrounds. Indigenous and fermented foods are an intrinsic part of diet of these ethnic tribes. It is the oldest and most economical methods for development of a diversity of aromas, flavors, and textures as well as for food preservation and biological enrichment by manipulation of different microbial populations. Wild fruits and vegetables have more nutritional value than cultivated fruits and contribute to sustainable food production and security. Fermented products are region-specific and have their own unique substrates and preparation methods. Soybeans, bamboo shoots, and locally available vegetables are commonly fermented by most tribes. Fermented alcoholic beverages prepared in this region are unique and bear deep attachment with socio-cultural lives of local people. These products serve as a source of income to many rural people, who prepare them at home and market them locally. Detai...

This study aims to clarify the current status of the preservation and utilization of Rural People Interaction Heritage Systems (RPIHS) for the restoration of depopulated rural areas based on a case...

As examinations of the rural–urban interface move beyond a focus on the rural or urban fringe as a location and move toward examining the patterns and processes that both divide and link rural and urban places, a broader (re)conceptualization of the rural–urban interface becomes increasingly important. Thus far the question of boundaries and interfaces between so-called urban and rural locales has mostly revolved around where and when such boundaries occur (including significant coverage of the differences and conflicts between urban vs. rural people), rather than asking what physical or social functions are being served by the rural–urban interface itself. In response, I (re)frame the rural–urban interface not only as a boundary between two distinct spaces but also as a conduit, a place of exchange, and a flux point between them. Using a particular case of contested ecologies in the exurban Sierra Nevada foothills of California, I (re)conceptualize the rural–urban interface as meaning, model, and metapho...

Drawing on four years of fieldwork in Ethiopia and Uganda, this paper addresses gaps in knowledge about the mechanisms linking agricultural exports with poverty reduction, the functioning of rural labour markets, and the relevance to the lives of the poorest people of Fairtrade. Statistical analysis of survey evidence, complemented by qualitative research, highlights the relatively poor payment and non-pay working conditions of those employed in research sites dominated by Fairtrade producer organisations. We conclude that Fairtrade is not an effective way to improve the welfare of the poorest rural people.

Welcome to this dialogue on methodological issues in studying the Internet in rural China, an area where you all have direct experience. What do you find is most challenging in researching this topic?

The Fairtrade lobby ignores the degree to which the poorest rural people depend on wage labour incomes, pretending that ‘smallholder’ producers and members of cooperatives are homogeneous and that ...

This paper provides a review of the existing literature on the significance of mopane wood and non-wood products to rural people's livelihoods, especially those in northern South Africa, southern Zimbabwe and eastern Botswana. Most rural dwellers in mopane areas are poor and therefore make wide use of mopane products for subsistence and commercial purposes. Mopane wood is primarily used for firewood, while the poles are used for the construction of traditional structures. A household of 7 to 8 people uses on average 7.8 kg of mopane firewood for cooking one meal per day, or 2.8 tonnes per year, while a mean volume of 1.22 m3 to 1.86 m3 of poles is required for the construction of a traditional hut. Villagers also harvest the larvae of the moth Imbrasia belina (mopane worms) in order to supplement their diet. Dry mopane worms are nutritious, containing protein levels of up to 65% and an energy concentration of 543 Kcal/100g. Mopane worms are also traded to generate income and its trade provides a good economic return. This paper shows that the consumption of and trade in mopane products contribute significantly to rural people's livelihoods. One challenge is that information on the importance of mopane products in sustaining rural people's livelihoods is limited, old and scanty, hence the value of this review. To address the problem, this paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the value of mopane products to rural people's wellbeing, and also stimulate the need to sustainably manage mopane into the future.

During the Chinese communist revolution, the revolutionary memories locked in the minds of rural people did not form naturally but resulted from purposeful shaping by the revolutionary party and the socialist state. Among the many techniques used to produce revolutionary memories, suku (outpouring of bitterness) figures prominently. The bitter past tended to be forgotten. Only when placed in the framework of collectivity, class, and society could it be evoked and crystallized into memories of bitterness, then elevated to memories of revolution. Throughout the land reform movement, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the state transformed private experiences and memories of bitterness into a public discourse. By using such effective tactics as promoting anger, fostering activists, tapping into awareness of consanguinity, and condemning landlords, the party and the state emotionalized and homogenized rural public's memories of bitterness and integrated them into the grand narratives of class, revolution, ...

Community forestry (CF) is a government-adopted forest management practice introduced in Nepal in the late 1970s, in which the local community controls a legally defined area of forest in terms of its management and the conservation and utilization of forest products. In Nepal, CF is one of the most successful strategies for managing natural resources with the active participation of rural communities. The overall objective of this study was to determine how to improve the utilization of forest products and rural livelihoods through CF. The analysis was carried out through a household survey, using a random sampling, along with formal and informal discussions with concerned parties. The results showed that CF was effective in improving sustainable forest resources for rural livelihoods. CF income comes from forestry and non-forestry sources, and it is invested in various activities such as community development and forest management. These activities also improve rural people's livelihood and foster socia...

Besides wars and revolution, Russia and its neighbours suffered two major agricultural shocks in the last century: the collectivisation crisis of 1929–33 and the collapse of the collective farms in the 1990s. Both were in some sense policy-induced and linked with sharp declines in agricultural terms of trade. The crises were connected by the historical coincidence of the formation and collapse of the collectives, and the political and philosophical bases of Communist rule. This article investigates relative price changes, the consequences for rural people, and the political backgrounds of the crises. It draws attention to international aspects which many studies neglect.

For centuries, traditional health practitioners (THPs) have used their indigenous knowledge (IK) in conserving medicinal plants and environments in order to maintain sustainability. Medicinal plants have played an important role in the healthcare system of Africa. With the rapid environmental, social, economic and political changes occurring in many areas inhabited by rural people, the danger exists that the loss of biodiversity from habitat destruction and unsustainable harvesting practices will cause some species to become extinct, threatening the availability of medicinal plants on a regional level. This article presents the findings of research conducted to investigate the sustainability of the harvesting practices of THPs, with specific reference to extinction-prone traditional medicinal plants in the study areas of the Limpopo province, South Africa. The main aim of the study was to determine the natural habitat of extinction-prone traditional medicinal plants, combining the insight of THPs...

Africa Rice Center (WARDA) facilitated the development and translation of 11 rice videos. From 2005 to 2009, WARDA partners translated them into more than 30 African languages. Open-air video presentations enhanced learning, experimentation, confidence, trust, and group cohesion among rural people. The videos strengthened capacities of more than 500 organisations and hundreds of thousands of farmers. WARDA's integrated rural learning approach also helped women to access new markets and credit. Learning videos allow for unsupervised learning; unleash local creativity and experimentation; facilitate institutional innovations; and improve social inclusion of the poor, youth, and women.

Ardmore Ceramic Art is an acclaimed ceramic studio in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. It has given rural people a chance to discover their creativity and become financially independent. Ardmore Cerami...

Since the late 1970s, many employees of state-owned enterprises have been laid off, and more and more rural people have migrated to urban areas. Many laid-off and migrant workers have become the urban poor. This paper discusses the general situation of the urban poor in China by examining how many there are, how poor they are, who they are, and what creates their situation. Using data from a January 2007 survey on 1,641 relatively low-income households in Changsha, the paper investigates features of migrant workers and their city counterparts regarding income, employment, social support, housing, most-needed government assistance, and reasons for migration. Based on the empirical findings, the paper gives some policy recommendations.

This is an electronic version of an article published in International Journal of Biodiversity Science & Management, Volume 5, Issue 1 March 2009 , pages 41 - 51 . International Journal of Biodiversity Science & Management is available online at http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=journal&issn=1745-1590, This study considered traditional ethno-medicinal practices of rural people of Feni district, Bangladesh, focusing on their utilization of medicinal plants and associated indigenous knowledge. Ninety households were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Plant resources are used to treat 26 different ailments ranging from simple cuts to diabetes. In total, 46 medicinal plants are as used, of which a third are trees. Homesteads are the primary source and few medicinal plants are cultivated. Aboveground plant parts are most used, particularly leaves. The diverse patterns of use of different medicinal plant parts shows the considerable indigenous knowledge of rural people and is generally widely available., Article, International Journal of Biodiversity Science & Management. 5(1):41-51 (2009)

The value of woodland products to rural livelihoods was investigated within six selected villages in the northeast of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 180 householders. Amount of woodland products used by villagers was determined by weighed them in a portable mass balance. We also review studies that examine the value of woodland products to rural people wellbeing. Results indicate that villagers obtain basic needs such as fuelwood, construction poles from the surrounding woodland. Eighty percent of respondents use fuelwood as the primary source of energy for cooking and heating. A household of 7 people uses a mean of 2 847 kg of fuelwood for cooking year1. Some villagers sell fuelwood for RIO per 10 kg at the urban market. A mean volume of 1.360 m3 poles is used for construction of a hut, 0.436 m3 for a medium granary constructed outside the hut, 7.221 m3 for fencing a homestead and 27.677 m3 for a large cattle kraal. Villagers also h...

This article reports on research into the impacts of micro-finance on gender roles, the extent to which socio-cultural factors influence these changes, and how such changes affect the well-being of rural Bogoso households in the Wassa West District of Ghana. Findings indicated that micro-finance has changed men's and women's control over decisions and resource allocations, which consequently affected financial responsibilities and the education of children, and largely contributed to household well-being. However, the small size of the loans was a limitation. The article concludes that socio-cultural factors may promote or inhibit well-being in rural households, and that micro-finance is not a sufficient tool in itself to promote women's and households' well-being. It is recommended that if rural people's well-being matters, collaborative efforts in the appraisal, monitoring, and evaluation of micro-finance initiatives, with the government providing leadership, are imperative.

In the clamour for a new world information and communication order (NWICO), extensive scholarly attention has been given to international disparities and their effects. But national and domestic issues have only been mentioned, when at all, in passing. This article attempts to investigate the possibility of there being a domestic dimension to the world imbalance. The daily news bulletins of four Nigerian broadcast stations were monitored for three months and analysed. The result shows that a very minute proportion of news (7.1%) deals with rural areas and rural issues. Even this little fraction is one-way information to and not from rural people. About one-third of the rural news is decontextualised. All these point to the need to tackle the quest for a new order on the home front as well.

Discussions of migration in contemporary China often center on the distinctive institutions, especially household registration (hukou) regulations, which continue to limit the options of rural people in cities. This paper draws attention to how another part of the Chinese state has engaged migration: governments in communities of origin. Evidence from Sichuan in the 1980s reveals that local leaders authorized, facilitated, and even organized out-migration of villagers, at a time when Beijing gave scant indication of official approval of peasant migration. Local innovations to sanction migration built directly on the broader trend of rural cadres becoming increasingly responsive to local economic needs. The story of local government involvement in out-migration indicates that the relationship between migrants and the Chinese state has transformed fundamentally, even though formal institutions governing urban residence have changed minimally. As in other fields of social and economic life in China, authorit...

Numerous scholarly publications and unpublished development reports have debated the merits of “resettlement” in Laos: the movement of predominantly rural people closer to government services or to new lowland fields. Advocates have argued that settlers benefit from closer incorporation with the state and markets; critics have countered that resettlement actually exacerbates poverty. Using two case studies of resettlement villages in Laos this study illustrates significantly differing experiences, but notes that the experiences also coalesce on key points. Resettlement taps into deeply held aspirations for poverty reduction and modernity among Lao rural residents. Settler's expectations were jarred, however, as they met with inadequate government services and lowered incomes. This tension between expectation and actualization cannot be encompassed simply in terms of the state's domination of the people. Rather, settlers employed an experimental and aspiration- oriented mode of engaging with the project an...

This article attempts to apply major ideas developed in Anglo-American ‘network analysis’ to enlarge geographical constructions of the rural ‘problematic’ in Russia. It interrogates complex understandings of ‘poor people’ via a study of social networks in two villages in Central European Russia, focusing on connections between different actors embedded in social contexts in the countryside, different forms of associations between rural people, and the ways in which specific forms of their interrelations affect poverty. In so doing, the article attempts to reconnect different positions of rural people in Russia and different transitory aspects of ‘poor’ identities (i.e. of people in poverty), as well as to broaden understanding of differentiated experiences of rural poverty.

In April 2006, Enrico “Ka Eric” Cabanit was shot dead by masked assassins in Davao. He was the General Secretary of UNORKA (National Coordination of Autonomous Local Rural People's Organizations), ...

Every priest/pastor, every rural congregation, faces the question: What is Christian good news to the people who live in our rural community? Most recognise the presence of the formal organisation of the ‘church’, and the church buildings, halls or homes where Christians gather for worship. But opening up issues of spirituality and faith from where people are at in terms of their busy daily lives as farmers and as families who comprise the local community, is an ongoing task of consciousnessraising. How might people comprehend what their care of land and livestock means, or what being a member of the rural community involves? This is a mission, a theologising process, of helping people become aware of the opportunity of making sense of the world in which they live. This evangelising experience enlivens both people and priest/pastor.

Since the late 1970s economic reforms have profoundly changed China's rural society by encouraging individual initiative, stimulating migrations to the cities, and generating new social strata. While the gap between the cities and countryside is still wide, farmers have gained so much power and influence that some scholars have argued that it was they who changed China. Indeed, to a large extent, it was the vast majority of rural people whose economic activities ameliorated the fragile national economy, significantly improved people's material life, and thus created the conditions for comprehensive reforms in the second half of the 1980s. In the 1990s, increasing numbers of rural residents have participated in electing village leaders, an important step toward more political democracy. In the process of contributing to economic development and social change, these rural people have changed themselves as well.

This study describes patterns and consequences of chewing leaves of krathom, Mitragynine speciosa, Kroth., traditionally used by rural people in Thailand as a mild narcotic. We surveyed 149 long-term regular users (daily foror= 5 years), 168 occasional users (used only in social situations or medicinally, less than once a week), and 116 nonusers from three rural villages where krathom use was traditional in southern Thailand. Users focused on the perceived advantages of krathom in relation to increased work endurance, medication, and as a substitute for other hard substances rather than its harmful effects. Limitations regarding self-report and generalizability of the study were noted, and further longitudinal study among other population groups is required for educating people and users about possible harmful impacts of krathom use.

The objectives of the study were to investigate the relevance of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and village health workers (VHWs) in primary health care of rural people, to identify problems encountered by TBAs/VHWs in the course of their activities, and to determine the attitude of residents (clients and non-clients) towards the services provided. The study area was rural Ibarapa in Oyo State, Nigeria. The sample consisted of 30 VHWs, 30 TBAs, their clients (120) and 240 local residents. Data were collected through a validated and pre-tested structured interview guide. The study concluded that VHWs and TBAs play a tremendous role and provide essential services in primary health care delivery for rural people. Problems encountered by VHWs and TBAs were irregular supply of drugs, unsatisfactory monitoring, supervision and evaluation by higher health officers from the local government and primary health care centres and poor remuneration. The residents were positive and satisfied with the services prov...

The now-extensive literature on social capital asserts that relations of trust and cooperation between state representatives and the rural poor will help the latter. Using primary evidence from fieldwork conducted in two villages in Orissa, Eastern India, this claim is examined critically. Two questions are addressed. First, to what extent are there relations of trust and cooperation between officials and poor rural people, and - if there are - to what degree are such relations place-specific? Second, what are the factors that explain the observed level of trust and cooperation between state representatives and poor rural people? Two arguments are made here, both of which may have wider applicability beyond the study areas. Where the power of state representatives and the resulting social-economic inequality between them and the rural poor exist unchecked, therefore, the conditions for state-society synergy are indeed undermined. By contrast, where there is a pro-poor political organization - a factor tha...

The large areas of abandoned arable fields in the communal areas of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu‐Natal are often interpreted as evidence that rural people are no longer interested in farming and largely rely on off‐farm sources of income for their survival. However, this case study of land‐use practices in one village shows that farmers in the Transkeian coastal belt have not abandoned cultivation, but have shifted from the extensive cultivation of maize in distant fields to the intensive intercropping of maize and other food crops in fenced gardens adjacent to homesteads. Studies of yields from fields and gardens indicate that this has been an effective intensification strategy adopted by rural households to maintain yields in the face of shrinking resources and increasing risks. Evidence of changing land‐use practices is presented and the reasons for these changes identified and evaluated.

Knowledge centres, cyber kiosks and telecentres in India are bringing an information revolution to India’s 700,000 or so villages, where over two-thirds of the country’s more than one billion people live. These e-hubs are mushrooming in rural villages and providing access to the much-needed knowledge, technology, services and enterprise. Through these centres, the rural people in India are being mobilized to address their development needs and improve their living conditions. They are being empowered. By using such e-hubs, the rural communities are acquiring the skills to improve their products and get connected to local and global markets. This paper also addresses the need of other means to network the rural people, remove information asymmetry across the country and use the potential of Internet-based technologies to meet the location-specific information needs of the rural communities.

A system of community forestry was developed during the late 70's to preserve the degraded hills of Nepal and to provide basic needs of forestry products to the rural people. The Community Forestry programme has received the highest priority within the forestry sector in Nepal and is regarded as one of the most successful development programmes in Nepal. However, recent studies are claiming that under Community Forestry; traditional users have lost their use rights and many of the poor have been marginalized—for example by way of fees and charges imposed to them. The issue of self-reliance to run the programme without external support is equally important. Currently only about 27 percent of potential community forest area has been handed over to the local communities, leaving a significant amount still to be handed over. Even so, the productive management of all of the forest areas already handed over is a great challenge requiring large amounts of current resources and a huge commitment from bot...

The paper addresses the question of how the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) can potentially help reduce poverty in developing countries. Starting with the definition and types of ICTs, the paper discusses a number of instances where various ICTs have been fruitfully applied to improve the welfare of rural people in a number of developing economies. The paper also reviews how ICTs can be an indirect instrument of poverty reduction through their impact on growth. Finally the paper discusses the various factors that influence the adoption of new ICTs and the policies developing countries can adopt to take advantage of the new ICT revolution.

From an almost infinite variety of available materials, each culture selects those that it accepts as food. Most diets are based on a carbohydrate-rich staple, supplemented by other foods. Animal sources of protein are the most desired but the most expensive to produce and acquire; thus, they command high prestige. With increasing prosperity, diets contain more animal foods and fewer staples (Bennett's law), even as the proportion of income used to purchase food declines (Engel's law). Because of higher incomes in cities, urban residents of developing countries spend a smaller percentage of their income on food than do rural residents, and they eat a higher-quality diet. However, Basta found that recent migrants from the countryside in many developing nations do not enjoy improved diets. This paper reports on research, based on published government statistics, that finds that in China, the poorest segment of the urban population (1) spends a higher percentage of its income on food than do rural people but...

In the paper, we will try to explore, first, what favourable changes have occurred after recent social liberalisation in Russia that were to expand women's opportunities of satisfactory leisure use; second, how rural people themselves perceive the changes in their use of leisure; third, what changes have occurred in the structure of leisure behaviours among different groups of rural women. The study is based on data of official statistics, of Russian monitoring of the economic situation and health of the population (RLMS, 1994–1996) and data from social-economic surveys of the rural population of the Novosibirsk oblast conducted by the Department of Sociology, Institute of Economics and Industrial Engineering SB RAS in 1975–1997. (The work was supported by the Russian Humanitarian Scientific Foundation, project No. 98–02–02270.)

The purpose of the paper is to explain the process by which modernisation of the agricultural sector by introducing new production technology into the sector serves as driving force of general economic development, with the social rate of return on these investments being very high, while the benefits of the development will be widespread in the economy, and generally in favour of the poor. Furthermore policies are discussed with the aim of increasing productivity and per capita income of rural people in Southern Africa.

This article offers ten ‘portraits’ of existing national associations, collaborative efforts, social service programs, and mutual aid and self-help groups which have as their general purpose increasing the quality of living for individuals, loved ones, and family members of rural sexual minorities and rural people living with HIV/AIDS. These ‘portraits’ reflect potentials and existing capacities within rural communities. A resource list with contact information is provided.

People in urban areas of Thailand are facing overnutrition, while those in rural areas suffer from undernutrition, especially protein‐energy malnutrition (PEM). In rural communities of Northern and Northeastern Thailand, where over half of the Thai population reside, sociocultural and economic limitations often obstruct the use of more common protein sources such as pork, beef, poultry, milk and eggs. Alternatively, edible insects are readily available and commonly eaten by rural people and can thus serve as an important protein source. In Thailand, over 50 species of insects are edible and can be consumed throughout the year. The most popular are silk worm pupae, bamboo worms, locusts, beetles, crickets, red ants, and other insects. These insects and others require certain collection methods; for example locusts, crickets and other types of insects are collected by using a light to lure them into nets. While these insects are commonly eaten, data on their nutritive values are scarce, though some informat...