1 / 17

‘Barriers to Change’: a sociology of rural development

‘Barriers to Change’: a sociology of rural development. Dr. Áine Macken Walsh, Rural Development and Sociology Unit, RERC, Teagasc. Context. Teagasc RD Commodity Group (2005): Resistance to Change in the adoption of ‘diverse’ economic activity

ishi
Download Presentation

‘Barriers to Change’: a sociology of rural development

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. ‘Barriers to Change’: a sociology of rural development Dr. Áine Macken Walsh, Rural Development and Sociology Unit, RERC, Teagasc.

  2. Context • Teagasc RD Commodity Group (2005): Resistance to Change in the adoption of ‘diverse’ economic activity • Emergence of programmes encouraging the diversification of the rural economy to include a wider range of on-farm and off-farm activity (e.g. EU LEADER, Teagasc Farm Options).

  3. The Approach • “Representative and Effective Rural Development” (Curtin & Varley, 1997) • Governance: local people are key participants and “competent actors in the development process” (CEC, 1997) • Rural Economy: “farming, small trades and businesses, small and medium-sized industries, commerce and services” (CEC, 1988)

  4. Inside the farm gate • Innovation of Farming Practices, for example: • Forestry • Organic Farming • Goats • Deer • Horse livery (Teagasc Farm Options Programme)

  5. The EU Rural Development ‘Product’ - rural ideology • High value-added, ‘niche’ product (e.g. artisan foods) • Has place-based & lifestyle significance (rural artisan foods and rural health movements) • “replacing material and labour value with design value” (Moseley, 2003) • “championing of local distinctiveness”… (Moseley, 2003)

  6. ‘Handing Over the Development Process’ • Consequences for the Effective and Equitable implementation of RD: • Are different rural social groups differently positioned to engage with new rural development initiatives? • If so, the crucial determinants that influence: • Adeptness to change? • Resistance to change?

  7. EU-wide research: • Dominant participants: • The rise of a “Project Class” (Kovach & Kucerova (2006)) • “A very small number of enthusiastic participants” (Mannion, 1996) • Small businesses and tourist operators; artisan and shopkeepers’ associations dominate (Osti, 2000) • Minor Participants: • Farmers and farmer’s organisations “bewildered from losing privileged channels of influence”; have only a “minor presence” in LAGs (Osti, 2000)

  8. Farming Community in Ireland– Primary Rural Social Group • Successful examples of farmers’ on-farm and off-farm enterprises However, • High incidence of non-engagement and non-participation among farmers (Teagasc Commodity Group)

  9. What are the Barriers to Change? • Explores the broader context of farmers’ attitudes and behaviour in their decision making Overview of Barriers: • Scepticism - future • Disillusionment - past • Estrangement - current RD

  10. Barriers to Change - Scepticism “we’re unsure about the future of farming, but we are more unsure about the future of other ventures that are being promoted, for example organic farming” (Interview: 13, f) “ it’s hard to take a lot of these new ventures seriously. At the end of the day, how much money can be made from a B&B?” (Interview: 3, b)

  11. Barriers to Change – disillusionment, disempowerment “all the investments I’ve made in the farm in the past are now obsolete. Now we’re expected to make more investments, and to change everything. But I’m not going to do that as I’m finished with it, I’m retiring now” (Interview:18,e) “I really don’t think there’s any future in any of the new farm options. Like dairying, there will be new regulations and changes every day and that will cause the end of it”. (Interview: 6, c)

  12. Barriers to Change – Particpation in RD “No. I didn’t know that it is supposed to be a partnership and I don’t think farmers will have much to do with it or benefit from it here” (Interview: 13, a) “No. This is just another way of getting us to do what the EU want us to do. We farmed more or less organically years ago, now they want us to go back to it ” (Interview: 13, a)

  13. Barriers to Change –Estrangement “these new ventures are not for farmers and are not suitable for farmers” (Interview: 11, a) “My wife is sometimes involved but I don’t get involved in any of the activities” (Interview: 19, c)

  14. Determinants • Research findings show many (personal and environmental) factors determining: attitudes in relation to engagement and participation (e.g. need for upskilling/ education) But, • Determinants also arise from the contemporary EU rural development product itself

  15. The EU RD ‘Product’ • Larger framework of extra-local cultural, social and economic trends • Part of a wider EU rural movement • Ireland: evidence of stimulants and influences originating beyond the locality • Promotion of a particular product: legitimate governance approach?

  16. Conclusion: Promoting Engagement, Assisting Change • A need to reconcile estrangement between product and potential producers- widen range of participants • Improve genuine local engagement and participation in the Design of Rural Development Products (and initiatives) • Irish Rural Society: ensure more equitable applicability of RD programmes, importance of representing traditional groups e.g. farmers • Role of Institutions in assisting change

  17. Thank You

More Related