scholarly journals On the future of local communities in rural areas

2003 ◽  
pp. 177-194
Author(s):  
Krstan Malesevic

When discussing the future of rural areas for rural sociology (which aims at developing a holistic approach), the most important issue is certainly the question of fate of local communities in rural areas. Reviewing the enormous literature on countryside and agriculture, one can notice an overwhelming dominance of articles that focus on the agrarian and economic policy, often written fairly in the form of agro-economic reductionism. The totality of human life in rural communities is often lost in the fragmentary analysis of individual scientific disciplines. That is why there is a lack of knowledge on the meaning and content of (new) rurality, rural relationships, rural values, rural communities, rural ways of life and on integral rural development in conceptual-theoretical as well as in practical-empirical sense. This problem, understandably, affects different aspects of the complex phenomenon of "rurality" in our situation. However, regardless of the evident insufficiency of synthetic knowledge about our countryside as a social community, it is clearly evident that rural areas are in deep crisis. Local communities in the majority of our rural areas are completely marginalised. Great number of these communities are in the process of disintegration and disappearance. They have lost a "spirit of time" and identity and have not acquired a new one. Furthermore, in some rural areas local communities have literally vanished. In other words, it is difficult to find in our society any active rural communities with a clear future prospects. That is why the crucial question for social theory as well as for social practice is: Which are the economic, demographic, technological and especially socio-cultural prerequisites of renewal and development of local communities in the near future? Without their revitalisation there is no development of rural areas and vice versa. In the focus of this renewal there should be an adequate spatial, functional, organic and emotional connection of people living there. In other words, their participation and their self-identification with these communities is a key prerequisite. Although the renewal of our rural communities is an extremely difficult task, filled with many dilemmas, inconsistencies and objective contradictions, it is not unresolvable, at least for one type of these communities. With the well-thought strategy of planning and management of rural development, these processes can be accelerated and channelled in the desired direction. This paper discusses some possible solutions and gives more concrete propositions in relation to this problem.

2021 ◽  
Vol 212 (09) ◽  
pp. 80-92
Author(s):  
S. Golovina ◽  
Aleksey Ruchkin ◽  
I. Mikolaychik ◽  
L. Smirnova

Abstract. The use of the experience of implementing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the member states of the European Union (EU) is relevant both for Russia and for other countries of the world interested in the successful development of the agrarian sector of the economy and rural areas. The role of rural areas in achieving national security of countries and regions (food, biological, environmental and other) is increasing significantly due to the current challenges and threats (climate change, COVID-19 pandemic, aggravation of the international situation). The purpose of the study, the results of which are presented in this article, is to scrutinise the special approach implemented under the CAP. This approach is referred to in European law as LEADER/CLLD and refers to a close combination of comprehensive cross-sector interaction with active involvement of local communities in rural development. In the work, analytical and review research methods were used, with the help of which (1) the current (relevant to the research topic) legislation, (2) programs implemented in the EU member states, (3) significant scientific publications were subject to scrupulous study. The result of the work is a review and analysis of the findings and practical recommendations for the future use of the various aspects of LEADER/CLLD in domestic political and economic practice. The application of this approach takes into account the fact that the experience of local residents, combined with the opinions of other stakeholders, can help to better adapt rural development policy to real needs and opportunities, and to form a specific (unique) human capital within the boundaries of rural communities. Human capital includes, in addition to specific skills, (1) the ability to take constructive initiatives, (2) a sense of local identity and ownership, (3) the ability to participate as equals with other partners in defining local development strategies, (4) trust between people, private enterprises, public institutions and sectoral communities interested in successful rural development, formed through constant interaction. Theoretical and practical conclusions regarding the content of LEADER/CLLD initiatives, as well as findings related to the possibilities of introducing tools and mechanisms to support rural areas, implemented directly with the involvement of local communities with financial support from the state, are of scientific novelty.


2021 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-76
Author(s):  
T. M. Lozynska ◽  

The article contains the results of a study on modelling new communities in rural areas of Ukraine. Modelling considers both the possibility of modernization of archetypes and archaization of the individual imaginary. The research methodology is based on the theoretical work of G. Durand on the structures of the imaginary, used in the study of the transformation of rural communities. The the applied value of the research is determined by the possibility of using the obtained results in the development of state policy of rural development. The initial hypothesis of the study was the assumption that the stratification of modern rural society is based on archetypes (images, myths or schemes), which subconsciously create an idea, crystallize the imaginary and form thinking. Social processes in rural areas were eclectic, mixed with “modern” and “archaic”. It is noted that old archetypes and ideas showed a high ability to survive and adapt to new conditions, demonstrating incredible configurations of a combination of tradition and innovation. Attention is drawn to the fallacy of the dominant notion that market transformations of the economy will contribute to forming an exclusive class of owners. The reality has become the antagonism of relations between owners and non-owners, who have become employees with poorly protected rights. G. Durand attributes a “dramatic myth” to the “night mode” of the structure of representation. It is noted that social gaps, violating the integrity of rural communities, also affected the perception of the individual’s place in the local social environment and his behaviour within the community, based on which 10 social groups of rural communities were modelled. It is concluded that the formation of imaginary and archetypes in rural communities occurs in an environment where the number of strangers is increasing. The polarization of the rural population and the confrontation of relations indicate the destructiveness of social processes in rural areas. Society must create artificial social institutions that will regulate human life, and this seems to be a super difficult task in the context of a variety of archetypes of rural life.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 5050
Author(s):  
Barbara Wieliczko ◽  
Agnieszka Kurdyś-Kujawska ◽  
Zbigniew Floriańczyk

The sustainability transition of rural areas is a must due to rapid climate changes and biodiversity loss. Given the limited resources of rural communities, policy should facilitate a just sustainability transition of the EU rural areas. The analysis of EU development policies, past performance and the envisaged scope of reform, presented in this study point to a serious inconsistency between the declaration and implementation of relevant policies. Namely, the marginal role rural areas perform in common agricultural policy and cohesion policy; a result of the lack of a complex approach to rural development. The analysis was based on the concept of good governance and took a multi-level perspective. It advocates territorial justice as an approach that should be at the core of creating a comprehensive policy for rural areas in the EU, including their diversity and empowering local communities to choose the transition pathway that is most in line with their current situation and development capacity. This analysis fills a gap in research on the evolution of the rural development policy in the EU. This research can inform the reprioritization and intensification of efforts to create equitable policies for EU rural development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-46
Author(s):  
Abbas Strømmen-Bakhtiar ◽  
Evgueni Vinogradov ◽  
Marit Kristin Kvarum ◽  
Kristian Rydland Antonsen

The technological developments described in terms of industrial revolutions or disruptive innovations have been shaping economic and social life in rural areas. The global trend towards urbanization presents a major challenge to rural communities. The aim of this article is to study how the peer-to-peer economy influences rural municipalities. On the one hand, in the literature, it is argued that sharing economy may improve accessibility, encourage mobility, attract investments and reduce urban bias. On the other hand, both academics and practitioners are aware of the disruptive effects of sharing economy on e.g., local real estate and labor markets. This qualitative study is based on empirical data from a municipality on the Lofoten Islands of Norway. The results demonstrate that Airbnb has some positive and some negative effects on rural development, but the magnitudes of these effects are modest. Of positive effects, the authors can mention increased local tourism, stimulation of conservation/restoration of traditional houses, and increased recreational mobility for rural residents.


2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Gorlach ◽  
Marta Klekotko ◽  
Piotr Nowak

Abstract The paper is focused on the issue of culture and its connections to rural developments. It was based on the assumption that the culture has various impacts on rural communities` life, as well as, it has been present in various ways in functioning and changes that might be observed in rural areas. In our opinion, such a perspective should be presented in a more detailed way in order to stress the multiple and various impact of cultural issues on economic and social transformations in rural areas. Therefore, we divided our paper into three consecutive parts. In the first one, we discussed the multi-dimensional image of culture, and its role in human development. In the second one, we discussed some changes in the mechanisms of rural development, perceived as moving from the traditional to the contemporary one. We wanted to stress that culture seems to be an important part of the latter one. The last part of our considerations brought some empirical evidence from Poland focused on the role of culture in rural developments showing, at the same type, some examples of this new mechanism of rural development.


2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Glendinning ◽  
Mark Nuttall ◽  
Leo Hendry ◽  
Marion Kloep ◽  
Sheila Wood

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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-15
Author(s):  
Liana Zelenkevich

Based on the theoretical basis and empirical data, the article discusses from the sociological point of view the problem of identity development within the framework of the reform of local government, namely within the process of creating the united territorial communities.Understanding identity as a person’s property to feel belonging to a group, the author focuses on the issues of its change in rural communities that have joined the process of reforming local self-government.Based on the analysis of information on the first elections in the united communities of Zaporizhzhia and Lviv regions, a general social portrait of the current head of the united territorial community was developed.The author analyzes the recent results of community association and expressed the opinion that the structural process of construction of territorial units is characterized in general by the same regional trends, caused by more or less equivalent community consciousness of the entire rural population of the country.At the same time, there are differences in the results of the restructuring of power in different parts of the country, namely the spread of tendencies of ignorance and the opposition to decentralization in the West and the success of the restructuring of local authorities in the East of Ukraine.This is due, according to the author, to a greater degree of traditionalist identity in the western regions and an increase in the modern identity component in the eastern regions.Attention is drawn to the fact that decentralization, which is accompanied by the transformation of the boundaries of the rural community, raises problems of identity change.There is a problem of forming the perception of the new community of the united community as an ident for the rural man.It is revealed that decentralization in Ukraine, in particular the creation of united territorial communities, will have as a result of the destruction of the traditionalist identity of a person living in rural areas, the erosion of the communal content of interpersonal relations through the weakening of communal ties, which, in turn, the question of the future effectiveness of the system of local self-government, the mechanism of which is being built, since the essence of such a model of management is the collective solution of problems of local importance on the basis of a single identity .In this context, the author proposes to distinguish between the traditional community and the modernized community.The study focuses on the specific features of a modernized community, which, on the one hand, relate it in some respects to the urban community, and on the other hand, characterize it as a hybrid of the community and the urban community.At the same time, members of the united community will in the future form a new identity that is not inherited, but constructed on the basis of formal principles, rather than cultural attributes.The researcher concludes that it is problematic to achieve the goal of decentralization reform, which was declared by the authorities, to create a capable local government that will address all local issues and bear responsibility for it, because the community of unions as a means of transformation does not take into account the complexities of identity.


Author(s):  
Zinoviy Berezivskyy ◽  
Oksana Berezivska

Theoretical bases and methodical approaches to the study of state regulation of rural development in Ukraine are substantiated and the main tendencies of changes for the future are revealed. Many of the problems associated with rural development remain unexplored and need to be further addressed. This confirms the relevance, novelty and expediency of scientific research of the outlined problem. The method of research of state regulation of rural development is described, which is based on the use of methods necessary to establish the relationship between factors and results. In order to establish effective state regulation of rural development, the directions of further reforming the system of state regulation of rural development are proposed.


Author(s):  
Fariha Bibi

The present chapter aimed at making out the possibility of sustainable rural development by husbanding precious resources in the rural areas, particularly the rural areas of the Central Karakoram zone in Pakistan. For this purpose, a qualitative research design was manipulated in order to decipher the maximum chance of attaining rural sustainability in these areas through a thorough perusal of various relevant past studies. Hence, the information, gleaned from the archival sources and elucidated hermeneutically, signified a high level of effectiveness of the economical use of natural resources for retaining sufficient and passable degree of sustainability in the rural areas. Consequently, the hermeneutic assertions, made by the researcher of this study, accentuated the inculcation of numerous assorted customary husbandry methods, adopted and employed by the pure traditional rural communities, among the modern rural population of the Central Karakoram zone in Pakistan as well in order to enhance the possibility of arriving at the rural sustainability in these areas. Recognizing the value of certain reliable husbandry practices, the study deemed and estimated a maximum accomplishment of targets set out for attaining sustainable rural development all around the world, particularly in the Central Karakoram zone in Pakistan.


Author(s):  
P.C Kesavan ◽  
M.S Swaminathan

Extreme natural hazards, particularly the hydro-meteorological disasters, are emerging as a cause of major concern in the coastal regions of India and a few other developing countries. These have become more frequent in the recent past, and are taking a heavy toll of life and livelihoods. Low level of technology development in the rural areas together with social, economic and gender inequities enhance the vulnerability of the largely illiterate, unskilled, and resource-poor fishing, farming and landless labour communities. Their resilience to bounce back to pre-disaster level of normality is highly limited. For the planet Earth at crossroads, the imminent threat, however, is from a vicious spiral among environmental degradation, poverty and climate change-related natural disasters interacting in a mutually reinforcing manner. These, in turn, retard sustainable development, and also wipe out any small gains made thereof. To counter this unacceptable trend, the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation has developed a biovillage paradigm and rural knowledge centres for ecotechnological and knowledge empowerment of the coastal communities at risk. Frontier science and technologies blended with traditional knowledge and ecological prudence result in ecotechnologies with pro-nature , pro-poor and pro-women orientation. The rural communities are given training and helped to develop capacity to adopt ecotechnologies for market-driven eco-enterprises. The modern information and communication-based rural knowledge centres largely operated by trained semi-literate young women provide time - and locale - specific information on weather, crop and animal husbandry, market trends and prices for local communities, healthcare, transport, education, etc. to the local communities. The ecotechnologies and time- and locale-specific information content development are need-based and chosen in a ‘bottom-up’ manner. The use of recombinant DNA technology for genetic shielding of agricultural crops for coastal regions against abiotic stress (induced by the water- and weather-related natural disasters), strengthens the foundations of sustainable agriculture undertaken by the resource-poor small farm families.


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