Diverse Rural Population Research Articles

The Rise of Communal Politics: Representing “Peasants” in Non‐electoral and Electoral Politics, Bengal 1920–1930s

AbstractThis article explores the representation of peasants in colonial India, during the 1920s‐1930s undivided Bengal. It examines how the historically marginalized and underrepresented rural population came to be constructed as objects of representation. It traces the development of representative claims made by various political parties and groups, both within and outside formal institutions of power, on behalf of rural society. The article discusses the challenges of categorizing the diverse rural population using the term "peasant" as an analytical category in the context of colonial Bengal. It highlights the dominance of the urban intelligentsia in provincial politics until the 1920s‐1930s, which neglected rural issues. It then explores the emergence of different claims to represent peasants in electoral politics, with a particular focus on the political debates surrounding the Tenancy Reform in Bengal. Drawing on secondary sources and colonial archives, it raises questions about how substantive representation of peasants occurred, who championed their representation, and how they formulated their demands. Overall, the article sheds light on the complex dynamics of peasant representation. By examining the rise communal peasant politics in 1920‐1930s Bengal, it contributes to a deeper understanding of the complexities of rural mobilization and the interplay between class and communal identities.

“We grew up in the church”: A critical discourse analysis of Black and White rural residents’ perceptions of mental health

RationaleKnown as the “Black-White mental health paradox,” Black Americans typically report better mental health than White Americans, despite chronic exposure to the psychologically harmful effects of racism and discrimination. Yet, researchers rarely examine how mental health is experienced across racial groups in economically distressed rural regions where all residents have disproportionately less access to mental healthcare resources. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to explore how the racialized social system potentially contributes to the mental health beliefs and attitudes of racially majoritized and minoritized rural residents. MethodsWe conducted a secondary analysis of 29 health-focused oral history interviews from Black American (n = 16) and White American (n = 13) adults in rural North Carolina. Through critical discourse analysis, we found nuanced discourses linked to three mental-health-related topics: mental illness, stressors, and coping. ResultsWhite rural residents’ condemning discourses illustrated how their beliefs about mental illnesses were rooted in meritocratic notions of individual choice and personal responsibility. Conversely, Black rural residents offered compassionate discourses toward those who experience mental illness, and they described how macro-level mechanisms can affect individual well-being. Stressors also differed along racial lines, such that White residents were primarily concerned about perceived social changes, and Black residents referenced experiences of interpersonal and structural racism. Related to coping, Black and White rural residents characterized the mental health benefits of social support from involvement in their respective religious organizations. Only Black residents signified that a personal relationship with a higher power was an essential positive coping mechanism. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that belief (or disbelief) in meritocratic ideology and specific religious components could be important factors to probe with Black-White patterning in mental health outcomes. This research also suggests that sociocultural factors can disparately contribute to mental health beliefs and attitudes among diverse rural populations.

Forest as ‘nature’ or forest as territory? Knowledge, power, and climate change conservation in the Peruvian Amazon

ABSTRACT This paper examines the implications of climate crisis governance for rural communities in the Amazon of Peru. It draws the attention to the shared political economy behind the resistance of diverse rural populations particularly, Indigenous and Colono communities. Based on an analysis of two local conservation interventions in the region of San Martín—one involving indigenous communities and the other peasant settlers—this study argues that narrow authorized knowledge obscures the wider historical and agrarian macro context of uneven institutional and ecological arrangements that lead to the reproduction of injustices related to the land, the underlying causes of deforestation, and the authoritarian relationships of these local communities with the state.

Mapping Intercultural Communication Imperatives of Police-Public Interactions in Rural Spaces

This research note seeks to generate fruitful pathways to advance a new discourse on intercultural encounters between the police and individuals from multilingual communities in Australia’s increasingly diverse rural and regional settings. How might police officers better relate and communicate with groups of migrants whose language practices are complex, unpredictable and eschew the widely used logics of translation and interpretation? How might we encourage hope in our social communities that intercultural understanding between policing agencies and new migrants is key to co-creating peaceful and resilient rural communities? How might police communication protocols that assist in supporting the retention of migrants’ linguistic capabilities and funds of knowledges contribute to the wellbeing of regional communities? What would policing rural and regional communities look like if we were to centre sociolinguistic and intercultural imperatives? In this research note, we consider these questions in our search for the next steps in mapping police communication protocols that work for all in Australia’s rural and regional settings. The goal is to contribute new conceptual approaches we can use to foster partnerships and trusting relationships between the police and our increasingly diverse rural populations.

Targeted community outreach events to deliver healthcare to diverse rural populations

Targeted community outreach events to deliver healthcare to diverse rural populations

Aportes de la práctica pedagógica en las comunidades rurales del municipio de Restrepo, Departamento del Meta (Colombia)

Las instituciones de educación superior dentro de su responsabilidad están llamadas a confrontar la acción social de sus estudiantes y egresados con la pertinencia de los programas que ofrece. El objetivo del estudio logró establecer los aportes educativos, productivos y comunitarios de estudiantes del programa “Licenciatura en Producción Agropecuaria” de la Universidad de los Llanos en comunidades rurales intervenidas en el municipio de Restrepo, durante el periodo 2012- 2014 a partir de procesos de formación en seguridad alimentaria y educación ambiental orientados desde los cursos de Educación y Extensión Comunitaria, y la Práctica Profesional Docente. Como ruta de investigación se optó por la cualitativa vinculando elementos propios de la complementariedad, se priorizaron técnicas como la observación participante, la interacción con la población objeto de estudio, el diseño y aplicación de fichas de caracterización, entrevistas en profundidad, grupos focales y la construcción de una matriz DOFA para el análisis reflexivo de la información obtenida. Los resultados de la investigación ratifican algunas de las fortalezas del programa de Licenciatura en Producción Agropecuaria: la formación pedagógica y humanista de los futuros docentes es útil para afrontar procesos de formación en educación no formal, para contribuir al mejoramiento de la calidad de vida de las comunidades participantes, quienes implementaron procesos de producción limpia de alimentos, escenarios de conservación de ecosistemas naturales y el fortalecimiento de los lazos comunitarios en pro de su desarrollo. El estudio concluyó que cuando la práctica pedagógica es contextualizada se consolidan soluciones para la diversa población rural atendida, que se hizo evidente con la implementación técnica y sustentable de huertas caseras, la adecuación de senderos ecológicos para la promoción del manejo ambiental, la implementación de proyectos sostenibles de avicultura, cunicultura, producción de abonos orgánicos, la agroindustrialización de productos y la implementación per se de procesos de seguridad alimentaria.

Abstract B107: Cervical cancer screening behaviors and perceptions of medical mistrust among rural Black and White women

Abstract Background: This study examined the relationship of medical mistrust, using the Group-based Medical Mistrust Scale (GBMMS), and Papanicolaou (Pap) testing behaviors among rural Black and White women. Methods: Utilizing a convenience sample, a cross-sectional study was performed. Inclusion criteria included self-identification as a non-Hispanic Black or White female, at least 21 years of age and a resident of one of the predetermined counties in the region. Analyses conducted were two-sample t-tests, Fisher's exact tests, Pearson's r and logistical regression. Results: Among 338 women, four GBMMS items had statistically significant outcomes using multiple significance tests and remained when adjusting for demographic variables. Analyses indicated that Whites were dissatisfied with the health care system to a greater extent than Blacks. In addition, among White respondents, as the level of medical mistrust increases, an individual's likelihood of ever having had a Pap test performed decreases. Moreover, among the White subgroup, women who have formed a habit of adhering to the recommendation were more likely to maintain annual commitment. Conclusions: The impact of medical mistrust on health care-seeking behaviors should be explored beyond merely members of racial/ethnic minority groups. The findings will be used to create a community-informed, multilevel cervical cancer screening intervention to foster healthful behaviors among racially diverse rural populations. This approach has the potential to reduce prevalent disparities among rural residents when compared to urban areas of the state. Citation Format: Marla B. Hall, Paul Vos, Jukelia Bess, Kelly Reburn, Gavin Locklear, Jamila McAlister, Ronny Bell. Cervical cancer screening behaviors and perceptions of medical mistrust among rural Black and White women [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr B107.

Community-Based Conversations about Advance Care Planning for Underserved Populations Using Lay Patient Navigators.

Background: Widespread community engagement in advance care planning (ACP) is needed to overcome barriers to ACP implementation. Objective: Develop, implement, and evaluate a model for community-based ACP in rural populations with low English language fluency and health care access using lay patient navigators. Design: A statewide initiative to improve ACP setting/subjects-trained in a group session approach, bilingual patient navigators facilitated 1-hour English and Spanish ACP sessions discussing concerns about choosing a surrogate decision maker and completing an advance directive (AD). Participants received bilingual informational materials, including Frequently Asked Questions, an AD in English or Spanish, and Goal Setting worksheet. Measurement: Participants completed a program evaluation and 4-item ACP Engagement Survey (ACP-4) postsession. Results: For 18 months, 74 ACP sessions engaged 1034 participants in urban, rural, and frontier areas of the state; 39% were ethnically diverse, 69% female. A nurse or physician co-facilitated 49% of sessions. Forty-seven percent of participants completed an ACP-4 with 29% planning to name a decision maker in the next 6 months and 21% in the next 30 days; 31% were ready to complete an AD in the next 6 months and 22% in the next 30 days. Evaluations showed 98% were satisfied with sessions. Thematic analysis of interviews with facilitators highlighted barriers to delivering an ACP community-based initiative, strategies used to build community buy-in and engagement, and ways success was measured. Conclusion: Patient navigators effectively engaged underserved and ethnically diverse rural populations in community-based settings. This model can be adapted to improve ACP in other underserved populations.

Looking Back, Moving Forward: A Retrospective Review of Care Trends in an Academic Palliative and Supportive Care Program from 2004 to 2016.

Objective: To examine a rural-serving HBPC program's 12-year experience and historical trends to inform future program direction and expansion. Background: There is limited information about longitudinal trends in mature hospital-based palliative care (HBPC) programs serving racially diverse rural populations. Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of operational and patient-reported outcomes from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Center for Palliative and Supportive Care (CPSC) inpatient (n=11,786) and outpatient (n=315) databases from October 2004 to March 2016. Results: Inpatients were a mean age of 63.7 years, male (50.1%), white (62.3%), general medicine referred (19.5%), primarily for goals of care (84.4%); 47.1% had "do not resuscitate/do not intubate" status and 46.9% were transferred to the Palliative Care and Comfort Unit (PCCU) after consultation. Median time from admission to consultation was three days, median PCCU length of stay (LOS) was four days, and median hospital LOS was nine days. Increased emergency department and cardiology referrals were notable in later years. Outpatients' mean age was 53.02 years, 63.5% were female, 76.8% were white, and 75.6% had a cancer diagnosis. Fatigue, pain, and disturbed sleep were the most common symptoms at the time of the visit; 34.6% reported mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms. Of patients reporting pain (64.8%), one-third had 50% or less relief from pain treatment. Discussion: The CPSC, which serves a racially diverse rural population, has demonstrated robust growth. We are poised to scale and spread our lessons learned to underserved communities.

The complexity of farmworkers’ livelihoods in Zimbabwe after the Fast Track Land Reform: experiences from a farm in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe

ABSTRACTThe Fast Track Land Reform programme in Zimbabwe was one of the largest land redistribution exercises in the world. The programme had varying impacts on the diverse rural population, leading to a binary projection of winners and losers. The authors use a micro case study of former farmworkers in Chinhoyi to highlight how this particular group has fared since 2000. The authors’ interest is in understanding how the programme impacted on the farmworkers’ livelihoods and how they have responded to the changing agrarian structure. The authors focus on the bulk of the permanent farmworkers on the A2 farms who remained in the farm compounds where they offered to work for the new black farm owners. Using qualitative methodology, this study assesses the fragile patterns of livelihoods for the resident farmworkers. The vast majority of these workers did not get land during the land reform programme, thus their livelihoods in large part derive from the labour they sell to their new employers. This livelihood option however remains limited, ephemeral and unreliable.

Seasonal Variation in the consumption of biomass fuel in a rural community of arid Patagonia, Argentina

The use of biomass as an energy resource is key to the subsistence and development of diverse rural populations throughout the world. Nevertheless, little has been considered as to how biomass consumption patterns vary throughout the year, or what strategies locals may employ. In a rural community of the Patagonian steppe, seasonal variation in domestic consumption of fuel plants was studied. Possible socioeconomic conditioning factors (i.e., size of family unit, infrastructure of dwellings, number of combustion appliances used) were analysed, and seasonal variation in the richness of plant species used was determined. Average biomass consumption was found to be 12000 kg/year/home and 1479 kg/year/per capita, with significantly higher values during winter (62.89 kg/day/home), than in summer (18.45 kg/day/home). The richness of fuel species used varied significantly during the year, and in line with biomass estimates, the highest use consensus for species was recorded during winter and autumn, with exotic species predominating. The maximum difference in species was registered in autumn, due to an increase in the stockpiling of wood bought for winter, when the preference is for high caloric value and accessible commercial price. During the year the main species used were Salix spp. and Nothofagus antarctica . The study of seasonal variation in firewood consumption contributes knowledge that can be used in detailed management of this resource, with attention being paid to differential needs as seen from a local perspective.

Patterns of alcohol consumption in diverse rural populations in the Asian region

BackgroundAlcohol abuse, together with tobacco use, is a major determinant of health and social well-being, and is one of the most important of 26 risk factors comparatively assessed in low and middle income countries, surpassed only by high blood pressure and tobacco.ObjectivesThe alcohol consumption patterns and the associations between consumption of alcohol and socio-demographic and cultural factors have been investigated in nine rural health and demographic surveillance sites (HDSS) located in five Asian countries.MethodsThe information was collected from multiple study sites, with sample sizes of sufficient size to measure trends in age and sex groups over time. Adopting the WHO STEPwise approach to Surveillance (WHO STEPS), stratified random sampling (in each 10-year interval) from the HDSS sampling frame was undertaken. Information regarding alcohol consumption and demographic indicators were collected using the WHO STEPwise standard surveillance form. The data from the nine HDSS sites were merged and analysed using STATA software version 10.ResultsAlcohol was rarely consumed in five of the HDSS (four in Bangladesh, and one in Indonesia). In the two HDSS in Vietnam (Chililab, Filabavi) and one in Thailand (Kanchanaburi), alcohol consumption was common in men. The mean number of drinks per day during the last seven days, and prevalence of at-risk drinker were found to be highest in Filabavi. The prevalence of female alcohol consumption was much smaller in comparison with men. In Chililab, people who did not go to school or did not complete primary education were more likely to drink in comparison to people who graduated from high school or university.ConclusionsAlthough uncommon in some countries because of religious and cultural practices, alcohol consumption patterns in some sites were cause for concern. In addition, qualitative studies may be necessary to understand the factors influencing alcohol consumption levels between the two sites in Vietnam and the site in Thailand in order to design appropriate interventions.

Neighbors Yet Strangers: Local People's Awareness of Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Southern Illinois, USA

Knowledge and perception of federal land-use decisions and policies among residents of poor rural areas in the United States have received little attention in the literature. The purpose of this study was to examine awareness of Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge and its programs as reported by the surrounding public in rural southern Illinois. A snowball or referral chain sampling technique was used to gain access to minority and low-income segments of a diverse rural population. Study findings reveal that race and distance of residence from the refuge mattered in southern Illinois residents' awareness of the refuge. Lack of broad-based awareness and program attendance were assessed in terms of distributive and procedural equity. Comprehensive and sustained efforts at more effective communication with all local residents, particularly minority residents, will be necessary to achieve the goal of environmental justice in planning and delivery of future refuge programs and services.

‘Lesbian migrants in the gentrified valley’ and ‘other’ geographies of rural gentrification

This paper explores the migration and cultural consumption practices of lesbian households within processes of rural change. Taking forward Phillips’ (2004. Progress in Human Geography 28, 5–30) discussion of neglected geographies of rural gentrification, and building upon Halfacree's (2001. International Journal of Population Geography 7, 395–411) critique of dominant conceptualisations of rural in-migrants, the paper presents empirical findings from a qualitative study of lesbian households in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. This follows up an earlier study of rural gentrification (Smith and Phillips, 2001. Journal of Rural Studies 19, 457–469). Lesbian households are shown to be a significant group that socially and culturally (re)produce distinct constructions of rurality, and act as gentrifiers via their migration, residential, and consumption practices. Many parallels to the migration processes of non-lesbian gentrifiers in Hebden Bridge are revealed, with the alternative cultural structures of Hebden Bridge being a key factor. We therefore argue that lesbian households should not be ‘othered’ within discourses of rural gentrification. The discussion emphasises the value of focussing upon neglected socio-cultural groups in robust ways, in order to shed light on the wider lifestyles and experiences of diverse rural populations, and to deepen understandings of other geographies of rural gentrification.

Rural mental health: An opportunity

Rural mental health: An opportunity

An International View of National Biological Surveys

Museums and herbaria in industrialized countries hold a huge amount of data in the form of labels associated with specimens collected in developing countries. These data represent a significant part of the existing information on biodiversity available for most developing countries. In this paper we first discuss the usefulness of the label information, providing some examples from Mexico. Acquiring and updating the information requires international cooperation, including the agreement of common policies for ownership and use of the data. Beneficiaries of such efforts will be not only the countries that assemble the databases from foreign museums, but the international scientific ommunity as well, due to the increased scientific value that large databases coupled with modern computer technologies provide. Surveying the biological diversity of a nation involves the inventorying, cataloging, and mapping of ecosystems, species, populations, and genes. It may also include research on the dynamic aspects of population biology, community and ecosystems ecology, and human uses of the different components of biodiversity. The task of biological surveying is among the oldest that biologists have faced (Badiano, 1552; Hernandez, 1790). However, the increasing rate of ecosystem destruction with its associated species extinction and genetic erosion (McNeely et al., 1990; Wilson, 1992; Ehrlich, 1995; Whitmore & Sayer, 1992), and the realization that perhaps 90% of the species on the planet remain to be named, not to mention mapped or understood (May, 1990; Groombridge, 1992; Stork, 1988), have added urgency to the problem. To address this urgency, new methods of documenting biodiversity are currently being developed-such as Rapid Assessment Programs (RAPs) (Conservation International, 1991, 1992, 1993a-c), the division of labor and information management methods of Costa Rica's Instituto Nacional deBiodiversidad (INBio) (Janzen et al., 1993), All Taxa Biotic Inventories (Janzen, 1993), new sampling methods including the so-called BioRaps (Margules & Austin, 1995), where extrapolations of distributions are obtained prior to the sampling (Margules & Redhead, 1995), and advanced methods using sensors and pattern recognition software. The reasons different societies and cultures may have for cataloging biodiversity run the spectrum from the strictly utilitarian to the philosophical and religious (Norton, 1987; Wilson, 1992). In countries like Mexico, which has a large, diverse rural population (Sarukhain et al., 1996), utilitarian reasons are very important. Indeed, in Mexico more than 3000 species are used as medicinal plants (Argueta et al., 1994), many other species have industrial applications (Sarukhain & Dirzo, 1992), such as jojoba for high-grade oil, and there are hundreds of varieties of corn, beans, chile, and other species that are used for food. Still, non-utilitarian reasons for preserving biological diversity are expressed very forcefully by different segments of the public, such as outcries for protecting the monarch butterfly [Secretarfa de Desarrollo Social (SEDESOL), 1993], waterfowl [Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), 1995], marine mammals (Salinas & Ladron de Guevara, 1993), and other conspicuous species. A good example in plants is the recently discovered Lacandonia schismatica (Martifnez & Ramos, 1989), which despite being apparently useless and inconspicuous has been protected by the Chole Indian community of San Javier, Chiapas, at the cost of not clearing the remaining patch'We thank Peter Raven and the organizers of the Symposium for the invitation to participate. Many ideas presented here have been discussed extensively with Alejandro Pelaez, whose involvement we gratefully acknowledge. We also thank Mary Carmen Navarro and Rafael Caballero for the GIS work and species accumulation curves analyses, and Lupita Bermejo for helping with the references. Exequiel Ezcurra developed the algorithms for spatial analysis of collecting points. We are grateful to Amy Scheuler McPherson for very detailed and kind editorial work. 2 Comisi6n Nacional Para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO) Ferndndez Leal 43, Coyoacdn, Mexico D.F. 04020, Mexico. 3 Centro de Ecologfa, UNAM. Apdo. Postal 70-275, Mexico 04510, Mexico. 4 Museo de Zoologfa Alfonso L. Herrera, Fac. Ciencias, UNAM. Apdo. Postal 70-399, Mexico D.F. 04510, Mexico. ANN. MISSOURI BOT. GARD. 83: 562-573. 1996. Volume 83, Number 4 Sober6n et al. 563 1996 International View