Market Town Research Articles

Survey on Current Status, Challenges and Opportunities towards Integration of Traditional Smallholder Crop-livestock Systems in Kenya

The current study reports the results of a baseline survey conducted to establish current status of optimizing productivity of crop-livestock systems in Kenya. Results from the study showed that 74% and 18% of the household head and respondents were male and female respectively, indicating a male dominance of household headship. The household head (69%) and respondents (16%) reported to have completed classes for formal school. On average, farmers were walking 1.83 Km, 5.18 Km, 4.65 Km, and 12.79 Km to the nearest village market, town market, extension office and farmers’ training centers respectively. This shows that extension and communication services are still far apart from the farming communities, with a negative implication on technology adoption and household food and nutrition security. Majority of the farmers did not utilize organic nutrients for crop production (96%). Open heaping/piling, composting with other materials, use of solid and liquid manures was reported to be utilized on average 67 kg, 30 kg, 11 kg and 2 kg respectively. This implies a poor manure management, low adoption and utilization levels of organic manures, with subsequent impact on climate change, crop productivity and household food and nutrition security. The main constraint limiting the use of organic fertilizers were ranked as follows; ignorance of the technical aspects linked to the use of manure as an organic fertilizer (17.8%), low awareness of manure usefulness to improve soil fertility (16.4%), high affordability and timely accessibility of chemical fertilizers (16.3%). Results further show that majority of the respondent did not utilize Nitrogen fixing plants (66%), nutrient cycling (84%) and legume crops (75%). The main Nitrogen-fixing plants were faba bean (10%), Sesbania (9%), cowpea (5%), alfalfa (2%) and sunflower (1%) respectively. The survey recommends promotion of climate smart interventions and organic soil fertility management approaches, farmers capacity building and promotion of agribusiness.

Superdiversity, fluidity and flexibility: translanguaging practices and grassroots multilingualism in an international trade hub in China

ABSTRACT Drawing upon a sociolinguistic ethnography of a global market town in Yiwu, China, this study seeks to add theoretical depth and empirical breadth to the notions of translanguaging and grassroots multilingualism in ‘globalisation from below’. The data shows that superdiversity, fluidity and flexibility are key features of language practices in the business community, where private traders discarded the boundaries between different languages and deployed various linguistic features as translanguaging practices for the purposes of networking, meaning-making and bringing in more business. By valuing the functionality of languages and embracing a ‘non-standard’ language ideology, the traders resisted the linguistic ‘rule’ and ‘norm’ imposed by the mainstream society and in the meanwhile, articulating the value of grassroots multilingualism in the localised context. More importantly, the translangugaing practices were multisemiotic, multisensory and multimodal in nature, which helped traders overcome the negative effective of language superdiversity and contributed to their confident conclusion of ‘no communication problem’ in the market. Implications for language policy making and community-based training are discussed at the end of the article.

Reckoning with landscape tensions, reflecting on creative methodologies

In this paper landscape painting is developed as a mode of enquiry through which to explore the tensions inherent to landscape. Set on the high street in a small market town and undertaken by individuals with varying artistic experience, this methodological experiment explores the tensions between the non-representational and representational realms of landscape. By using Elizabeth Grosz’s writings on art, I develop this landscape painting methodology through an understanding of art and artmaking as intensifying sensation. Here, Grosz’s ideas become the foundation for a participatory arts method that decentres the human, whilst remaining focused on the presence of pleasure within landscape. It is by drawing together methodological experimentation and feminist theory that I revisit feminist geographies’ already existing interest in pleasure in/through landscapes through a more-than-representational lens.

«Elle, melle, deg fortelle, skipet går ut i år, rygg i rann, to i spann, snipp, snapp, snute, du er ute!» Om København som utskipningshavn for leidangen i det 11. og 12. århundre

«Elle, melle, deg fortelle, skipet går ut i år, rygg i rann, to i spann, snipp, snapp, snute, du er ute!» About Copenhagen as a shipping port for the leidang in the 11th and 12th century. The remains of a large semi-circular rampart in the central parts of Copenhagen is discussed as part of the city’s defence and leiðangr organisation, Norwegian leidang, during the 11th and 12th century. Despite the lack of archaeological evidence, the proposal is based on the site’s geographic location by Øresund and function as a natural shipping port. As part of this hypothesis, the leidang as a military organisation and coast guard arrangement is discussed over time, as well as the proposed link between the leidang as an organisation and the occurrence of snekke-names. After Bishop Absalon’s takeover of the village of Hafn at the end of the 12th century and the constructionof a new castle on Strandholmen, the location continued as an important place for defence and mobilisation. The leidang in its original form gradually came to lose its importance in the following century, due to further structural and defence efforts in what would later become the market town of Copenhagen.

Vpliv gradnje južne železnice na demografski razvoj Laškega

At the beginning of the 19th century, Laško was a medium-sized market town with poor transport links, inhabited by artisans. Together with the road from Celje to Zidani Most, the railway connection that reached Laško in 1849 represented the first modern transport connection. The town’s improved transport connectivity stimulated its economic development. The present research, primarily based on the church registers of the Laško parish, focuses on the demographic analysis of the Laško population during the period when the southern railway was being constructed (1845–1848). The large number of construction workers building the southern railway brought plenty of unrest, new opportunities for the local population, and an epidemic of spotted typhus to the town. The latter broke out among the construction workers and spread among the local population.

To examine the impact of canal irrigation systems on agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods in Sikh-ruled Punjab.

An examination of the effect that canal irrigation systems have had on agricultural output and rural life in Punjab, which is dominated by the Sikhs, finds that these systems have had a transformational influence on the socio-economic landscape of the province. During the time when the Sikhs were in power, and notably during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, large canal networks were constructed. These networks considerably increased agricultural production and contributed to the expansion of the economy. Through the provision of a consistent water supply, these irrigation systems made it possible to cultivate crops throughout the whole year, which resulted in increased agricultural yields and variety. The installation of canal irrigation systems in Punjab resulted in significant alterations to the region's socioeconomic landscape. As a result of increased agricultural productivity, not only was food security assured, but excess produce was also made available for commerce, which contributed to the improvement of regional economy. Economic activities and the creation of revenue for rural populations were further strengthened as a result of the availability of water for irrigation, which encouraged the growing of cash crops like as cotton and sugarcane. The canal networks were crucial in the transformation of rural life by being responsible for the creation of job possibilities in agriculture and other related industries. Enhanced agricultural output led to an increase in population growth in canal-irrigated regions, which in turn led to the establishment of new communities and the construction of new infrastructure. This demographic transition also made it easier for market towns and trade centres to come into existence, which in turn assisted in the development of commercial activity and regional integration. During the time when the Sikhs ruled Punjab, the building of canal irrigation systems had a complex influence, including the enhancement of agricultural output, the stimulation of economic expansion, and the transformation of rural life circumstances. These improvements created the groundwork for the agricultural success and economic resilience that Punjab would experience in the decades that followed from that point on.

Două planuri necunoscute ale Craiovei din a doua jumătate a secolului al XVIII-lea – jumătatea secolului al XIX-lea

In this study, we publish two plans of Craiova, discovered at the Military-Historical Archive of Moscow: a plan made during the occupation of Wallachia in 1771–1774 and another made either during the occupation after the 1848 revolution (1848–1851) or during the first year of the Crimean War (August 1853 – April 1854). Both plans support the idea that the town underwent organic development, which took into account the local landforms and the way man intervened. Its location in the Jiu Valley played a significant role in the emergence and evolution of this centre, as the course of the river was accompanied by an important road, Craiova being at the intersection with other major traffic routes of this region of the country. The valleys bordering the urban core had the role of delimiting the original inhabited area and the position of the “Bănia” area, with the church of St. Dumitru, as a strategic area and centre of power, on the edge of the coast overlooking the valley towards the west, is evident. Separately, across another small valley, the heart of the town developed, the market, the area with the best economic outlook, not coincidentally located at the crossroads of the main east-west and south-north axes. The medieval town evolved around these two cores, but development and population growth meant the valleys bordering it were overtaken by the 18th century. How the streets converged in the town underlines the idea of gradual growth, and the concentration of roads around the focal point that was the town market marked the layout of Craiova. Human intervention up to the 1830s and 1840s took place not only through the building of dwelling houses, shops and workshops but also through the construction of major landmarks represented by churches and monasteries, around which the neighbourhood (mahala) gravitated. Once the process of modernization began, the anthropic footprint became even more important through the extensive building actions initiated after the Organic Regulation, some of which are visible in the second plan studied. Unfortunately, we could not identify the plan’s authors among the Russian army surveyors of those periods. The two cartographic documents contribute to a better knowledge of Craiova in the second half of the 18th century and the first half of the following century, adding to the already known plans (the Austrian plan of 1790 and the Romanian one of 1845).

Jews and German Politics: The Case of Habsburg Moravia, 1867–1918

AbstractIn the Austrian province of Moravia, Jews, most of whom spoke German, continued to participate in and support the German political community until the end of the Habsburg monarchy. Unlike in nearby Bohemia, German liberals in Moravia did not abandon the Jews as the franchise expanded and antisemitism grew. Indeed, the German Progressive Party continued to attract voters in the cities of the province and did not resort to antisemitism in order to do so. Although there were only a small number of Jews in the province—just over 40,000—they played a large role among the voters in the urban curia. After the Moravian Compromise of 1905, when German parties no longer had to compete with Czech parties, Jews often formed the majority of all voters for German parties in the small market towns of the largely Czech-speaking south and central part of the province. The perception of the need for Jewish support in elections created a situation in which the German liberals did not turn to antisemitic politics and the Jewish/German liberal alliance remained strong.

‘It’s a struggle’ – the role of the school Health and Well-being Lead in supporting families in poverty

This article explores one primary school’s response to addressing poverty experienced by children and families, within a post-Covid context. It draws on a small-scale qualitative case study exploring the role of the Health and Well-being Lead (HWBL) in a primary school in a relatively affluent market town in the south-east of England. A psychoanalytical approach was taken to understand the data drawing on the researchers different situated experiences and knowledges. Participants included children, parents and staff at the school. All parent participants shared their financial challenges, which they referred to as ‘struggles’, with many relating to the impact of the cost of living and adverse unexpected events. Staff raised concerns about how cuts to support services and funding for schools had contributed to and exacerbated challenges due to long waiting lists and a lack of early intervention. The role of the HWBL was recognised by both parents and staff as an important resource within the school. Integral to this role was a non-judgemental and empathic approach, which created an open and trusting relationship with parents. Despite the apparent success of the role, it was evident that the workload and the increase in ‘struggles’ experienced by families was having an impact on both the HWBL and other staff. While we acknowledge that such a role could benefit other schools, we argue that this will only be successful and sustainable if the government also addresses the need for early intervention, funding and the workload crisis in children’s services and schools.

Assessing Impacts and Local Perceptions Following the Incidental Introduction of tilapia (Cichlidae: Cichliformes) in a Remote Inland Fishery in Papua New Guinea

Introductions of non-native fish are intended to have positive social outcomes, although they can also result in negative environmental consequences. Recently, incidental introduction of tilapia (Oreochromis cf. niloticus) was recorded in the Kikori River, Papua New Guinea. This study investigated the abundance of Oreochromis cf. niloticus relative to native fish species in the Kikori Town market, and interviewed market vendors to gauge the local perception of Oreochromis cf. niloticus. Market data were collected over eight days with 1474 individual fish observed. Oreochromis cf. niloticus comprised 11.4% (n = 168) of fish and was the largest contributor of biomass (40.2%). Market vendors reported that Oreochromis cf. niloticus was easy to catch and sell, and ranked it highly in sale preference compared to native species. There is potential to explore export markets for Kikori River Oreochromis cf. niloticus in PNG’s highland provinces to expand economic opportunities for local communities.

The use of the civil wars in Colchester's tourist image

This article explores the relationship between useable pasts and tourism to show how towns reinvented themselves using their local and unique histories throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. To achieve this, the article focuses its attention on the growing influence and importance that tourism had on Colchester's development. It shows how important visible landmarks and mythical stories are in ensuring a past's usability. Alongside this it highlights the importance of local stakeholders and businesses in owning the past and marketing the town as a historic location. In doing so it demonstrates the ways in which Colchester reinvented itself from an old Market town to become an Historic town. Focusing on the controversial history of the Siege of 1648, it will show how towns dealt with tragic narratives as they began using the past to sell themselves to the nation.

Evaluating the Enablers of Effective Sustainable Management Practices for Public Ultra-Modern Market Infrastructure in Niger-Delta Region

This research investigates the pivotal factors facilitating the successful implementation of sustainable management practices in public ultra-modern markets, essential components of urban landscapes facing numerous challenges. Despite the growing acknowledgment of sustainability in urban development, a significant gap exists in comprehending the specific drivers behind effective management within these bustling market infrastructures. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, combining cross-sectional surveys and personal interviews, 239 administered questionnaires with a 76.7% response rate, reveals this study employs a pragmatic case study design focused on the Niger-Delta Region, Nigeria. Questionnaires were distributed, and interviews and observations conducted in New Town Market (Port Harcourt, Rivers State), Swali Market (Yenegoa, Bayelsa State), and Uvwie Market (Warri, Delta State). The study, based on key enablers of sustainable management, including organizational structure design, teamwork ethos, knowledge sharing, commitment levels, good governance, regular sustainable management meetings, and motivation for the management practice team. Quantitative data were analyzed through frequency tabulation, percentages, mean, and Relative Importance Index (RII), while qualitative data underwent transcription and analysis employing data reduction, content analysis, and thematic analysis. The findings underscore the significance of these enablers in enhancing infrastructure management effectiveness within public ultra-modern markets in Nigeria.

MEDIEVAL URBAN DEVELOPMENT OF LAMPERTSAS AND SEVLUS

Current study describes the medieval town development of Lampertsas and Sevlus. The first part of the research deals with the definition of medieval cities existing in the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary, namely, on the basis of what legal criteria do we separate the townas a form of settlement from the village and market town. The legal definition of settlement form sexisting in the Kingdom of Hungary follows the Western European model, which is not separated from the population or the distribution of industrialization and agricultural work, but from legal regulations. The settlement of the legal status of cities was essential for the development of the local areas. The pivotal points of the legal background of the cities were that the settlement directly belonged to the royal or state property, so the noble jurisdiction did not apply to it. Fur ther more, the fact that the inhabitants of the city did not owe any monetary or other taxes tothe nobility helped the economic development. The privileges were given to the inhabitants of the cities, who also strove to have the boundaries of the settlement defined, thus, a distinct administrative unit with designated geographical boundaries would be created. In several places this meant a city wall, but in the case of our region we cannot speak of similar phenomenon. More over, the creation of the economic background was also essential for the operation ofurban life, which was based on the weekly and annual fairs, as well as the existence of toll. During the fairs, not only the urban craftsmen could sell their goods, but food could also bebrought in from the surrounding villages. In the medieval urban history of our region, it is essential to examine two important settlements, and these are the mentioned Lampertsas and Sevlus. The urban development of both settlements begins in the middle of the 13th century, which culminates in the 14th century, when it has all the legal conditions typical of medieval cities. Both settlements owe their rise to the Saxon hospites, and most likely, with theirdisappearance the development comes to halt.

When and why Trnovo was a market town

When and why Trnovo was a market town

The musical heritage of Sárospatak in the 17th–18th centuries

AbstractOriginally a small market town in Northern Hungary, Sárospatak (Patak) deserves attention for more than just the role it played in a series of historical events that were to define the future of this country throughout the 17th–18th centuries. The cultural, educational and musical legacy of the period is also outstanding, and the functioning of the Patak College (Pataki Kollégium), which soon gained considerable prestige, played a key part in this. The aim of this paper is to present the musical aspects of this most valuable set of interconnected cultural assets.

ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY AND SYNERGISM OF Allium sativum, Zingiber officinale, AND Citrus limon peel ESSENTIAL OILS AGAINST Tinea capitis

The burden of Tinea infections, common dermatologic fungal diseases remains high globally, especially in Africa. This is sustained mainly by the emergence of resistance to current antifungal drugs in use. Alternative treatment and preventive measures need to be sought to eradicate these infections. Antifungal activity and synergism of garlic in combination with ginger and lemon peel essential oils against Tinea capitis is assessed using inhibition assays. Ginger, lemons, and garlic samples were randomly collected from the Nakuru town market in Nakuru County, Kenya. They were identified by a botanist and then extracted and, analyzed. Antifungal activity against Tinea capitis and synergism among extracts were assessed by the disk diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), respectively. The average essential oil yield for ginger, lemon, and garlic was 22%, 20%, and 16%, respectively. Ginger, lemon, and garlic essential oils depicted a comparable antifungal activity against Tinea capitis isolates (P value > 0.05). The combined essential oils formulation of ginger, lemon, and garlic showed the highest activity compared to single extracts (P > 0.05). The MIC for the combined essential oils was 6.25 mg/ml. A combination of the three extracts acts in synergy against the Tinea isolates. The rate of inhibition was directly proportional to the concentration of the extracts. Ginger, lemon, and garlic are sources of molecules that act in synergy in controlling Tinea spp infections. They can be leveraged to support the Ministry of Health in achieving its universal healthcare goal.

Effect of Climate Change and Human Activities on Surface and Ground Water Quality in Major Cities of Pakistan

In this study, climate change and human impacts on water quality in five major urban areas of Pakistan, including Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Abbottabad, and Gilgit, were determined. Secondary data on various physical, chemical, and bacteriological water quality parameters were taken from published papers, reports, and theses. Surface and groundwater were the major sources of drinking water in these cities. The physicochemical parameters were total turbidity, pH, dissolved solids (TDS), sulphates, chlorides, calcium, sodium, HCO3, potassium, magnesium, nitrates, fluorides, arsenic, and hardness. The bacteriological parameters were total coliform, total faecal coliform, and total plate counts. The data revealed that pH, TDS, fluoride, chloride, HCO3, sodium, and hardness were above the limits in Karachi. MCB Market, Goth Ibrahim, and Malir Town were the main contaminated areas in Karachi. In Lahore, arsenic was found above the limits in all sampling locations. Turbidity, pH, HCO3, calcium, magnesium, and hardness were found above the limits in Peshawar. In Gilgit city, all physicochemical parameters were found within the limits except turbidity, which was 10 NTU in Nomal valley. Nitrates were higher in the water sources in Abbottabad. Bacterial contamination was found in the water of all five cities. Most of the studies revealed that this contamination could be human-induced. The improper disposal of solid waste, sewage, and animal waste and the excessive use of fertilisers deteriorate the quality of the water. Precipitation, a rise in temperature, and seasonal variation are climate variables that affect water quality and are responsible for major outbreaks of waterborne diseases. There is an urgent need for regular analysis, proper management, and proper treatment of drinking water before it is supplied to the local community in these cities.

Local authority austerity and place-based working: a qualitative exploration of a pilot policy implementation in a market town

Local authority austerity and place-based working: a qualitative exploration of a pilot policy implementation in a market town

An evaluation of nutrition, culinary, and production interventions using African indigenous vegetables on nutrition security among smallholder farmers in Western Kenya.

Nutrition security continues to worsen in sub-Saharan Africa. Current research is limited on how seasonality may influence the impact of nutrition, culinary, and production interventions on food security, diet quality, and consumption of African Indigenous Vegetables (AIV); a culturally accepted source of micro-and-macronutrients that are easily produced due to their adaptation to the local environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the programmatic impact of AIV interventions on nutrition security among smallholder farmers. In a randomized control trial, five target counties in Western Kenya were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: (1) control; (2) production intervention (PI); (3) nutrition and culinary intervention (NCI); and (4) NCI and PI (NCI/PI). After the counties were randomly assigned to a treatment, 503 smallholder farmers (18-65 years) were selected from participatory farmer groups. The PI consisted of five agricultural production modules delivered between 2016 and 2019. The NCI was delivered twice: (1) household nutrition education (2017) and (2) community culinary training (2019). The NCI/PI included communities receiving both interventions at these time periods. Baseline and endline surveys were administered to all participants once in October 2016 (harvest season) and to all available participants (n = 250) once in June to July 2019 (dry season), respectively. The impact evaluation was analyzed by Household Hunger Scale (HHS), Women's Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS), AIV consumption frequency, and AIV market availability. Statistical tests included descriptive statistics (means and frequencies), paired t-test, McNemar's test, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test, ANOVA test with Tukey post hoc, and χ2 test. Open-ended questions were aggregated, and responses were selected based on relevancy and thoroughness of the response to provide context to the quantitative data. A value of p < 0.05 was used to denote statistical significance. There was an overall decrease in WDDS, HHS, and consumption frequency between baseline and endline attributed to seasonal differences. Despite this, post-intervention, households that received NCI/PI had a higher WDDS relative to the control: WDDS 5.1 ± 1.8 vs. 4.2 ± 1.5, p = 0.035. In addition, between baseline and endline, there was an overall increase in the percentage of respondents that reported an adequate supply of key AIVs, particularly for households that received PI. Furthermore, seasonal effects caused a reported shift in the primary location for purchasing AIVs from the village to the town market. There was no reported difference in HHS. While "diet awareness" significantly influenced diet quality among the NCI treatment group, "production" was reported to have the greatest influence on diet quality among all intervention groups. The findings revealed that coupled nutrition, culinary, and production interventions could create a protective effect against seasonal fluctuations in the availability and affordability of AIV as evidenced by a higher WDDs. These findings suggest that future programming and policy should focus on promoting the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and affordability of improved agronomic practices and germplasm for both smallholder farmers with particular emphasis on AIV varieties that contain high levels of micro-and macronutrients, improved agronomic characteristics (e.g., delayed flowering, multiple harvests, higher yields, and disease resistance), and are aligned with the communities' cultural preferences. In addition, agricultural training and extension services should incorporate nutrition and culinary interventions that emphasize the importance of farmers prioritizing harvests for their household consumption.

Soldaten vor der Tür – die jüdische Gemeinde in Fürth im Spannungsverhältnis zwischen Militär und Obrigkeit

Abstract Quartering soldiers in private houses was still very prone to conflict in the 18th century. In the following article, I focus on this practice using the example of quartering during the Seven Years’ War in the households of the inhabitants of Fürth, a market town near Nuremberg. Particular attention is primarily on the reaction and the opportunities for maneuver of the Jewish community and their efforts to free themselves from the quarterings between them and the Christian community and the Jewish community, respectively, as well as the divided local authorities. This conflict shows the way in which the religious and authoritarian boundaries functioned, and the extent they gave the individual actors room for action or limited it. A praxeological, actor-centered approach is employed to generate new insights into the conditions and manifestations of Jewish life.