Rural Areas In Portugal Research Articles

Female Leadership in Wine Tourism in Portugal

Abstract Based on data collected from managers of wine tourism businesses in rural areas in Portugal, this study highlights the equal potential of female leadership in wine tourism. Specifically, women’s profiles, management practices and leadership narratives were analyzed and contrasted with corresponding data reported by their male counterparts. Concerning personality traits, no statistical difference between men and women was identified, which was also the case for some management practices, with sustainability concerns being important for both male and female business managers. Differences were found in communication with markets, being dominated by online devices, particularly with social networks in the case of women. As for their leadership position, women further tend to prefer a shared management approach in opposition to a more individualist management style followed by men.

Participatory knowledge co-production to activate culture in the development of small cities and rural areas in Portugal

PurposeCulture is increasingly recognized as a key component of local development, but this attention is largely focused on large cities. This paper aims to focus on the ways in which the innovative, participatory action-research (PAR) methods of IdeaLabs and community intervention workshops are used by two projects with solidarity economy enterprise (SEE) participants to activate place-based cultural resources for local development in small communities.Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth reflexive analysis undertaken by researchers involved in the two projects, taking a feminist ethics of care perspective, demonstrates the ways in which these two PAR methods promote local development with the goal of fighting against the economic, social and cultural degradation of small cities and rural areas.FindingsThe PAR methods used by the two projects examined stimulate place-based local development initiatives through collaboration and knowledge co-production among participants and researchers. The projects go beyond an instrumental view of the use of culture and the arts for local development to innovate and demonstrate new methodologies for more participatory approaches.Originality/valueThis paper addresses a gap in social economy literature, presenting methods that can be used in PAR projects to catalyse the use of culture as a local development tool by local SEEs.

Traditional agri-food products and sustainability – A fruitful relationship for the development of rural areas in Portugal

Abstract The protection of agri-food regional products is taking on growing importance in a market dominated by global companies and brands, often with no personality. Thirty years ago, the European Union (EU) agricultural product quality policy introduced the protection of geographical indications (GIs) for agricultural products and foodstuffs, with the aim of highlighting the quality of products resulting from a specific origin, therefore helping their communication and positioning in the market. This is important in countries with a considerable percentage of rural regions, as is the case of Portugal. Bearing this in mind, the purpose of this study is to see what are the drivers of the spatial distribution of traditional products (protected geographical indications, protected designations of origin, and traditional speciality guaranteed) in Portugal. For this purpose, the distribution of traditional products by regions and categories in Portugal will be presented. Also, Portugal’s position will be analysed and compared to the other EU countries, regarding the number of traditional products. Results show that Portugal is the country with the fourth biggest number of traditional certified products in EU territory. In the national territory, the Northern Region of Portugal has the biggest percentage of protected products, followed by Alentejo and the Centre Region of Portugal. Also, in Portugal, looking at the type of products, from a list of ten different categories of GIs, the ranking is dominated by (1) fresh meat, (2) meat products (cooked, salted, or smoked), and (3) cheese and milk-based products. If we consider that many of the aforementioned products are produced in less favoured regions, these results constitute an opportunity for their sustainable development. This benefits not only the producers, but also consumers who increasingly seek “authentic” and more natural products.

Politicizing hydroelectric power plants in Portugal: spatio-temporal injustices and psychosocial impacts of renewable energy colonialism in the Global North

ABSTRACT The extent to which infrastructures being deployed for a postcarbon transition can be considered sustainable has been increasingly scrutinized within the critical turn in energy justice research. However, the focus therein tends to be on how new megaprojects still reveal Global North–Global South colonial relations and energy-related injustices. In this paper, we aim to contribute to widening critical energy justice research by illustrating how it needs to also consider the spatio-temporalities of renewable energy colonialism in the Global North. To that end, we undertake a psychosocial historiography of selected large-scale hydroelectric power plants in Portugal, from the twentieth century to the present day. This historiography is undertaken via archival data and interviews. Our analysis illustrates how hydrocolonialism has been enacted – discursively, infrastructurally, and psychosocially – in rural areas in Portugal, across different socio-political regimes; and also how it can be contested, by identifying some examples of resistance.

Return Migration and Rural Tourism Development in Portugal

ABSTRACT The theoretical research of this study contributes to improving the state of the art of studies that, from the second half of the 1980s onwards, addressed the issue of the impact of return migration on rural development in Portugal by introducing the variable tourism development. To this end, 5,157 Portuguese emigrants were surveyed with the aim of assessing the impact of their return on tourism development in rural areas of Portugal. Results showed that those between the ages of 29 and 39 who have a house in their place of origin would like to return, invest and have employment in the area of tourism, as well as have a rural lifestyle in Portugal. Considering that traditional agriculture is also a characteristic of the Portuguese rural landscape, the same emigrants could contribute to its maintenance, since they would also like to practice agriculture, as a complementary activity and mainly for self-consumption.

An Evaluation of Portuguese Societal Opinion towards the Practice of Bullfighting.

Simple SummaryBullfighting is one of the most controversial topics in animal welfare and ethics in recent years. This activity is an issue at the forefront of many animal welfare organizations. In the present study, an online questionnaire was used to seek Portuguese citizens’ opinions towards bullfighting and to relate these opinions to certain demographic characteristics. The majority of respondents had negative opinions about bullfights. Most questioned the artistic reasons to take the bull’s life in the name of culture and did not attend bullfighting events. However, the population interviewed was not representative of the Portuguese population. Men, older people, Roman Catholics, and people from rural areas (underrepresented in the study sample) showed a more favorable attitude towards bullfighting. Contrast between regions was also reflected; the districts where the most favorable opinions were collected (Satarém, Évora, Beja, and Portalegre) were those with the greatest presence of bull breeders. Public opinion research is an important policy-making instrument that could be useful in the face of possible initiatives to ban bullfighting at regional or country levels. Bullfighting is a controversial sport that continues to be legally permitted in a number of countries around the world, including Portugal. The spectacle has attracted significant attention from animal protectionist groups for many years because of concerns for animal distress, pain, and suffering during the fights. While there has been strong support for the sport in Portugal in the past, there is a need to study social profiles regarding the acceptability of this sport before a case can be made for changes in regional and national legislation. In this study, Portuguese attendance patterns at bullfights were assessed in addition to public opinions on welfare and ethical aspects of bullfighting, based on demographic variables. Study participants (n = 8248) were largely recruited through Portuguese social media channels (respondents may not be representative of the Portuguese population). Questionnaire data were evaluated by means of frequency tables, multiple correspondence analyses, and a two-step cluster analysis. Most respondents had a negative opinion about bullfighting and perceived that bullfighting had no positive impact on the country. However, while most respondents thought that the bull suffered during bullfighting, the opinion regarding banning bullfighting was far from unanimous. Based on the demographic analysis, the profile of individuals with more favorable responses towards bullfighting were men > 65 years old, of Roman Catholic faith, of low- or high-income levels, from more rural areas of Portugal. Somewhat surprisingly, there was a tendency to favor bullfighting amongst veterinary professionals. We conclude that there were still large pockets of individuals who desire to maintain the practice of traditional bullfighting within Portuguese society, despite recognition of animal suffering during the event.

The use of rural areas in Portugal: Historical perspective and the new trends

The Portuguese landscape and its rural areas are the result of thousands of years of human presence, particularly since the late nineteenth century, when protectionist public policies were put in place to promote food self-sufficiency. During the Estado Novo regime, four main agricultural policies were enforced: wheat campaigns, internal colonization, agricultural hydraulic systems and reforestation. Nevertheless, there was a massive rural exodus, starting mainly in the 1960s, which resulted in the depopulation of 80 per cent of the territory. Nowadays, less than 20 per cent of the Portuguese population inhabits interior regions. This demographic change presents huge socio-economic challenges. Recently there have been new trends, based on land concentration and super intensive monoculture, which are incompatible with central and local governments’ policies and strategies to reverse depopulation. The sustainability of Portugal’s rural world, its landscape and the quality of life of its population are at risk. Four items were identified in this article: eucalyptus and pine forests, olive plantations, greenhouses and mining.

The pro‐environmental consumer discourse: A political perspective on organic food consumption

AbstractConsidering Zygmunt Bauman's concept of ‘liquid modernity’ as its starting point, this paper focuses on the need to research alternative methods of consumption and production from an ecological standpoint. Based on 31 in‐depth interviews with highly committed organic consumers residing in urban and rural areas of Portugal, this paper aims to explore the shared discourses which inform on environmentally motivated consumption and its relations with consumers' lives. In order to analyse the qualitative data, discourse analysis was used, while supplemented by content analysis. It was found that the topics converge towards a political consumer discourse featuring three dimensions: the politics of production, the politics of localism and activism. Consumers argue that, by producing their own food according to the principles of agroecology, by looking for organic food within a local context, and by privileging community‐based market channels, they are materializing alternative ideas of social economy, community and ecology. The results of this research provide a better understanding on the establishment of an alternative pathway towards the privatization of responsibility into collective action through the consumption of organic products and the way these are produced.

Elemental characterisation of native lichens collected in an area affected by traditional charcoal production

This study provides a seasonal elemental characterisation of native lichens collected in rural areas of Portugal affected by charcoal kilns, using nuclear analytical techniques and electric conductivity. In autumn, it was possible to identify high levels of electric conductivity near the site with charcoal kilns due to higher oxidative stress of the lichens’ membrane. Typical chemical elements associated with emissions of wood burning, such as S and P, also presented the highest contents near the charcoal kilns. However, the same phenomenon was not found in spring. Residential areas presented the highest levels of S and P probably due to the impact of biomass burning from home heating that occurred during the winter period. Overall, lichens were found to be enriched with elements that can be attributable to non-crustal sources, namely, sea salt spray (Cl and Na), fertilisers used in agriculture (P and Ca) and wood burning (P and S).

The social utility of small-scale art festivals with creative tourism in Portugal

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to address the gaps in research on strategic planning for the social impacts of small-scale events in rural areas and small cities. This is achieved by investigating the social utility inferred by small-scale art festivals with a creative tourism element in terms of increasing social capital and positive social change, from an event stakeholder perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe identified gap in knowledge is addressed by using interviews and fieldnotes from participant observation to co-create meaning with the organizers of four small-scale art festivals in small cities and rural areas in Portugal. Theoretical frameworks relating to creative tourism development and social capital creation are used to analyze the social utility of small-scale art festivals.FindingsCreative tourism activities are integrated within small-scale art festivals in small cities and rural areas in various ways, mainly through art-related workshops. Significant empirical data give insight into how small-scale art festivals create social value by increasing the host community’s pride and reinforcing the social fabric of the festival’s local and “portable” community, in part through these creative tourism activities.Research limitations/implicationsOne of the limitations of this study is that it focuses on the perspectives and insights of the festival organizers. An analysis of the festival participants’ views, local community stakeholder analysis and community impact analyses would offer further insights into how the creative tourism experiences and other moments of shared meaning generation within small-scale art festivals influence the creation of social utility.Originality/valueThis paper offers insights into how creative tourism activities are being integrated into small-scale art festivals in small cities and rural contexts, and how these activities foster social connections among festival participants and with the local community. This addresses significant gaps in the literature on strategic planning for the social impacts of events, particularly in the context of small-scale events in rural areas/small cities, and the strategic value of including creative tourism activities within small-scale festivals.

Connecting the dots: Contributions to the Creative Tourism Dynamics in Portugal

The CREATOUR project – an incubator and a multidisciplinary collaborative research initiative – was created in order to develop a network of creative tourism initiatives in four Portuguese regions. This study’s main purpose was to analyse the dynamics observed in the first stage of implementing this network and to understand the relationships and connections established between creative tourism actors operating at a regional and national level. The research also included examining the main goals and challenges these actors face when developing creative tourism activities in small cities and rural areas of Portugal. Stakeholder and social network analyses were used to process the data collected from each of the 20 pilots involved in this stage of the CREATOUR project. The results highlight relationships between various creative tourism pilot programmes and other regional and/or external actors and include an analysis of stakeholders’ expectations regarding the network’s future development.

Electricity residential demand elasticities: Urban versus rural areas in Portugal

We study the difference between urban and rural elasticities for electricity residential consumption in Portugal. Our sample covers the period from 1989 to 2010 and consists of five independent surveys. We adopt the pseudo-panel methodology creating 350 cohorts based on the size of the household, the type of location (rural or urban), the region, and the income quintile. Our results indicate that rural and urban populations have different behaviors. In particular, rural households are more sensitive to price changes than urban ones. This may happen because rural populations can more easily use other energy sources, for example, wood, for cooking and heating. As a consequence urban populations will be more affected by electricity price changes.

A nationwide serosurvey of hepatitis E virus antibodies in the general population of Portugal.

Evidence has shown that Hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 3 is autochthonous in industrialized countries due to zoonotic transmission through direct contact or consumption of raw or undercooked meat from domestic swine or wild boar. As there is lack of data on seroprevalence of HEV in the general Portuguese population, a wide survey was conducted as part of the HEPeCONTROL project (60DT2), under EEA grants funding. Sera from a representative sample of the Portuguese population (n = 1656) at different geographic locations (30 territorial units), and age (0-99 years) were collected between July 2015 and February 2016. The sera were tested for the presence of anti-HEV IgG and IgM by EIA using one of the two most commonly used commercial immunoassays in Europe. The overall HEV IgG seroprevalence was found to be 16.3% increasing with age (P < 0.05) from 0.6% in the 0-9 years group to 30.1% in people older than 70 years. The seroprevalence also varied geographically with generally higher seropositivities (25-30%) in the most rural areas of Portugal. However, the geographical differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Out of 1656 samples, 8 were positive for anti-HEV IgM indicating current of recent HEV infection but no significant differences were found concerning age groups, regions and sex. The present nation-wide survey provides insight in the epidemiology of HEV in Portugal and confirms that HEV is endemic in the Portuguese population.

Bringing local socioeconomic context to the analysis of forest owners’ management

Regional and local differences in public perceptions and attitudes towards forestry have often been explained by socio-demography, farming structure, living standard, and other socioeconomic attributes of different geographic locations. These attributes have been used much less to explain regional differences in private forest owners’ objectives and practices. We explore the connection between local patterns of non-industrial private owners’ management practices and the socioeconomic characteristics of the local context. Discriminant linear canonical analysis of data for 2406 owners in 26 rural areas in Portugal allows us to discuss the relevance of the socioeconomic features of local context, such as forest sector economy, agrarian structures, and broader socio-demographic dynamics, to understand the owners’ management practices. Our findings reveal the importance of the features considered, especially socio-demography and agrarian structures. However that importance differs according to the type of forest practice under consideration, i.e., harvesting or bush clearing. This study provides a better understanding of the factors that shape the management practices of forest owners and contributes to improve the design of forest policy to be more adjusted to regional context.

Turismo e desenvolvimento local: o contributo do turismo rural-cultural

Tourism and cultural heritage has become a possible development tool for rural areas in Portugal. ln this paper, deve10pment of cultural rural tourism is considered a way to local tourism development.

Polycentrism as a Multi-Scalar Relationship Between Urban and Rural Areas: The Case of Portugal

This article introduces a reflective analysis of polycentrism. Since the 1990s, polycentrism has provided the foundation for countless spatial planning policies in Europe. Most studies highlight the importance of cities and towns as the principal nodes for regional development. This article discusses whether polycentrism is the best planning solution for managing the imbalances and relationships between urban and rural areas. Empirically, it will focus on the polycentric discourse that has recently gained strength in Portugal, by evaluating the national spatial planning policy programme and its consequences for regional development. It will make a comparative analysis between the national spatial development perspective proposed by the programme and certain sociological findings that characterized the rural areas caught out between urbanization and marginalization. This will be illustrated with research on the Alentejo region, one of the largest rural areas in Portugal.

One Rural, two Visions — Environmental Issues and Images on Rural Areas in Portugal

In recent years rural areas, specially the most peripheral and remote ones, have become increasingly perceived and identified as spaces of outstanding environmental quality. This relatively new function of the rural, while widely recognized both socially and institutionally, is to some extent strange to local residents to whom the natural resources and the environmental aspects are mainly perceived from an utilitarian perspective. The exteriority of the measures and policies to preserve rural environment tends to place remote rural areas in a new subaltern position. Correspondingly, the social and institutional construction of rural areas as environmental reserves tends to create a new rural-urban dichotomy which may have important repercussions in terms of the future directions of rural development processes. We aim to discuss the abovementioned aspects, based on empirical evidence from two Portuguese rural areas. We conclude that there are two different visions about the rural — the rural to visit and the rural to live - conveyed respectively by the urban residents and the State and by the local inhabitants.

New waves of immigration to small towns and rural areas in Portugal

AbstractIn the last decade the geography of immigration to Portugal has undergone profound change. In particular there has been a diversification of sending countries, and Eastern Europe, especially the Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Russia, has become a major origin of migrants. The majority have settled in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, but there is dispersal to all parts of the country.This paper examines recent immigration trends to small towns and rural areas in Portugal and discusses its effects on regional development. The study is based upon the analysis of official data sources and interviews carried out in municipalities located in the Alentejo region. This region remains rural with a significant ageing population and is undergoing a process of demographic decline. Following the analysis of the settlement patterns and the integration of immigrants in the labour market, some remarks are made about future trends of immigration to rural regions experiencing population loss, and its impacts upon the regional development process. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Prevalence of Self-medication in Rural Areas of Portugal

To study the prevalence of self-medication among pharmacy customers in rural areas of Portugal, to assess possible predictors of self-medication and to find out whether there was a seasonal dependence in the purchase of drugs for self-medication. A cross-sectional study during four different periods of a year was conducted. Community pharmacies of rural areas of Portugal were invited to participate and pharmacists were asked to recruit one person every hour during the opening hours and administer a questionnaire. Drugs dispensed were classified according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification system up to the second level. Prevalence of self-medication is defined as the percentage of patients acquiring a medicine that was not prescribed (written) or recommended (orally) by a physician. The prevalence of self-medication was 21.5%. Main therapeutic groups acquired for self-medication were "other alimentary tract and metabolism products" (A16; proportion acquired for self-medication= 75.0%), "throat preparations" (R02; 74.7%), "antiemetics and antinauseants" (A04; 70.0%), "cough and cold preparations" (R05; 56.5%), and "nasal preparations" (R01; 50.0%). Variables found to be predictors of self-medication were age, type of health professional or person consulted when a mild health problem occurred, time elapsed since last visit to the physician and time waited between setting an appointment and the actual visit. Seasonality seemed to occur for only "cough and cold preparations", for "dermatologicals" and for "anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic products". In rural Portugal about one fifth of the pharmacy customers engaged in self-medication. However, further research should be made to address appropriateness of self-medication.

Gender Stereotyping in Portuguese Children Living in Portugal and Abroad: Effects of Migration, Age, and Gender

Williams and Best’s (1990) study of the development of sex stereotype knowledge among young children in 24 countries was extended to Portuguese subjects living in Portugal and abroad. Subjects were 720 children (aged 8-11 years), with each age group evenly divided by gender, and each age/gender group evenly divided into three places of residence: urban and rural areas in Portugal, and in France. Subjects were administered the Sex Stereotype Measure II (SSM II) in which children select between male and female silhouettes as the person described in brief stories containing highly sex-typed psychological characteristics (aggressive, emotional, etc.). The results of the study indicated an increase in sex stereotype knowledge from 8 to 11 years, a greater knowledge of the migrants’ children in France than of the children living in urban and rural areas in Portugal, and a greater knowledge of female stereotype traits than male stereotype traits.