Rural Northeast Research Articles

“They just go home and die”: health care and terminal illness in rural northeast Thailand

“They just go home and die”: health care and terminal illness in rural northeast Thailand

Rhinosporidiosis: Three Domestic Cases

Three cases of rhinosporidiosis in Americans who had not traveled abroad are reported. We believe this is the largest cluster of indigenous cases reported in the United States. The three patients had lived in rural northeast Georgia all of their lives. One had a polypoid conjunctival lesion, and the two others had nasal polyps. In each case, the diagnosis was made by demonstrating morphologically distinctive fungal elements in histopathologic sections. Clinically, rhinosporidiosis had not been suspected.

Markets, Discrimination, and the Economic Contribution of Women in China: Historical Evidence

Data from a 1935 household survey of economic activity in Manchuria (rural northeast China) are used to examine womens economic role. Findings are similar to findings from Bucks framework for understanding womens agricultural roles in the winter wheat (kaoliang) region. The results should not be generalized to the rest of China. In 1935 women contributed to the household about as much as males. Ordinary least squares estimation suggests that total male contribution to household income was direct and direct female contribution ranged between 50% and 66% of the total income. Direct contribution by women shows a range across villages. In high (40%) commercialized areas with significant opportunities for off-farm sales direct female contributions were statistically indistinguishable from that for males. In low (10%) commercialized areas female direct contributions were small. In high commercialized areas men tended to work off-farm and women took on greater farming roles. The patterns were suggestive of the influence of womens agricultural productivity on time allocation. The findings imply an underestimation of the role of women in agriculture pre-1949. The influence of collectivization on the role of women may not have been as great after 1949 as previously determined. Productivity considerations influenced allocation to farming and nonmeasurable household production. Reforms may have contributed to greater discrimination and costs today than pre-1049. Land rental regulations which are constrained by political forces and land availability were a limitation on the ability of rural households to adjust to social changes.

Rural After-School Child Care: A Demonstration Project in a Remote Mining Community

Residents of rural northeast Nevada lack many of the social services available in the urban parts of Nevada and the nation. One of the services lacking in Battle Mountain, Nevada is quality after-school child care. The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and the Lander County School District collaborated to develop and administer an after-school program for at-risk elementary students, which addressed this need. The program was designed to provide an educational experience while at the same time providing students with some of the protective factors needed to help them lead more productive lifes. This paper details how the program was carried out and shows the results of the program's evaluation. In lean economic times, a collaborative effort such as this may be one way to address youth needs in rural areas. The result was increased community support for quality after-school child care.

Estratégia de desenvolvimento e combate à pobreza

Neste estudo, partindo-se de concepção do desenvolvimento como processo global (econômico, social e político), propõe-se formular modelos de intervenção pública em situações de pobreza, com o objetivo de superar o que se considera um dos maiores desafios para a modernização dos países menos avançados. Os modelos propostos são concebidos a partir da análise e interpretação detalhadas de três diferenciadas situações de pobreza no Brasil: o Nordeste rural (área considerada de baixa renda, ou subdesenvolvida), o Sudeste metropolitano (de nível médio-alto de desenvolvimento) e o Nordeste urbano (nível médio-baixo). Pretendem, porém, ter validade mais geral como enquadramentos a partir dos quais programas de combate à pobreza específicos, inseridos em estratégias de desenvolvimento, podem ser formulados e executados. O núcleo dos modelos é integrado por três variáveis básicas, às quais correspondem três ações estratégicas: o crescimento, com a indentificação dos mecanismos pelos quais os pobres podem dele se beneficiar; o conhecimento, representado pelo capital humano, de que decorre esforço de educação básica e de qualificação da pobreza; e o trabalho, considerado como variável-enlace entre o crescimento e o conhecimento, pelo qual se dá a inserção produtiva dos pobres e sua autopromoção social. São consideradas ainda ações complementares, envolvendo a extensão aos pobres das políticas sociais públicas; o planejamento familiar; a intensificação do uso do trabalho como forma de suplementação de renda; a assistência aos pobres considerados mais vulneráveis; e a extensão, a eles, dos direitos da cidadania, assegurados pela presença do Estado nas áreas de concentração de pobreza.

Health diary study on illness in rural northeast Thailand.

A health diary was used for measurement of illnesses in the northeast rural area of Thailand during the month of November, 1992. Target population were villagers residing in 12 villages which were randomly selected from 2 districts in Khon Kaen province. Three hundred forty-five households (1690 subjects) were selected for the study from all households in those 12 villages. The sample represented 22.2% of all households. Each respondent was instructed how to record illness which may occur among family members during the observation period. Demonstration of recording was performed as well to ensure uniform reporting. Frequency of ill persons among the 1690 members of the selected 345 households was 299 persons (17.7%) in 333 episodes. The ratio of males to females for the reported illnesses was 1:1.18. The most common illnesses were common cold, fever, and abdominal pain, which occurred in 78, 59, and 47 episodes, respectively, followed by headache, and cough. According to the WHO international classification of diseases, diseases of the respiratory system were prevalent (26.1% of total episodes). Types of illness among age groups 0-1 years and 2-5 years were common cold followed by fever. The others two age groups; 16-45, 46-65 years were ill with abdominal pain as the first rank followed by common cold. Fever and common cold were the most frequent illness in age group 6-15 years and the elderly respectively.

Educational Performance of the Poor: Lessons from Rural Northeast Brazil. Ralph W. Harbison , Eric A. Hanushek

<i>Educational Performance of the Poor: Lessons from Rural Northeast Brazil</i>. Ralph W. Harbison , Eric A. Hanushek

Ralph W. Harbison and Eric A. Hanushek, Educational Performance of the Poor: Lessons from Rural Northeast Brazil (Oxford: Oxford University Press, USA, for the World Bank, 1992), pp. xiv + 362, £32.50.

Ralph W. Harbison and Eric A. Hanushek, Educational Performance of the Poor: Lessons from Rural Northeast Brazil (Oxford: Oxford University Press, USA, for the World Bank, 1992), pp. xiv + 362, £32.50.

Knowledge and meaning: The AIDS education campaign in rural Northeast Thailand

Nearly 80% of Thailand's population live in the rural sector. To date, these villages have been subject to top-down dissemination of HIV/AIDS education information via the mass media and bureaucratic networks. This report details an ethnographic enquiry into the impact education campaigns are having in one village in Northeast Thailand. It is found that AIDS information is primarily integrated with local conceptions of sexual behaviour and commercial sex. By the early 1990s, heterosexual behaviour is a major mode of HIV transmission in Thailand. Local and international media discourse focuses on the commercial sex industry in describing the spread of the virus. However, the lack of detailed research of sexual practices in Thailand makes accurate projections of HIV transmission difficult and allows unsubstantiated claims to be made concerning typical Thai sexual behaviour. This paper explores the local context in which these practices are found and discusses the meanings villages attached to HIV/AIDS information. Knowledge levels and behaviour change are assessed and it is argued that community based imperatives are essential for effective future campaigning.

The bacteriological quality of rainjar water in rural northeast Thailand

Rainjars are popular in northeast Thailand because of the time and effort saved in water collection resulting from their use. Bacteriological analysis showed rainjar water to be much purer than drinking water from alternative sources ( P < 0.001). In rainwater samples from one village, Escherichia coli was absent in 60% of rainjars compared with 46% of other vessels used for storing drinking water in the home ( P < 0.01). The use of a tap and the physical height of the jar served to protect the water by limiting water handling. Moreover, mosquito netting fitted to the top of the rainjar significantly improved its water quality ( P < 0.05), probably by preventing the access of small lizards. It is suggested that any systematic attempt to improve the quality of rainjar water further, in order to achieve the WHO guidelines, would be both problematic and expensive whilst the expected health benefits remain negligible. The problems of using drinking water quality guidelines for discrete supplies and the role of water analysis are discussed.

Educational performance of the poor: lessons from rural northeast Brazil

Education policy in developing countries is often expressed as a tradeoff between quality of schools and equity of access by students. The analysis behind this book demonstrates that such a distinction may be artificial. The research, which emerged from an effort to improve educational performance in rural northeast Brazil, shows that improving the quality of schools could lead to gains in efficiency that more than offset the direct costs of the improvements. Through the cost savings they generate, quality improvements can also increase equity of access. This quantitative assessment of eduational performance and school promotion in primary schools is unique in its ability to address directly a range of important policy concerns facing developing countries. The study relies on longitudinal data collected over seven years to evaluate the EDURURAL project, an educational intervention by the Brazilian government supported by the World Bank. The extensive data base permits more precise analysis of the underlying determinants of student achievement and promotion than was previously possible. The study includes a standard investigation of teachers and resources. In addition it examines the relationships between both achievement and promotion and student health and promotion and considers the likely effects of differences in teachers' skills and knowledge of subject matter.

Family care of the elderly in Northeast Thailand: Changing patterns

Using exchange theory, the effects of the change from a kin-based to a cash-based economic system on family care to the elderly in rural Northeast Thailand are examined. Eighty-nine households from three sites representing three levels of development were analyzed in relation to family and household membership, as well as economic and employment status. In addition, 32 elders from two old age homes were interviewed. This study found that, in general, the more land a household owns, the more likely the traditional pattern of elder caregiving will be maintained. When land is limited, children leave to find employment elsewhere and will try to send money to help their parents as they are able. Poverty plays a major role in the perceived quality of life of these elders.

Caregiving to the elderly in Northeast Thailand

Caregiving has been extensively explored in developed countries, but less so in developing regions. In Thailand, a rapidly expanding elderly population and a declining birthrate have important implications for future care of the elderly. This report is based on further exploration of data obtained from a larger study in rural Northeast Thailand of 89 households with elderly age 65 and over. Four levels of caregiving and methods for caregiver selection were identified from this data. In addition, a subgroup of 39 caregivers were interviewed for their perspectives on the activities of caregiving, the impact of caregiving on caregivers' lives, support of kin and the meaning of caregiving to the involved caregivers. Poverty was the most common problem identified by these caregivers, but caring for men and difficulty in pleasing the elders were seen as contributing to the non-enjoyment of caregiving. Affective rewards and a strong norm of filial obligation may be the motivating forces for children to continue to care for parents in the context of cultural change.

Urinary Acidification in Renal Stone Patients from Northeastern Thailand

Hypokalemia, hypokaliuria and hypocitraturia are common findings in patients with renal stone disease in Northeastern Thailand. However, hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis seldom is seen. Therefore, we studied renal acidification in 29 renal stone disease patients who were living in rural Northeast Thailand. Baseline blood and average 24-hour urine biochemical parameters were measured. Hypokalemia, hypokaliuria and hypocitraturia were found in 10%, 83% and 93% of the patients, respectively. By multiple regression, urinary citrate excretion correlated positively with serum potassium and urinary potassium excretion, and negatively with urinary ammonium (r = 0.640, p = 0.005). An abnormal response to acid loading was found in only 1 patient. Thus, hypokaliuria and hypocitraturia in our renal stone disease subjects were infrequently due to distal renal tubular acidosis. Perhaps potassium depletion might be a contributing factor in these metabolic abnormalities.

Faith in Asia's Poor: Ten Paths to Rural Development. Biographies of Ramon Magsaysay Foundation Awardees. Edited by Mae Handy Esterline. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1990. xiii, 192 pp. $14.95 (paper).

This book offers the brief biographies of ten dedicated men, of seven nationalities, who have introduced imaginative, easily applicable technologies to people of rural South, Southeast and Northeast Asia. Their unifying philosophy is that sustained social and economic progress can be achieved only through self-help. Includes a man in India planting forests, an Indonesian engineer developing water and fuel resources, an American missionary evolving a system of slope farming in the Philippines, and a Bangladeshi professor of economics organizing a banking system for the poor and landless in his country. Offers insight into the role of micro-economic programs in overall national developmental planning, and illustrates the need to build upon traditional patterns and strengthen the concept of self-help.

Neonatal Care in Northeast Zaire

Neonatal care in rural northeast Zaire presents many challenges to nursing. The high infant mortality is a result of rampant infectious diseases, limited resources, and poor public education. Midwives use innovative nursing interventions to meet the basic needs of the neonate: warmth, respiration, nutrition, and prevention of infection. Interesting cultural beliefs also influence neonatal care in this area of Africa.

HIV/AIDS Research and the Social Sciences

Previous articleNext article No AccessReportsHIV/AIDS Research and the Social SciencesRichard K. HerrellRichard K. Herrell Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Current Anthropology Volume 32, Number 2Apr., 1991 Sponsored by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/203941 Views: 9Total views on this site Citations: 6Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1991 The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological ResearchPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Keletso Makofane, Elise M Elst, Jeffrey Walimbwa, Steave Nemande, Stefan D Baral From general to specific: moving past the general population in the HIV response across sub‐Saharan Africa, Journal of the International AIDS Society 23, no.S6S6 (Oct 2020).https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.25605Kathleen J. Van Buren Applied Ethnomusicology and HIV and AIDS: Responsibility, Ability, and Action, Ethnomusicology 54, no.22 (Jul 2010): 202–223.https://doi.org/10.5406/ethnomusicology.54.2.0202Ernestina Coast Local understandings of, and responses to, HIV: Rural–urban migrants in Tanzania, Social Science & Medicine 63, no.44 (Aug 2006): 1000–1010.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.03.009Gilbert Elbaz Measuring AIDS Activism, Humanity & Society 20, no.33 (Aug 1996): 44–60.https://doi.org/10.1177/016059769602000305G. Boulogne AIDS: a social science perspective with special reference to anthropology, South African Journal of Sociology 26, no.22 (May 1995): 39–46.https://doi.org/10.1080/02580144.1995.10432921Chris Lyttleton Knowledge and meaning: The AIDS education campaign in rural Northeast Thailand, Social Science & Medicine 38, no.11 (Jan 1994): 135–146.https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(94)90308-5

Rainwater storage in cement jars in Northeastern Thailand

The supply of drinking water in the rural Northeast of Thailand has long been a problem. Since the early 1980s the government has promoted 2000 l cement rainwater storage jars for drinking water. Examined here are issues related to the government's programme: jar acquisition and ownership; construction quality; use of jar water; rainwater collection systems and access; water quality; taste preferences; and water storage and shortages. It is found that, while having problems, the programme has been successful: village water storage capacity has increased; villagers are drinking better‐quality water for longer periods; and the acceptance of jars has improved.

Ukrainian Theatre in Canada: Scenes from an Untold Story

Early in 1934 an amateur Ukrainian drama group in a rural settlement northeast of Edmonton ambitiously staged an adaptation of the Nikolai Gogol novel Taras Bulba. The debut was apparently a success, after which the company put on a repeat performance at a left-wing community hall near the town of Two Hills, Alberta.

An Interview with Frederick Busch

BORN IN BROOKLYN in 1941, Frederick Busch now lives on more than one hundred acres of untamed countryside in Sherburne, New York. He was educated at Muhlenberg College and Columbia University, and since 1971 he has published thirteen books?eight novels, three collections of short stories, and two books of criticism?among them The Mutual Friend (1978), Rounds (1979), and Invisible Mending (1984). In 1986 the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters honored Busch with a five-thousand-dollar award in recognition of his contribution to Ameri can letters. In this interview, which took place on 6 June 1987 in Sher burne, Busch discusses first the problems with publishing fiction in the United States, the richness of contemporary American literature in general and the versatility of novels by living American writers in particular, and the effect of his education. He then offers commentary on his own work: how he wrote the novels, why he focuses on the family unit, and why, though Brooklyn born, he writes largely about the rural northeast. The interview will be included in Professor Greiner's Domestic Particulars: The