Rural Society Research Articles

A methodological proposal for a social and multivariate analysis in peri-urban areas during the ‘golden age’ of suburbanisation in Andalusia (Spain)1

We apply social area analysis, traditionally used for intra-urban areas of cities, to a space in transformation: the peri-urban fringes of Andalusia (Spain). We also show that multivariate analysis (both exploratory factorial analysis and cluster analysis) is highly adaptable for use in peri-urban areas in the region. The suitability of exploratory factor analysis is confirmed, as it allows an optimal factorial structure for the spatial microanalysis of urban sections, which are the smallest units with official statistical information in Spain. This is done in order to reduce a large number of indicators to four factors: youth and recent urban expansion, traditional rural society, suburban society and residential recreational function. On the other hand, the last step, the cluster analysis, identifies that the phenomenon of suburbanisation was relevant in the region but was not the majority in the whole of the peri-urban fringes at the beginning of the millennium. From the factorial score of these clusters, it is possible to know the level of intensity of suburbanisation at one of the moments when suburbanisation was at its peak in Andalusia (Spain), just before the Great Recession.

Tuberculosis in Human Bones from 4000 Years Ago, Iran.

Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is a contagious and infectious disease; in the first stage, it destroys the lungs and in the next stage other body organs, such as the spine and long bones. This disease is transmitted through an infected person and due to the weakness of the immune system, the infection intensifies. Tuberculosis has two stages: low activity and high activity. In this article, we have discussed the signs of tuberculosis destruction with high intensity on the bones of prehistory human remains. The examples of our research are related to human remains from the ancient cemetery of 4000 years ago from Sagezabad region of Qazvin Province of Iran. That period of history coincides with the Iron Age 2 and 3 in the region. People inside the Sagezabad cemetery were very near to early urban (the late rural) society. By matching the form of bone destruction with international atlases for tuberculosis, we have reached a satisfactory result in this article. Due to the strong penetration of the infection into the bones, destruction in the remains was high, so it has simplified the diagnosis for us. We found tuberculosis among the bones. This common ancient disease existed even among Neanderthals.

Rejoinder to Book Review of "Rural Transformations and Rural Crime"

A review of a book we edited, Rural Transformations and Rural Crime (Bowden & Harkness, 2022) was published in Volume 32, Issue 3 of Rural Society (Scott, 2023) in December 2023. The review makes two key but highly misleading charges. The first is an intimation that rural criminology is dominated by a clique of scholars; and second that the book by and large lacks critical analysis to the reviewer’s liking. The reviewer provides a glimpse of a broad analysis of the field and adopts an independently minded position. Indeed, some observations and claims are made that should rightly be part of a wider debate in criminology, about the book’s relevance, and its impact and contribution to the social sciences: legitimate and important questions that ought to be addressed. However, a few errors in the review need to be corrected and cannot go unchallenged.

Rural Government Cooperation Intensity and Leadership in Fostering the Innovation Capabilities of Rural Microbusinesses

Introduction: The growth of rural entrepreneurship significantly impacts economic growth and the well-being of rural communities. Background Problem: Innovation is crucial for entrepreneurs' success, with rural government playing a pivotal role in rural societies. Novelty: This study overviews the role of rural government in fostering entrepreneurial innovation, focusing on inter-organizational collaboration and the village head's leadership style. Research Method: Employing a quantitative survey methodology, the study undertook direct surveys of 300 rural micro- and small-scale entrepreneurs from diverse industries in Indonesia. A simple random sampling technique was used to ensure a representative sample of the population. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling—Partial Least Squares. Findings: The analysis reveals that rural government cooperation and transformative leadership positively influence entrepreneurs' perceptions of organiza­tional support. In turn, perceived organizational support significantly impacts the desire for knowledge sharing and innovation capability enhancement. This study diverges from previous research by examining the mediating roles of knowledge sharing and perceived organizational support in innovation capability enhancement. It confirms that perceived organizational support is a vital mediator in the relationship between government cooperation intensity, transformational leadership, and innovation capability. Conclusions: The findings underscore the need for rural governments to practice effective cooperation and leadership and provide consistent support. Such strategies facilitate a supportive environ­ment that fosters knowledge sharing and significantly boosts rural entrepreneurs' innovation capabilities.

Sustainable Rural Tourism: A Social Transformation of Rural Area

The study focuses on presenting social transformation through quality of life led by sustainable rural tourism. Social transformation is a tenacious and erratic process pointing towards the society’s changes from ascribed status to achieved status. It is not brought in frontline of the research field of tourism, especially, of sustainable rural tourism and quality of life. This paper has selected three rural areas of Bangladesh as a study area where structured questionnaire survey has piloted among local communities who live there for more than three years. One hypothesis was developed regarding the effects of sustainable rural tourism on the quality of life demographically in selected study areas. This study paper has designed to find how sustainable tourism changes a society in rural area from sociocultural, economical, and environmental aspects. The revolution of sustainability of these three dimensions reflects a quality of life of a society. The result has revealed that rural society has experienced economic growth, infrastructural development, social empowerment, cultural preservation, environmental preservation and conservation, and social awareness. It also shows that sustainable rural tourism and social transformation is sharing a favorable relationship in terms of the three pillars of sustainability. It is evident for certain, sustainable tourism development in rural area improves the quality of life and advances the spatial development.

A Medico-Sociological Study on Postpartum Depression: Wedum Gei Sanniya

Postpartum depression is a medical condition faced by some mothers during pregnancy, influenced by cultural values and norms in the Asian Sri Lankan context. This research aimed to investigate the medical and sociological aspects of the healthcare system and treatment conditions for postpartum depression. A sample of 25 respondents, including 20 people from rural and urban areas, was selected for the study. Data analysis was conducted using 20 in-depth interviews and 5 semi-structured interviews. The study found a clear difference between traditional treatment methods in the western medical system and traditional methods in Sri Lankan rural society. About 40% of the sample resorted to treatment in the rural knowledge system, while the remaining 60% relied solely on western medicine. In rural Sri Lankan society, postpartum depression is analyzed through supernatural forces and interpersonal relationships, with chemical methods being used for remedies. However, postpartum depression in urban society tends to shift away from indigenous wisdom-based cultural healing systems and towards Western medical treatments. The research findings suggest that while Western medicine is used in environments affected by modernization and urbanization, alternative medicine is still used in rural areas. The power of the Western medicine system in Sri Lanka should be examined, as it may continue to be based on modernity and urbanization.

The Byzantine Insular Countryside in the Early Middle Ages (ca. 600-ca.900): The Cases of Sicily, Cyprus, and Crete in (partial) Light of Environmental Archaeology

ABSTRACT This paper provides an overview of rural surveys and environmental archaeology studies on Sicily, Cyprus and Crete during the Byzantine Empire. It re-evaluates traditional interpretations of agricultural settlement patterns, ecosystems and populations from Late Antiquity to the early Middle Ages (late sixth to late ninth century). The prevailing narrative that these islands were devastated by Arab incursions, leading to widespread depopulation, economic collapse and abandonment of rural sites in favour of fortified hilltop settlements, is questioned. Instead, the study employs a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, combining environmental and climatic data with historical and archaeological evidence. This method offers a more nuanced understanding of how insular rural societies adapted to changing environmental and human conditions during the Byzantine Empire's transition from an economically unified region to a fragmented Medieval Mediterranean. The findings highlight the resilient nature of land use and rural settlement patterns amidst the transformation of the empire's political, military and administrative structures.

Potret Gaya Hidup Remaja Urban dalam Novel 12 Cerita Glen Anggara Karya Luluk Hf

Portrait of the lifestyle of urban teenagers which is a form of life in explaining phenomena that occur in urban society. Urban society itself has different characteristics from rural society which can be seen from the way of thinking and the surrounding environment. One of the novels that can be seen is a portrait of urban teenagers entitled 12 Stories of Glen Anggara by Luluk HF. The life of urban teenagers is explained through the characters' behavior with their environment, such as towards friends and family, which influences their lifestyle. This research is included in qualitative research which uses descriptive methods. This research aims to describe: (1) a portrait of the lifestyle of urban teenagers regarding the prestige of recreation in the novel 12 Stories Glen Anggara by Luluk HF, (2) a portrait of urban teenagers about the instant lifestyle in the novel 12 Stories Glen Anggara by Luluk HF, (3) portrait of an urban teenager about an individualistic lifestyle in the novel 12 Stories Glen Anggara by Luluk HF, (4) portrait of an urban teenager about a virtual lifestyle in the novel 12 Stories Glen Anggara by Luluk HF. The data collection technique for this research involves reading and understanding from the beginning to the end of the novel first, then marking the parts that are research points in terms of lifestyle portraits, determining the main characters in the novel and inventorying the data in a format. The data validation technique used is the triangulation technique. The triangulation technique is carried out by creating various versions of questions, examining various data sources, utilizing various methods. The research findings on portraits of urban teenagers' lifestyles in the novel 12 Stories of Glen Anggara by Luluk HF include portraits of recreational prestige, portraits of instant lifestyles, portraits of individualist lifestyles, and portraits of virtual lifestyles

Fertility responses to short-term economic stress: Price volatility and wealth shocks in a pre-transitional settler colony

This paper examines the effects of short-term economic stress, captured by general price volatility and a negative wealth shock on short-run fertility behavior in the rural pre-transitional society of the Cape Colony. First, we link complete birth histories of settler women from the South African Families database to consumer price index data to examine the effect of price volatility on conceptions. Next, we link the same birth histories to slave owner and slave emancipation data to examine the effect of a negative wealth shock on conception. Upon slave emancipation in 1834, former slave owners received on average only between 40 and 50 % of the market value of their slaves as compensation, resulting in a substantial reduction in their wealth. Relying on event history models that look simultaneously at stopping and spacing, we do not find strong evidence in support of fertility control in response to general price volatility. We do find greater variance in birth interval lengths for former slaveholding households during and immediately after emancipation, suggesting that a negative wealth shock is associated with increased fertility limitation through postponement in this context.

IoT Systems Based Microgrid: A Review

Smart microgrids, as the foundations of the future smart grid, combine distinct Internet of Things (IoT) designs and technologies for applications that are designed to create, regulate, monitor, and protect the microgrid (MG), particularly as the IoT develops and evolves on a daily basis. A smart MG is a small grid that may operate individually or in tandem with the electric grid, and it is ideal for institutional, commercial, and industrial consumers, as well as urban and rural societies. A MG can operate in two methods (stand-alone and grid-connected), with the ability to transition between modes due to local grid faults, planned maintenance, expansions, deficits and failures in the host system, and other factors. Energy storage is the process of storing and converting energy that can be used for a variety of purposes, including voltage and frequency management, power backup, and cost optimization. IoT is designed to deliver solutions for optimal energy management, security protocols, control methods, and applications in the MG, with numerous distributed energy resources (DER) and interconnected loads. The use of IoT architecture for MG operations and controls is discussed in this research. With the use of power grid equipment and IoT-enabled technology

Las organizaciones sociales agrarias en el Uruguay contemporáneo: un abordaje desde la territorialidad asociativa

The current configuration of Latin American agrarian capitalism is expressed in the growth of the control of land and the commercialization of agricultural commodities, sustained by an increase in the degradation of basic natural resources and a decrease in the rural population and the number of workers. In this context, it is necessary to understand the political practice actions by social agricultural organizations concerning their material base, since changes in the existing territories have reshaped the associative relationships of these organizations. In this sense, this paper aims to present the main characteristics of social agricultural organizations in recent Uruguay under the conceptual perspective of associative territoriality. For this purpose, descriptive and interpretive research was used with a qualitative methodological design. Among the main results, the following stand out: i) the agrarian associative territoriality in predominant contemporary Uruguay refers to rural development societies and farming cooperatives, ii) such territoriality is concentrated in the central-southern region of the country, and iii) the predominance of associative territoriality refers to low intensity.

Totalinė melioracija Lietuvoje 1966–1990 m.: poveikis žemės ūkio ir kaimo sovietinei modernizacijai

The paper examines the impact of total land reclamation on the Soviet modernisation of agriculture and the countryside, analyses the political, economic, and social aspects of the Soviet reconstruction of the homestead settlement system, and attempts to assess the economic effect of land reclamation and its impact on the countryside. The leadership of the Central Committee of the Lithuanian Communist Party managed to use the implementation of the all-Union large-scale land reclamation programme quite effectively for Lithuania’s economic interest, industrial development, and modernisation of the agricultural sector. The destruction of the farmstead settlement structure during total land reclamation accelerated the internal and social urbanisation of the countryside, which contributed to the formation of a homogeneous Soviet society and eliminated socio-cultural and material-lifestyle disparities between the city and the country. The radical Soviet reconstruction (modernisation) of the countryside, which continued for over two decades, was mainly coercive, revolutionary, and therefore painful for the rural society; it deformed the evolutionary processes in the countryside.

Crossing Etosha: a history of donkeys in Namibia’s central north

Donkeys are a common sight in Namibia’s central north and play an important albeit contested role in rural society and economy. Historically, they were one of the few domesticated animals that were allowed to enter today’s Etosha National Park and to cross the veterinary border (Red Line) between the northern communal lands and the Police Zone in central Namibia. In the first half of the twentieth century, migrant workers brought thousands of donkeys from the south to what was then called “Ovamboland.” Even after the import was regulated more strictly in the 1940s, donkeys could still get permission to be used as transport animals to carry goods through Etosha. We retrace the routes of the domesticated donkey through a conservation landscape of wildlife and explore entanglements between donkeys, other livestock and wildlife in and out of Etosha. We ask how the particular legal position of the donkey — and its close links to migrant labour — impacted multispecies entanglements in past rural societies and how this legal position has changed over time, including in independent Namibia. We provide a nuanced understanding of the contested position of the donkey in northern Namibia, using examples from King Nehale Conservancy north of Etosha.

Parcel-Based Sugarcane Mapping Using Smoothed Sentinel-1 Time Series Data

The timely and accurate mapping of sugarcane cultivation is significant to ensure the sustainability of the sugarcane industry, including sugarcane production, rural society, sugar futures, and crop insurance. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR), due to its all-weather and all-time imaging capability, plays an important role in mapping sugarcane cultivation in cloudy areas. However, the inherent speckle noise of SAR data worsens the “salt and pepper” effect in the sugarcane map. Therefore, in previous studies, an additional land cover map or optical image was still required. This study proposes a new application paradigm of time series SAR data for sugarcane mapping to tackle this limitation. First, the locally estimated scatterplot smoothing (LOESS) smoothing technique was exploited to reconstruct time series SAR data and reduce SAR noise in the time domain. Second, temporal importance was evaluated using RF MDA ranking, and basic parcel units were obtained only based on multi-temporal SAR images with high importance values. Lastly, the parcel-based classification method, combining time series smoothing SAR data, RF classifier, and basic parcel units, was used to generate a sugarcane extent map without unreasonable sugarcane spots. The proposed paradigm was applied to map sugarcane cultivation in Suixi County, China. Results showed that the proposed paradigm was able to produce an accurate sugarcane cultivation map with an overall accuracy of 96.09% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.91. Compared with the pixel-based classification result with original time series SAR data, the new paradigm performed much better in reducing the “salt and pepper” spots and improving the completeness of the sugarcane plots. In particular, the unreasonable non-vegetation spots in the sugarcane map were eliminated. The results demonstrated the efficacy of the new paradigm for mapping sugarcane cultivation. Unlike traditional methods that rely on optical remote sensing data, the new paradigm offers a high level of practicality for mapping sugarcane in large regions. This is particularly beneficial in cloudy areas where optical remote sensing data is frequently unavailable.

Research on the Development and Operation Model of Yunnan De'ang Sour Tea Featured E-commerce Information Platform

This study aims to provide empirical research on the application of rural e-commerce in rural revitalization through in-depth analysis of the De'ang sour tea industry, and explore how to effectively protect and inherit intangible cultural heritage through e-commerce platforms and digital technology, while promoting the comprehensive development of rural economy and society. Through this study, we aim to provide strategic recommendations for the protection, inheritance, and market development of De'ang sour tea production techniques, and contribute wisdom and strength to the implementation of rural revitalization strategies.

Identity, experience, and non-partisan: the institution of traditional chiefs and development in a rural local municipality in North West Province, South Africa

ABSTRACT This paper explores the place and role of chiefs and their institution in the governance and development of rural society in South Africa, using a case study of six tribal authorities in the Moses Kotane Local Municipality, North West Province. It examines whether chiefs have taken active development roles in their communities, and how they are perceived by society vis-à-vis community councillors. It argues that active roles and endorsement by the people are evidence of the significance of chiefs in the rural governance structures. In the studied tribal authorities, chiefs assumed central development roles, by initiating development projects, mobilizing stakeholders, and providing information to their people that ensured compliance with government COVID-19 regulations. While development and service delivery issues are the mandate of the community councillors and council, people saw the chiefs as best suited to spearhead development in their areas, because of their proximity to society and knowledge of their needs. The paper argues that the institution of the chiefs constitutes an accountable leadership that acts in the interests of all people, and chiefs should be incorporated in rural governance structures.

Social network effect on land transfer willingness of the rural elders: Evidence from China

The elders in China’s rural areas are facing challenges in maintaining agricultural production due to the outflow of rural laborers. The Transfer of land could alleviate the burden of land-based livelihoods for rural elders, but their decisions regarding land transfer are influenced by their social networks within the context of Chinese rural society. This study investigates how social networks impact the willingness of rural elders to transfer land. Using survey data from 782 rural elders in 32 villages across 11 provinces in China, this paper applies multilinear and binary logistic regression models. The results indicate that the willingness of rural elders to transfer land is affected by their social neteork: (1) Internal network scale, network heterogeneity, and frequency of external network relationships have a significantly positive influence on rural elders’ willingness to transfer land, while frequency of internal network relationships has a significantly negative influence. (2) There are group differences in the above impacts, and these significant impacts occur only among male elderly individuals aged 60–69 years old or living in central and western regions. (3) Social networks primarily influence rural elders’ willingness to transfer land through three mechanisms: information consultation, interpersonal trust, and material resource acquisition. A larger internal social network scale, higher heterogeneity within the network, and more frequent interactions with members of external networks lead to greater access to useful information, higher levels of trust in others, increased material resources availability, and an increased likelihood of transferring land. These findings can inform government policies aimed at improving practices related to land transfers and old age security for rural elders.

Tradition, Scripture, and Environmental Destruction: Transformation of Ecological Paradigm in Rural Society of Bangka Island

Tradition, Scripture, and Environmental Destruction: Transformation of Ecological Paradigm in Rural Society of Bangka Island

Rural Communities and Cooperative Societies: A Community-based Alternative for Sustainable Socio Economic Development in Nigeria

The worsening socioeconomic situation of the country has threatened the socioeconomic development of rural communities, necessitating a socioeconomic alternative that will be responsive to rural needs and stimulate sustainable socioeconomic growth. Cooperative societies are alternative strategies that can foster socioeconomic growth at rural levels, thus building on the spirit of cooperation that is domiciled in the rural areas. Cooperative society is a voluntary association of individuals who come together to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations. These societies are based on the principles of self-help, democracy, self-responsibility, equality, equity and solidarity. If effectively utilized, cooperatives are vehicles that can bring about sustainable socio-economic development in rural communities especially in times of worsening economic situations. This paper explores cooperative societies as a vehicle that can bring about the needed socioeconomic development in rural areas through, creation of jobs, raising capital for business and alleviation of poverty. The paper adopts the sustainable development theory as its theoretical underpinning. The study found that cooperatives are instrumental in the sustainability of livelihood in rural communities through the provision of credit facilities, assisting small businesses to stay profitable, creation of employment etc. The paper recommends rural dwellers should be adequately sensitized on the importance of cooperatives and should be encouraged to associate with cooperatives so as to derive benefits of cooperatives which can in turn bring about sustainable development.

Flexibility of Moral Judgment Standards in Chinese Rural Society

Flexibility of Moral Judgment Standards in Chinese Rural Society