Rural Workers Research Articles

Effects of VR technical interaction and acceptance on rural cultural identity: The mediating role of embodied cognition and flow experience

With the development of digital media, an increasing number of new technologies are being used in cultural communication, and virtual reality (VR) technology for cultural communication has become a modern tool of transmission. To investigate the factors that influence rural cultural identity (RCI) through technical interaction (TI) and technology acceptance (TA) in VR in cultural communication, this study initially constructed a model of the influence path mediated by embodied cognition (EC) and flow experience (FE) based on compensatory media, technology acceptance, embodied cognition and flow experience theory. All participants had experienced some rural historical and cultural VR work and then completed a corresponding questionnaire. A total of 356 questionnaires were collected and analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS software. The results indicated that the technological interaction and acceptance of VR influenced identification with rural culture through the mediating role of embodied cognition and flow experience. These findings provide a reference for strengthening audiences' embodied cognition and flow experience to promote their rural cultural identity. When VR technology is used to communicate culture, its technological interaction and acceptance can be improved to provide audiences with a better experience and perhaps influence the development of local tourism.

A New Approach to Rural Classification Based on the Filter-Method System: An Empirical Study in Nanning, South China

Rural revitalization is a strategic plan to address sustainable rural development in China and is an important revitalization task for Chinese villages. Rural classification is a key strategy for clarifying the direction and positioning of rural development and providing scientific policy decision-making Based on the findings of previous research on rural classification, we propose a new method for rural classification—the filter-method classification system. The operational steps of the classification are as follows: determining the type of villages, implementing the qualitative filter-method, implementing the quantitative filter-method, testing and feedback, and formulating the development guidelines. A total of 1425 villages in Nanning, the capital city of Guangxi, were classified. The classification results show that villages in Nanning city can be divided into four primary categories and eight secondary categories. The accuracy of the primary categories in the classification results was tested to verify the scientific objectivity and applicability of the classification idea and mode. Finally, development suggestions are presented based on the results of the classification of villages. The study results provide a reference for further rural classification work to help rural revitalization and improve the rural classification methodology and the scientific objectivity of classification. It also provides the basis for sustainable monitoring of rural development.

The Construction of a Socialized Service Platform and System for “Internet + Agriculture” in China

The mismatch between supply and demand and inefficient supply in China’s agricultural product market is quite severe, making agricultural supply-side structural reform an important topic and task for rural economic work in China. The successful implementation of agricultural supply-side reform requires a comprehensive agricultural social service platform and system to support it. However, the current agricultural social service platform system in China faces issues such as a lack of coordination among service entities and poor information communication, making it difficult to meet the demands of supply-side reform. To address this issue, under the new circumstances of supply-side reform, this paper proposes the idea of reorganizing the agricultural social service platform and system through industrial chain collaboration theory, and applying “internet +” for technological reengineering of the agricultural social service platform system. Based on this, a new agricultural social service platform system architecture is constructed, which includes service entities, service platforms, service content, and operational models. The research findings provide guidance for agricultural product producers, distributors, sellers, and related service entities along the agricultural industry chain on how to use “internet +” for collaborative decision-making. This approach is beneficial for addressing the supply-demand imbalance and low resource allocation efficiency in China’s agricultural product market, thereby advancing the structural reform of China’s agricultural supply side.

Land rights, resource allocation and urban settlement choices of migrant workers in Yunnan, Western China

Using the cross-sectional data from the 2015 and 2021 Yunnan Migrant Workers Urban Integration Survey, this study assesses the different effects of the three types of land rights that migrant workers possess in their rural hometowns on their urban settlement choices in Yunnan, western China. Specifically, it examined the existence of migrant workers moving between urban and rural areas in response to the importance of land rights for rural migrant workers, in western China, a region with the lower level of economic development and fastest growing number of migrant workers in China. After controlling for the impact of other variables, the multinomial Probit model was used to estimate the impact of the migrant workers' land rights in their rural hometowns on their settlement choices in urban areas. We found that rural land rights significantly increased migrant workers' willingness to return to their hometowns. This indicates that land right security is a key factor affecting Yunnan migrant workers' urban settlement intentions, although it is conditional in terms of age groups and places of origin. Importantly, we found that migrant workers in western China are more inclined to keep their dual identities as both urban migrant workers and rural residents. They, hence, are more inclined to rationally allocate their resources between urban and rural areas to maximize their economic outputs. Particularly, they prefer to only working - rather than settling - in urban areas, while retaining their rural land as assets and income sources. Instead of settling in either urban or rural areas, the older migrant workers who migrate to smaller and economically underdeveloped cities are more inclined to drift between urban and rural areas without permanent settlement. This confirms the argument of livelihood resource maximization and migratory bird-type migration as important mechanisms via which land right ownership affects migrant workers’ urban settlement intentions. This study suggests that policymakers should consider the land rights of rural migrant workers when making urban settlement policies, especially for small and medium-sized cities, where migrant settlement intention is weaker. Policymakers should also promote the flexibility of rural land use rights transfer and explore reforms concerning the separation of the three types of land rights to achieve a balance between urbanization and land use efficiency, particularly in small and medium-sized cities.

Alcohol, Work and Play in Convict Australia

This article critiques previous attempts to contextualise the culture of drinking in convict Australia, arguing that such practices were embedded within a moral economy of work. It explains the importance of alcohol in British society and the manner in which its relationship to labour changed with industrialisation. Analysing quantitative and qualitive evidence drawn from court and convict records, it demonstrates how alcohol was used to motivate labour in both rural and urban settings. Looking more closely at the timing of drinking charges, it identifies distinct patterns for urban and rural convict workers documenting an increasing management tendency to distinguish sober work from drunken leisure. It concludes with a discussion of popular drinking as a form of agentive resistance and its policing as a means of labour management.

Advancing scholarship on rural social work in China: published researchers’ perspectives

ABSTRACT A search of literature spanning 2000–2019 located 45 articles on rural social work in China in peer-reviewed international and Chinese journals, showing that this was an emerging area of research and scholarship. To explore the nature of, and enrich the knowledge base on, rural social work in China, this paper reports on an exploratory study that involved interviews with Chinese researchers (n = 11), who had published on the topic. Thematic analysis revealed several findings: emerging place-based models, responding to complex rural dynamics and challenges, a focus on rural community development, professional practice issues, the need for political support and skilled professionals.

A dynamic relationship between discrimination and psychological distress among rural migrant workers in China

A dynamic relationship between discrimination and psychological distress among rural migrant workers in China

Analysing the Impact of Minimum Wage Laws on Low-Income Workers in Selected Government Ministries, Agencies, Departments and Parastatals in Benue State

This study analyzed the Impact of Minimum Wage Laws on Low-Income Workers in Selected Government Ministries, Agencies, Departments, and Parastatals in Benue State. It specifically examined the impact of the National Minimum Wage Act on Minority Workers as well as the impact of the Labour Act on Rural Workers in selected government MDAs in Benue State. The target population is 2,803 and a sample size of 338 was derived from Krejcie and Morgan method. The hypotheses were tested with simple linear regression analysis on Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS) at a 5 percent significant level. Hypothesis one revealed a statistically significant negative impact of the National Minimum Wage Act on minority workers in selected government MDAs in Benue State. Hypothesis two showed that there is a strong negative impact of the Labour Act on Rural Workers in selected government MDAs in Benue State. The study concluded that there is a statistically significant negative impact of impact of minimum wage laws on low-income workers in selected government ministries, agencies, departments and parastatals in Benue State. It was recommended that policymakers need to review and adjust the National Minimum Wage Act to ensure fair compensation for minority workers in government MDAs by conducting wage audits and aligning wages with the local cost of living. Also, the government needs to revise the labour to address the unique challenges of rural workers in government MDAs by implementing region-specific policies and stronger enforcement mechanisms.

Awareness of Low Back Pain in Rural Area Field Workers: A Survey

Awareness of Low Back Pain in Rural Area Field Workers: A Survey

APOSENTADORIA RURAL POR IDADE E OS MEIOS DE PROVAS NECESSÁRIAS PARA A CONCESSÃO DO BENEFÍCIO DIREITO PREVIDENCIÁRIO

This work addresses the analysis of the necessary requirements for granting the rural retirement benefit to rural workers, taking into account their difficulties and facilities for granting the benefit, after the various system updates until the benefit is granted. This sets out the approach method used in this article, which will be deductive where the general arguments will be analyzed. Its objective is to analyze and understand the various situations encountered and faced by special insured persons when applying for retirement, to list the difficulties in proving their rights, which in most cases occurs through proof of facts that are not registered, and to estimate the facilities established by the National Social Security Institute (INSS), which simplify the social security administrative process. Thus, to characterize the obstacles and difficulties during the process of granting retirement by age, promoting the verification of the essential elements that make up this set of means, the changes during the administrative social security process and in the legislation regarding rural retirement by rural age, as well as the difficulty in proving the exercise of rural activity, a burden that lies with you.

Spatiotemporal Evolution of the Yellow Fever Epidemic in Southeast Brazil from 2016 to 2019.

Background: Yellow fever (YF) is a zoonotic disease transmitted by mosquitoes among humans and nonhuman primates. Although urban YF is eradicated, the sylvatic YF has reemerged in some areas of Brazil in the twenty-first century. From 2016 to 2019, a sylvatic YF epidemic occurred in Southeast Brazil, where it had been eradicated in the 1940s. Methods: This study's objective was to describe the epidemic in the states of the Southeast region, based on descriptive, cluster, and mobility analyses. Results: Both the descriptive and cluster analyses showed that the YF cases spread from the state of Minas Gerais southward, causing peaks in cases during the summer months. None of the state capitals was included in the clusters, but the connectivity between the municipalities in Greater Metropolitan São Paulo highlighted potential paths of spread. Despite differences in sociodemographic profiles between the Southeast and North of Brazil (the latter region considered endemic), the epidemiological profile was similar, except for patients' occupation, which was not related to rural work in the Southeast. Conclusion: The results contributed to our understanding of the paths by which YF spread across Southeast Brazil and the epidemiological profile in an area that had gone decades without autochthonous cases.

The potential promise and pitfalls of point-of-care viral load monitoring to expedite HIV treatment decision-making in rural Uganda: a qualitative study

BackgroundHIV treatment programs in Africa have implemented centralized testing for routine viral load monitoring (VLM), which may result in specimen processing delays inhibiting timely return of viral load results. Decentralized, point-of-care (PoC) VLM is a promising tool for expediting HIV clinical decision-making but remains unavailable in most African settings. We qualitatively explored the perceived feasibility and appropriateness of PoC VLM to address gaps along the viral load monitoring continuum in rural Uganda.MethodsBetween May and September 2022, we conducted 15 in-depth interviews with HIV clinicians (facility in-charges, clinical officers, nurses, counselors) and six focus group discussions with 47 peer health workers from three south-central Ugandan districts. Topics explored centralized VLM implementation and opportunities/challenges to optimizing routine VLM implementation with PoC testing platforms. We explored perspectives on PoC VLM suitability and feasibility using iterative thematic analysis. Applying the Framework Method, we then mapped salient constraints and enablers of PoC VLM to constructs from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.ResultsClinicians and peers alike emphasized centralized viral load monitoring’s resource-intensiveness and susceptibility to procedural/infrastructural bottlenecks (e.g., supply stockouts, testing backlogs, community tracing of clients with delayed VLM results), inhibiting timely clinical decision-making. Participants reacted enthusiastically to the prospect of PoC VLM, anticipating accelerated turnarounds in specimen processing, shorter and/or fewer client encounters with treatment services, and streamlined efficiencies in HIV care provision (including expedited VLM-driven clinical decision-making). Anticipated constraints to PoC VLM implementation included human resource requirements for processing large quantities of specimens (especially when machinery require repair), procurement and maintenance costs, training needs in the existing health workforce for operating point-of-care technology, and insufficient space in lower-tier health facilities to accommodate installation of new laboratory equipment.ConclusionsAnticipated implementation challenges, primarily clustering around resource requirements, did not diminish enthusiasm for PoC VLM monitoring among rural Ugandan clinicians and peer health workers, who perceived PoC platforms as potential solutions to existing inefficiencies within the centralized VLM ecosystem. Prioritizing PoC VLM rollout in facilities with available resources for optimal implementation (e.g., adequate physical and fiscal infrastructure, capacity to manage high specimen volumes) could help overcome anticipated barriers to decentralizing viral load monitoring.

Rural social work in the UK: Themes and challenges for the future

Rural social work in the UK: Themes and challenges for the future

PROVA DA CONDIÇÃO DE SEGURADO ESPECIAL PARA ACESSO À APOSENTADORIA RURAL: DESAFIOS E PERSPECTIVAS NO CONTEXTO JURÍDICO BRASILEIRO

The present study aims to analyze the challenges and perspectives related to proving the condition of special insured status for access to rural retirement in Brazil. The study investigates the obstacles faced by rural workers in producing such proof, identifying the main associated judicial demands. Specifically, it seeks to understand the requirements for the granting of rural retirement in Brazilian law, identify the main challenges for proving rural worker status in both administrative and judicial contexts, and analyze judicial decisions and official documents to observe how the courts have addressed the issue. It was found that the absence of formal records, such as workbooks or contracts, is a factor that contributes to legal uncertainty and the denial of rights to these workers. Judicial decisions have played a fundamental role by adopting a more flexible stance in accepting testimonial evidence and alternative documents, aiming to ensure that rural workers are not penalized for the lack of formal documentation. However, there are still significant gaps between legislation and the reality faced by these workers, highlighting the need for more inclusive public policies to ensure full access to social security rights.

The Cloud People of Naupallacta: Middle Horizon Camelid Management in the Hinterland of the Chicha Soras Valley

Archaeological, ethnographic, and rural development work over the past 50 years in the Chicha Soras area has revealed that the region was first intensively used from the Middle Horizon Epoch 2 (AD 680/700–900) onward. An introduced population here had its seven occupation sites focused on the southern part of the Chicha valley and supported agriculture and textile production, while settlement in the upper Rio Yanamayo and west of the Rio Huayllaripa comprising the Naupallacta complex, served the management of camelid herds, which provided transport, fiber, and meat resources. The interrelationship between the arable farmers and camelid pastoralists produced a mutually supportive resource base for the local agropastoral community, and tribute produced for distant elite Wari administrators. This is confirmed by the interdisciplinary data sets presented here, including demographic, architectural, artefactual, archaeozoological, paleoenvironmental and aDNA results.

Growing the peer workforce in rural mental health and social and emotional well-being services: A scoping review of the literature.

Growing the mental health peer workforce holds promise for rural communities, but we currently lack an understanding of the guidance available to support the development, implementation and sustainability of this workforce in rural settings. Study aims are to: (1) determine the extent and nature of the literature that provides guidance for growing the peer workforce in rural mental health services; and (2) identify and explore any guidance relevant to rural peer work services dedicated to First Nations communities, including those promoting social and emotional well-being within this body of literature. A scoping review method was employed to identify relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature published between 2013 and 2022 across PsychInfo, Medline, Embase and CINAHL, Scopus and Informit HealthInfoNet databases, as well as targeted organisation websites and Google Advanced Search. A total of 26 unique studies/projects were included from the US, UK, Canada and Australia with public mental health, non-government/for purpose and private sector service settings represented in the literature. Grey literature, such as reports of evaluations and frameworks, formed the majority of included texts. While there is a lesser volume of rurally focused literature relative to the general peer work literature, this is a rich body of knowledge, which includes guidance concerning services dedicated to First Nations communities. Via synthesis critical considerations were identified for the development, implementation and sustainability of peer work in rural mental health services across six domains: 'Working with community members and stakeholders', 'Organisational culture and governance', Working with others and in teams, Professional expertise and experience, Being part of and working in the community and 'Local mental health services capacity'. While there are considerations relevant across a range of settings, the domains of: 'working with community members and stakeholders', 'being part of and working in the community' and 'local mental health services capacity', capture additional, distinct and nuanced challenges and opportunities for growing the peer work in rural services. The literature offers insights valuable for service planning, policy development and the allocation of resources to support rural peer workforce growth.

Understanding the professional factors that impact the retention of pathology workers in regional, rural and remote Australia.

The objective of this study was to determine what professional factors impact the retention of pathology workers in regional, rural and remote Australia. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data regarding the professional factors that impact the retention of regional, rural and remote pathology workers in Australia (n = 95). The survey focused on pathology workers' satisfaction with specific professional factors and how long they intended to stay in their current position. Regional, rural and remote (MM2-7) pathology laboratories in Australia. There were a total of 95 participants, including 24 phlebotomists/laboratory assistants, 34 medical laboratory scientists and 29 supervisors/managers, with the majority of participants being from New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. Significant positive associations were found between satisfaction with career advancement opportunities, workplace culture and maintaining professional skills with the retention of regional, rural and remote pathology workers. Open-ended responses indicated that personal factors also played an important role in pathology worker retention in regional, rural and remote communities. This study provides important insights into the professional factors that impact the retention of pathology workers in regional, rural and remote Australia. Personal factors were also found to play an important role in retention. These findings have highlighted the need for further research to be conducted to explore the relationship between professional and personal factors and how this impacts the retention of pathology workers in regional, rural and remote Australia.

Assentamento Lagoa do Prado: ações de intervenção em saúde no Nordeste do Brasil

The interaction between humans and the environment is complex and dynamic, involving factors that may change over time, such as disease control, which relies on social interventions. In Northeast Brazil, in Parnaíba, Piauí, there is a rural community located far from the city, the Lagoa do Prado settlement. The families living in the region do not have access to continuous health programs; the nearest health post is located in Baixa da Carnaúba, another locality in the municipality of Parnaíba, Piauí. Therefore, social health actions were carried out in the Lagoa do Prado settlement, Parnaíba, Piauí, through blood pressure measurement, capillary blood glucose testing, COVID-19 testing, and anthropometric data collection. For data collection, research techniques such as direct observation, intervention, and interviews were used. The study population consisted of 87 rural workers. Thus, health promotion in rural areas becomes necessary, especially activities aimed at transforming individuals' behaviors, focusing on the analysis and change of lifestyle habits.

Experiences of rural poverty in Stratford district, Aotearoa New Zealand: A qualitative study with implications for rural social work

INTRODUCTION: People experiencing poverty who live in rural communities may have complex needs as rurality exacerbates their issues. Isolation, stigma, transport difficulties and a lack of services contribute to the challenges experienced by people living in rural communities who experience poverty. For social workers, responses need to be creative and flexible to counter the lack of services or people being unable to access services due to distance and/or a lack of transport. METHODS: I conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 28 participants. Participants self-identified as experiencing poverty and ranged in age from teenagers to over 65s. Transcripts were analysed using applied thematic analysis. FINDINGS: Four themes were identified: stigma, isolation, transportation and access to services. Issues in these areas exacerbated participants’ experience of poverty. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study suggest that there is a significant advocacy role for social workers in rural communities regarding access to services and service development, transportation and challenging stigma to improve the lives of people living in rural communities who experience poverty. Further investigation is suggested to explore specific groups experiencing poverty in rural communities, particularly Māori, and to consider other marginalised identity groups and different geographical areas.

The requirements of providing health education for rural people through electronic methods: the experiences and perspectives of community health workers.

Reliance solely on traditional approaches in health education is no longer considered sufficient, and electronic/digital education can be a complementary approach. Implementing electronic methods in health education requires identifying the requirements from the perspective of the service providers. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the experiences and perspectives of community health workers (Behvarzan) regarding the requirements for providing health education for rural people through electronic/digital means. This descriptive qualitative study was conducted in 2022 at Alborz University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 14 Behvarzan from Health Houses (HH) in Karaj City. The data were analyzed using the inductive Elo & Kyngas approach and conventional content analysis facilitated with MAXQDA software. After analyzing the results, we extracted 139 open codes, and by merging them for more precise coding and to facilitate the research process, we formed three main themes and ten subthemes. The themes included Technology (technical infrastructure, content production, content delivery methods, and content delivery channels), Facilities and equipment (communication equipment and electronic content repositories), and Stakeholders (training of providers, motivating providers, persuading learners and target groups, and reference groups). From the perspective of rural healthcare workers, the implementation of electronic education requires necessary technology, equipment, facilities, processes, and content should be pursued and provided through specialized working groups, extending from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education to local HHs. These resources should be available to the healthcare workers and their target populations. Concurrently, educational programs and incentives should be defined and offered at the university level and within health networks for rural healthcare workers and their populations.