Rural World Research Articles

The Seasonality of Labour in Ceramic Production and Agriculture in the Ancient Greek Rural World

This article explores the seasonality of labour in ceramic production and its correlation with agricultural tasks, focusing on a Hellenistic kiln site in Sant’Angelo Vecchio, southern Italy, in the hinterland of Metaponto. Through a comprehensive examination of archaeological data and the outcomes of an experimental archaeology project, the study estimates the labour required for various stages of the pottery-making operational sequence. The findings reveal that small-scale rural workshops mainly produced limited quantities of items primarily for household and agrarian use. Only two or three individuals, working part-time, were needed to manage the various tasks involved, such as raw material collection, transportation, clay preparation, vessel shaping and kiln firing. The findings also demonstrate that the seasonal nature of their pottery work could be fitted within the seasonal rhythms of agricultural activities. This research highlights the interconnectedness of all productive activities in the region; sites and tasks are intricately linked, fostering a flexible and seasonal labour system in both ancient and modern Mediterranean societies.

Mythic, national, global, geological: the countryside in Catalan literature

ABSTRACT This essay analyzes the dominant ideologies of the different representations of the countryside in modern and contemporary Catalan literature. I propose three main tendencies or stages. First, in the nineteenth century the countryside provided a symbolic form to local fatherlands that portrayed the mythification of the native soil, the transmission of historical memory and an implicit defense against the penetration of the Spanish state. Second, in the twentieth century the countryside became part of the political process of spatializing the Catalan nation. Josep Pla’s oeuvre constitutes the most comprehensive effort to narrate the national genius loci. Finally, literary works in the twenty-first century have focused on representing the ways in which globalization has altered the Catalan countryside. In our present, the geography of the rural has been largely disjointed by suburbanization, tourism, overexploitation of natural resources, itinerant immigration, remote work and political clientelism, but also multiple instances of local resistance and alternative forms of life. As AMO/Rem Koolhaas argue in Countryside: A Report, the rural world is currently more volatile than the most accelerated city, and many of the tensions between the global and the local, capital and labor, and human and natural histories emerge there in more extreme ways than in any urban space. In this global context, one singular novel, Irene Solà’s Canto jo i la muntanya balla (2019), thematizes how even the geological sphere of the countryside has become an unstable space of postsubjective experience and magmatic violence.

A sensitive and resonant view of the rural environment in three books by Julià Guillamon

ABSTRACT The current boom in rural-themed literature in Spain has been interpreted as a response to certain social and commercial needs that acquire a contradictory ideological value (Ibarretxe Diego and Delgado [2022]. “Comunidades inimaginables: narrativas sobre la España vaciada.” In España comparada: literatura, lengua y política en la cultura contemporánea, coordinated by Christian Claesson. Granada: Editorial Comares, 104–108). In contrast to the fictions that perpetuate an idealized or uncritical imaginary of the rural world, a body of new works has emerged that develop an attentive gaze at living beings. In the Catalan context, this local and intimate approach to the daily life of rurality has allowed certain writers to promote an ecoresponsible sensibility, which is grounded in a sensitive relationship with the natural world. Based on these premises, the aim of this article is to analyze a selection of stories from the books El sifon de can Sitra (2017), Les cuques (2020) and Les hores noves (2022), by Julià Guillamon, which focus on different elements of the living world. The analysis is based on the idea that the author’s local attachment allows him to develop a sensitive and resonant view of the living beings that are part of a very specific environment: the town of Arbúcies and Montseny Natural Park, located in the center of Catalonia. Starting from the idea of “sensitive relationships”, developed by Estelle Zhong Mengual and Baptiste Morizot (2018), and the concept of “resonance”, defined by Hartmut Rosa (2020), this article will explore the way in which Guillamon develops rural themes that include not just living beings, but agriculture and forestry as well. In his books, the author uses resources from treatises on natural sciences, literary journalism and nature diaries. This use of nonfiction literature allows him to build a demystified and realistic vision of the Montseny massif (a space with a significant cultural weight in the Catalan literary tradition), through which it is possible to reconstitute a sensitivity towards natural life.

La materia de la propaganda política en el diseño de vestuario de Helena Roque Gameiro: “As Pupilas do Senhor Reitor” (1935), drama de costumbres fílmico

As Pupilas do Senhor Reitor (José Leitão de Barros, 1935) is part of a series of films that linked the rural world to political propaganda for the Portuguese nation idea Construction.Ruralism, as a tool for constructing people identity, has played an important role in the history of cinema, to the point of giving rise, for example, to western. The exaltation of rural life became a vein for expressing, in the form of propaganda, the pillars of blood and land in Nazism and Fascism. In Spain, even a genre, drama rural, arises, which is paralleled by the Portuguese drama de costumbres.In this sense, As Pupilas... is a paradigmatic example of the use of propaganda in the Portuguese Estado Novo, through cinema. This article analyses the propagandistic cinematographic use in this film, focusing on the triangular relationship of themes, style and tone. Emphasis is placed on the costume work carried out by Helena Roque Gameiro, an essential contribution to the mise-en-scène of cinematic ruralism. Therefore, this film would decant the strategic ideological repertoire of the Portuguese Estado Novo.

FIVE-YEAR STUDY OF SOCIAL WELFARE BY ARYAVART BANK

Aryavart Bank (AB) came into existence on 1st April 2019 under the provisions of the Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976 and Government of India notification dated 22/02/2019. The operation working spread over more than twenty six districts of State of Uttar Pradesh, equipped with NEFT / RTGS Facility as well as CBS Platform.*1 The bank is committed to provide banking services in rural areas of Uttar Pradesh in effective way. Bank fulfilled its commitment in its way. It is proved by the annual reports and the balance sheets of the Bank. Bank has to performance much more according to necessities and aspirations of rural world.

The Global Enclosure and the Remaking of Peasantries, 1870–1950

AbstractPeasant transformation has often been framed in dichotomous, linear, and predominantly a-historical models. This article adopts a dynamic perspective and shows how the developments that have often been regarded as constituent to the long-term process of the decline of agriculture and peasant worlds were in fact part of the spread of more diversified labour and income strategies of the peasantries. In the movement towards a worldwide enclosure of the rural worlds after 1870, a global peasantry emerged through a wide range of regional trajectories and narratives. By the first half of the twentieth century, peasant households all over the world had become heavily involved in the capitalist market economy. In this article, we argue that the (re)creation of peasantries as a social group is part of a diverse complex of reciprocal exchanges, regional and extra-regional market transactions, actions of public forces, and social conflict. Also we stress that social class formation should be understood in its specific world-historical co-ordinates using a particular set of transhistorical concepts like (re)peasantization, peasant frontiers, and peasant regimes.

Reciprocity and patron-clientelism as forms of an institution of mutual assistance network in villages of the Republic of Tatarstan

The sustainability of the rural world of the Republic of Tatarstan today largely depends on the development and functioning of the institution of network mutual assistance. I attempt to study the situation, making use of network theories in sociology as well as concepts of reciprocal and patron-client relationships as key aspects in the reproduction of mutual assistance networks. Drawing on field interviews collected in various villages of Tatarstan, I examine the actors and practices of mutual assistance in reciprocal and patron-client rural relationships and argue for the necessity of further support and development of mutual assistance networks in rural areas as a way of securing collective mutual insurance in an unstable economic situation.

Choroba i środowisko – ekowidmontologiczna lektura Łakomych Małgorzaty Lebdy

This article is an ecohauntological reading of Małgorzata Lebda’s novel Łakome [The Greedy] (2023). Its main purpose is to track down the Derridean ‘spectres’ that make their appearance as a result of the traumatic relationship between the main character and a rural world in the grip of an environmental degradation and the extinction of wildlife. The article proposes a psychoanalytic reading of the novel based on Ashlee Cunsolo’s notion of ‘ecological grief’, triggered by inexorable loss that occurs before the eyes of the protagonists. The experience of terminal illness tests and erodes the ‘I’, but also opens it to the outside world and, in effect, reveals a precious complex of relations between the human and non-human worlds.

The role of historical cartography to evaluate the landscape evolution in the last two centuries: a case study in central Italy

The study of landscape evolution in areas characterised by long-term anthropic presence needs a multidisciplinary approach, including the investigation of historical cartography. This work highlights the effectiveness of coupling the old cadastres and land registers within a GIS platform to reconstruct a digitised land use map to be compared with present-time data. The method proposed here can be applied wherever historical maps are available. The case study, I am going to discuss, is in Central Italy (Rieti) and the Gregorian Cadastre of the Papal State (1819) is chosen to be georeferenced and vectorised. The quality-quantitative results depict a rural world with few remnants from the past, with significant landscape changes compared to modern data. These findings provide relevant information for planning processes, nature conservation, and land management.

Movilidad sostenible en la lucha contra la despoblación: algunas medidas en la provincia de Jaén

This work studies the ideas of rurality, depopulation and sustainability, and the special importance of transportation and infrastructure for the adequate development of the rural world, with particular attention to the reality of the province of Jaén.

Rural Sanitation and The Challenges For Universalization: Evaluation of The Municipalities of Brejo Grande And Ilha Das Flores in Baixo São Francisco Sergipano

Purpose: To evaluate basic sanitation in the cities of Brejo Grande/SE and Ilha das Flores/SE, located in the Lower São Francisco region of Sergipe, through a case study on already implemented public policies, highlighting water supply, sewage collection, and treatment. Theoretical Framework: Implementing basic sanitation in rural areas constitutes a significant political and social challenge. Analyzing and understanding the current dynamics of the rural world, with all its new peculiarities, is fundamentally important for defining public policies aimed at sustainable and healthy rural development. The pursuit of universalizing sanitation services is a commendable goal of the new regulatory framework, aligning with the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. Method: Hypothetical-deductive approach and case study focused on the structural conditions of sanitation in the municipalities of Brejo Grande/SE and Ilha das Flores/SE, and the effectiveness perspectives of federal legislation for the universalization of sanitation. Results and Discussion: In recent years, the municipalities of Brejo Grande/SE and Ilha das Flores/SE have witnessed significant governmental efforts to achieve the universalization of basic sanitation. These governmental actions have been crucial for improving the living and health conditions of the population, as well as for promoting sustainable development in these communities. Implications of the research: The research results indicate that the studied municipalities show deficiencies in the provision of basic sanitation, especially in rural areas. Originality/Value: The results suggest that effective management of basic sanitation, not only in Brejo Grande/SE and Ilha das Flores/SE but in general, requires careful planning to achieve universalization. It is essential for public managers to recognize basic sanitation as a fundamental human right, going beyond mere water supply and including its other dimensions.

The Role of Public Authorities in the Agro-Tourism Sector

Abstract In the countries of the European Union, agritourism is not a new phenomenon. Over time, for most EU countries: time meaning several decades, tourist accommodation has been practiced in a more or less spontaneous or organized manner. The new in this field is manifested by the expansion of the tourist phenomenon in the rural area. This expansion is explained, on the one hand, by relaunching the development of rural regions and, on the other hand, by diversifying the forms of mass tourism practice. The activity has proven to be profitable, especially as a result of changes in the preferences and habits of tourists towards individual tourism, to the detriment of mass tourism. On the other hand, the migration to the city, the modernization of work in the agricultural sector, the changes caused by the increase in competition in the rural world through the expansion of the free community market, have a counterweight in agritourism. Activities in the sphere of tourism can economically revive the villages, if the benevolent attitude of their inhabitants, to receive and accept in their midst wasteful and demanding guests, is favorably received. The objective of this article is to interconnect the concept of agritourism analyzed at the European level with the main strategies and stability policies of public authorities in the large-scale development of this type of non-invasive tourism

Evolution and statement of the rural studies in Latin America

The structure and evolutionary dynamic of the rural world of Latin America has always been a privileged topic in research and scientific reflection, not only at the level of the continent, but also at the international level. Scientific production has always reflected the problems of this vast rural world, but always under the influence of the social, political, and economic conditions of each historical moment. In this paper, we analyze the current scientific production on the rural world with a historical perspective, to understand the evolution of scientific thought and production. We appeal to a very simple bibliometric method based on the analysis of the most prestigious journals about the rural reality of the continent. The analysis allows us to observe a clear trend towards new topics, linked to the problems of the rural world, such as the new relationship between the countryside and the city, environmental problems, the emergence of new ways of producing, among others.

IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS ON EMPOWERMENT OF RURAL WOMEN IN JIJEL

This research document aims to highlight the role of rural development programs approved by the State in order to restore development to the rural world and to empower rural women through various programs and policies which enabled them to exercise their development role, despite the great challenges they encounter. The rural renewal policy has changed the lives of rural women, since thanks to the support funds allocated by the State, which make it possible to encourage rural women to develop and create private investment projects in various fields, traditional industries, agricultural and other industries. The role of rural Algerian women in this support has become apparent. In order to integrate women in the rural world, the State has set up local rural development projects with the objective of developing and improving the standard of living of the rural world. And develop women in particular. These projects have contributed to developing the work of women in agricultural and artisanal activities. We have noticed that rural women can support themselves and their communities and help build thriving rural economies if they have the opportunity to produce.

Tsow hope, reap progress: young people strengthening the rural

This study aims to analyze the perspectives and opportunities for rural young people to remain in their communities. The approach consists of carrying out a systematic review of Brazilian scientific literature to offer an overview of recent national research on rural youth. A search was carried out on the Capes Periodicals Portal, from 2019 to 2023, resulting in 23 articles, which were categorized into three main groups. The study categorized 23 articles into three main groups. The first, with ten studies, explored perspectives and permanence of rural young people, addressing motivations for staying or leaving, participation in social movements and female exodus. The second category, with seven studies, focused on formal education, including agricultural technological teaching and Alternation Pedagogy. The third category, with six studies, addressed opportunities such as courses, training, employment, income and rural microcredit. A double movement stands out in the rural world, with young people remaining or migrating to urban centers, highlighting the need for public policies that meet the demands of rural youth.

Democratization of knowledge. A seminar of the university progrm for seniors, which brings the university closer to the elderly in the rural world

Este trabajo se encuadra en una línea de investigación que desarrollamos en la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela sobre la educación de adultos y, en particular, referente a los Programas Universitarios para Mayores, como una parte de esa educación. En este caso, nos centramos, en el análisis de una actividad o modalidad que se viene realizando desde el Programa Universitario para Mayores de la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela. Para ello, en primer lugar, trataremos de establecer la relación entre la formación a lo largo de la vida, la educación permanente y estos programas, para a continuación hacer un pequeño desarrollo de la evolución de estos programas. A continuación, sistematizaremos los objetivos y los fines que persiguen, tanto los formativos, como los de desarrollo o mantenimiento de destrezas, habilidades y actitudes que permiten al alumnado mantener una buena calidad de vida, relacionándolos con las dimensiones generales de intervención. Seguidamente, exponemos las condiciones mínimas y las características estructurales que deben tener estos programas para considerarlos como programas formativos universitarios, pero adaptándose a las especialidades o al perfil de cada universidad y, en concreto, de las extensiones del programa en la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela. Para finalizar con el análisis de modalidad antes comentada, en concreto el Programa de Democratización del conocimiento que viene desarrollando la Universidad de Santiago en la provincia de Pontevedra, así como los resultados que se derivaron de dicha intervención educativa.

ICTS in Brazilian family farming: facing isolation and digital exclusion

The article records the evolution of primary data made by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) with the aim of understanding the progressive digital inclusion in the Brazilian rural world. We revisit in an updated perspective a survey that originates in 2006 and continues until 2022, relating the consumption of ICTs by Brazilian family farming. The importance of mobile phones is highlighted, anticipating the arrival of Smartphones and the Internet in rural areas. The exodus of young people, especially girls, is a reality even in family farming. Masculinization and aging are constant in rural reality, aspects that greatly contribute to the wear and tear of the social fabric. The analysis of the evolution of primary data on the presence of ICTs allows us to understand the characteristics of digital inclusion in the Brazilian rural world. At the end, we present our reflection on the potential of ICTs in the context of gender and generation relations for rural development policies.

The intergenerational reinforcement of Spanish in Galicia (Spain)

This article presents a case study on family language policies (FLP) in Galicia (official bilingual community of Spain), based on the analysis of semi-structured interviews with three Spanish-speaking parents who live with their partners and children in urban or semi-urban settings where Spanish is the dominant language. The results indicate a FLP model that reinforces the position of this language in the family, in interaction with the environment, since the informants attribute their children’s learning of Galician exclusively to school, even though they see it as insufficient to incorporate this minority language into their everyday linguistic repertoire, both now and in the future. The assumption of this result is revealed to be rooted in the ideologies about languages, since Galician has little or no economic or even symbolic value for these parents and continues to be strongly associated with the rural world, with the elderly or with no education, reproducing a persistent diglossic culture in Galician society. This language micropolicy is interpreted as a mirror of the laissez-faire attitude that has characterised language policies at the macro level in Galicia, as well as a reflection of its shortcomings in achieving true prestige for Galician.

The Memory of Hops: Rural Bioculture as a Collective Means of Reimagining the Future

This article, set within an art–science collaborative framework, exposes a multidisciplinary research platform aimed at identifying new relationships with hops (Humulus lupulus), its harvest, and local memory. It presents an ecological and ethnobotanical study of the plant, from its natural habitat to its past/present cultivation, its traditional uses, and possible applications in pharmacy and cosmetics. It offers a qualitative study with an ethnographic approach to participant observation, using techniques such as in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and life stories. Finally, it brings forth a process of material experimentation from the arts, based on rethinking waste systems to create new biomaterials with manifold future applications. The results from this hybrid methodology show the multiple possibilities that the plant offers beyond its cultivation for the brewing industry. Likewise, it shows how spaces, relationships, and dialogues have been generated with wide repercussions on a local and planetary scale, related to the sustainability of the rural world and territorial cohesion, all of which are intrinsic to emergent agrarian practices. The conclusions show a complex scenario that demands a hybrid response to understand the paradoxes to which the plant is subjected and the uncertain future of agrarian culture.

The impact of COVID-19 on the resilience of rural and island Scotland: implications for transitioning to a resilient rural and island future

ABSTRACT Negligible attention has been given to how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted upon social and economic attributes of rural and island (R&I) places. The paper considers impacts of COVID-19 on the resilience of Scottish R&I communities during the crisis or emergency stage of the pandemic and then after its shift to what may be described as an everyday disruption, suggesting ways that communities could transition to a resilient future in a post-COVID world. The paper’s longitudinal, qualitative, Scotland-wide, and holistic assessment of community change and responses represents a novel approach to exploring the impacts of the pandemic on resilience between 2020 and 2022. It allows greater understanding to be gained about both the pandemic’s impacts on socio-economic aspects of Scottish R&I communities and the implications for transitioning to a more resilient post COVID-19 rural world. The paper reports that, when those who participated in the research discussed transitioning to a new future for R&I places, their thoughts about how it should change altered over time. Specifically, by addressing dual discourses of emergency and everyday resilience, the paper identifies how the impacts of COVID-19 affected resilience during different stages of the pandemic and what might be learned about ongoing resilience in R&I communities.