Rural Development Theory Research Articles

Customary Land Tenure and Landless Farmers in Java, Indonesia: The Challenges and Prospects for Sustainable Development

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the tenurial system of customary land in Java, its deficiency, the accompanying consequences on land access, and the identification of modes of improvement in order to accelerate rural development. Theoretical framework: This study was based on theories of rural development and decentralization, with a specific focus on landless farmers. Method: This study employed qualitative method to analyze the tenurial system of customary land in Java. Data were collected through two steps, first, observations, interviews, and documentaries were conducted to understand the realities of customary land tenure from the descriptive statistics and narratives of local officers. Second, a focus group discussion involving local officers and villagers was held to present the initial findings, formulate a new tenancy system, and analyze the possibilities of its application in village administration. Results and conclusion: Based on the villages in the Grobogan District of Central Java Province, this study showed that land use causes unequal access to landless farmers. The land management methods to finance village development programs are currently irrelevant in the framework of recent decentralization. A system that can benefit landless farmers is contract farming. Implications of research: This study provided evidence-based information for policymakers to improve the use of customary land for landless farmers and an additional reference for rural development in the world. Originality/value: Studies on Indonesian rural development have shown the strategic position of customary lands in Indonesia, especially in Java. However, little is known about the potential of customary lands to achieve sustainable rural development, as this issue is still inadequately addressed in the literature. This led to the implementation of this study, with the objectives of analyzing the tenurial system of customary land in Java, its deficiency, and accompanying consequences on land access, alongside identifying improvement approaches in order to accelerate rural development.

Some (relatively) new conceptual ‘frames’ supplementing the study of human capital in rural sociology

The article continues the authors’ thoughts about the necessary conceptual frameworks that would help rural sociology provide more reliable insights and data in the study of such a relatively new (in the conceptual-analytical perspective) social phenomenon as rural human capital. In the previous article, we presented a brief overview of such half-forgotten but still relevant theoretical foundations of rural sociology as agricultural economics, theories of peasant agrarianism, and theory of rural-urban continuum, which to a greater or lesser extent can be applied in the analysis of rural development and rural social and human capital. In this article, we provide a brief overview of some more recent agrarian ideas that seem to have sufficient but questionable heuristic potential for rural sociology. First, the idea and repeatedly tested projects of the Green Revolution, or the Third Agricultural Revolution, which implied technology transfer initiatives to greatly increase crop yields, opposed the concept of “Red Revolution” (comprehensive agrotechnological transformations instead of radical political ones), despite some skeptical assessments, in the last decades of the 20th century contributed to the reduction in global hunger, and, especially in its Soviet interpretations, seemed to be consonant with the more recent intellectual direction - development studies. Second, Peasant Studies defending the position that the very question about the need for a special theory of the peasantry and peasant societies is untenable, and presenting an attempt to develop a middlerange theory within historical sociology, which is based on the four most important characteristics of the peasantry in the past and present: family economy, work on land in interaction with nature, local culture of self-organization (rural community), and marginal role in relation to the state. Today’s disputes about the peasantry in the contemporary world are complemented by two macroconcepts - theory of international food regimes and theory of global rural development. Thus, we still miss unambiguous theoretical generalizations regarding rural development due to the extreme diversity of both rural areas (and their social/human capital) and interpretations/definitions of rural/agricultural development (for instance, deagrarianization and extractivism or rural-urban glocalization and optimistic “unorthodox” social-ecological model).

Theory and model optimisation of rural creative economy development in less developed regions based on endogenous growth model

Abstract By constructing an endogenous growth model, this paper reveals the inner path of its development based on the rural cultural and creative economy. Secondly, by rationally allocating social resources and combining physical capital and cultural and creative capital, the inter-period optimization of consumption utility can be realized to the greatest extent. Finally, the endogenous economic growth model analyzes the economic effects of GDP and the H-village cultural creative tourism model in Guizhou Province. The results show that the correlation coefficient of the endogenous growth model of rural cultural creativity and economic development is R=0.979. The goodness of fit is R 2 = 0.967, and the adjusted goodness of fit is R 2 = 0.983, which indicates that the degree of proximity of the fitted equations to reality is extremely high. This paper provides the theoretical basis and practical guidance for developing a rural cultural and creative economy, which is of great significance for promoting the sustainable development of the regional economy.

A Brief Analysis of the Innovative Model of Red Tourism Poverty Alleviation under the Background of Rural Revitalization

A brief analysis of the innovative model of red tourism poverty alleviation under the background of rural revitalization is conducted in this paper. The rural revitalization strategy in the new era is the inheritance and development of the Marxist rural development theory and the traditional Chinese thought of emphasizing agriculture. Therefore, the practice patterns and trends of rural revitalization should be differentiated and diversified, seek truth from facts, adapt measures to local conditions, and adapt measures to village conditions to speed up the revitalization of farmers' income, stable employment, and creation of a better life in other places. Hence, this paper considers the novel Red Tourism for the combination of the Rural Revitalization.

Small Municipalities Attracting Rural Newcomers and Fostering Local Cohesion: Innovative Approaches for Rural Regeneration in Italy

The phenomenon of population decline—with all its associated economic, environmental and social consequences—characterizes many small rural municipalities. This study aims to discuss the role that small rural municipalities can have in addressing this phenomenon by promoting rural regeneration and attracting newcomers. The framework of the analysis is based on the neo-endogenous theories of rural development, which consider the interaction between endogenous and exogenous resources and forces. To analyse the role of small rural municipalities, this paper refers to the findings of a case study on the Italian rural village of Castel del Giudice and of the “confrontation” activities carried out in another village, Malito. The research suggests that a participatory process activated by a municipality can produce positive social and economic benefits for the local community. This process can enhance territorial cohesion, contribute to halting emigration, and favour the establishment of newcomers. Nevertheless, the research highlights that this approach requires adequate organizational knowledge, including political and administrative functionaries with appropriate skills who are also capable of experimenting with new modalities of fundraising. Moreover, it emerges that non-local resources and forces can support a solid participatory process focused on valorising local resources rather than having an extractive approach.

Socio-cultural factors as driving forces of rural entrepreneurship in Oman

The Omani government’s current drive towards economic diversification is focused on the expansion of entrepreneurial activities to power the country’s socio-economic development. However, the participation rate of the indigenous population in such activities remains low. This paper studies the indigenous value system and behavioral mechanisms which drive rural entrepreneurship in Oman. A constant comparative method has been applied to face-to-face interviews with contemporary entrepreneurs - twenty participants from three rural localities. Based on the obtained data, three types of the entrepreneurial community’s orientations have been observed which are rooted in the interplay of three categories of values or drives. It has been found that: (1) cultural value orientations carry a significantly more profound importance to the entrepreneurs’ choices of either pursuing or abandoning entrepreneurial activities compared to economic or infrastructural factors; (2) the most influential drives are centred around the past and are fuelled by Islamic and Omani culture-specific values; and (3) random socio-cultural values need a systematized classification based on their time orientation and their sources of origin. The findings corroborate both existing community-led rural development theory and the theory of immobile resources. The findings can be generalizable to other GCC countries with shared demographic, political and socio-cultural features.

Evolutionary Path and Mechanism of Village Revitalization: A Case Study of Yuejin Village, Jiangsu, China

A profound understanding of how China’s villages gradually grow from rural decline to vitalization has essential theoretical and practical values. Through an exploratory case study, this paper adopted the grounded theory method analyzing the village-level data collected from Yuejin in Jiangsu province, China, to reveal the leading forces, the evolutionary path, and mechanism of a typical village revitalizing during the past 40 years of China’s economic reform. Based on comprehensive rural development theory, this article identifies the “critical”, “transitional”, and “induced” forces at different stages of the case village growth, to reveal the cultivation mechanism of rural poverty alleviation, prosperity, and revitalization. The results show that the evolution mechanism of rural revitalization is a process in which the rural core competence evolves from low to high level and from traditional subsistence agriculture to market-oriented industry. The evolution essence of rural revitalization is the integration, reconfiguration, and optimization of the resource under the specific cultivation mechanisms, corresponding to the rural growth path of self-repairing, self-adapting, and self-improving. This study contributes to a better understanding of the growth track of a typical agricultural village during the transition from poverty to vitalization.

An exploration of potential growth pathways of social innovations in rural Europe

This paper explores the range of expansion/development/growth pathways (or scaling) that might occur with social innovations, with reference to social innovation in rural areas. It explores the lack of a clear conceptualization of both social innovation as a phenomenon and the possible growth and expansion pathways that might arise. Based on a survey of the diverse literature on the expansion/development/growth pathways of social innovations, and illustrated primarily by European examples, the paper develops a typology built around an attempted synthesis of the extant typologies found in published literature. Different theories of rural development are employed to help explain the divergent development pathways that might be anticipated in rural areas.

Sustainability Evaluation and Analysis of Poverty Alleviation Projects based on Farmer Cooperatives Taking Lianghe County, Yunnan Province as an example

Farmer cooperatives play a huge role in anti-poverty practice, and the results are remarkable. However, there is still room for improvement in the research on the sustainability of poverty alleviation projects of farmers’ cooperatives. To this end, the author uses questionnaire surveys, factor analysis and other research methods on the basis of existing research results to analyze the sustainability evaluation dimensions of farmer cooperatives poverty alleviation projects, and builds an evaluation index system. Taking 28 farmer cooperatives poverty alleviation projects in Lianghe County as an example. An empirical analysis of sustainability was carried out, and the following conclusions were drawn: ①The four common factors of the sustainability evaluation system have greater room for improvement; ②Cooperatives with poor information technology factors have relatively poor comprehensive scores for the sustainability of poverty alleviation projects. The research results not only help farmers create more material wealth, but also help realize the strategy of rural revitalization. At the same time, it may enrich the theoretical connotation of anti-poverty, and make corresponding theoretical contributions to the theory of rural revitalization and sustainable development.

China’s rural revitalization and development: Theory, technology and management

The urban-rural transformation from dichotomy to integration is a gradual process. Like rural areas in many countries, Chinese rural society is experiencing a decline in all spheres due to depopulation, aging, lack of economic opportunity, and so on. Aiming at solving the serious rural issues, China proposed the implementation of a rural revitalization strategy and the promotion of an integrated urban-rural development for the first time in 2017. This proposal marks the transformation of the urban-rural relationship, and the integrated urban-rural development reflects a significant conceptual change. Researches on issues of rural decline are urgently needed to determine the most effective method for rural revitalization and development from the perspective of the urban-rural dynamics. In this context, this paper focuses on studying the theory, technology and management of rural revitalization and development. We construct a theoretical framework for urban-rural integration based on population-land-industry-right between the urban and rural systems, regarding land engineering for land capacity building as the technical support and the rural land system reform and reconstruction as the policy support for management. This research will provide theoretical support for the implementation of China’s rural revitalization strategy.

Еволюція економічних теорій сталого сільського розвитку

The purpose of the article is to generalize theoretical approaches to defining the essence of balanced rural development through the prism of the evolution of theories of spatial and inclusive development and the concept of sustainable eco-socio-economic growth. Research methods. The methodological basis of the research was general scientific and economic research methods, scientific works of Ukrainian and foreign scientists on sustainable rural development and the evolution of scientific thought regarding this problem. In particular, the research used the following methods: abstract-logical (when proposing a hypothesis, making generalizations, formulating conclusions and proposals); analysis and synthesis (in the study of the evolution of theories of spatial and inclusive development and the concept of sustainable eco-socio-economic growth); induction and deduction (to study the essence of the category of balanced rural development). Research results. The evolution of the main economic theories of sustainable rural development, which, developing gradually according to the laws of dialectics, inherited the scientific developments and predictions of scientists of several generations, is revealed. Scientific novelty. Scientific approaches to the interpretation of the category "sustainable development of rural areas" were further developed, which was proposed to be understood as a process of improving the level and quality of life of the rural population, which, in turn, contributes to a variety of types of agricultural and non-agricultural activities, productive employment, diversification of incomes of rural households and filling budgets of local communities, social protection of residents, modern infrastructural development of the settlement network, preservation and enhancement of soil fertility, protection of landscapes and biological diversity. Practical significance. The study of the theories of spatial economics, inclusive growth and sustainable development can be-come in the future a scientific and methodological basis for the balanced (sustainable) development of rural areas, which will contribute to the restoration of human-centered socio-economic and ecological equilibrium in conditions of destabilizing internal and external factors. Tabl.: 1. Refs.: 48.

Smart rural futures: Will rural areas be left behind in the 4th industrial revolution?

The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) is the term given to encompass a range of technological developments that many argue will fundamentally change society, much in the same way that electricity and digital technology did during previous industrial revolutions. This paper argues that current debates around 4IR are centred on the urban core, with rural areas being relegated to the peripherality and the remainder. The paper therefore examines these technologies from a rural perspective and considers what impact they could have in rural areas, both positive and negative. The analysis shows that the impacts of 4IR technologies could be just as important in rural as in urban places. Drawing on extant theories of rural development, the paper examines the physical and cultural barriers facing rural areas when attempting to engage with 4IR. The paper concludes by proposing that rural theorists engage with smart urban theoretical debates. New research should seek to understand the multi-faceted aspects of 4IR in rural regions, and to support the transition to smart rural futures.

On Sustainable Development Strategy of Rural Tourism in Jiangxi Province

In recent years, the development of rural tourism is gradually accelerated, and its status in tourism industry is getting higher and higher. This paper uses some scientific research methods such as literature analysis, survey research, etc. to perfect the concept and characteristics of the rural tourism. Taking present situation of rural tourism development in Jiangxi Province as an example and combining with the theory of rural tourism development, the paper analyzes its problems in management, marketing, etc. and puts forward some corresponding countermeasures and suggestions consequently in order to promote the comprehensive development of rural tourism in Jiangxi Province efficiently and effectively.

Reaching rural: Identifying implicit social networks in community development programmes

Exogenous, endogenous, neo-endogenous, and more recently, nexogenous development have been prominent theories of rural development in Europe over the past several decades. While these theories of rural development are well known in Europe, they are less prominent in the US. This paper explores how they might be applied in a US context, through a study of the operation and network relationships of not-for-profit, community development organisations in the U.S. state of Missouri. This paper introduces a conceptual approach to classifying rural development networks as explicit and implicit networks. Results show that pillars of neo-endogenous development, namely the importance of social networks, can be identified through an easily replicable and quantitative research design. An implicit network graph is realised which shows promise for serving as a conduit for social and human capital into rural areas. It is argued that implicit networks have potential to be leveraged by rural communities in pursuit of sustainable development efforts.

Characteristics of change and vitalization pathways of poor villages based on multifunctional rural development theory: A case study of Zahan Village in Hainan Province

Characteristics of change and vitalization pathways of poor villages based on multifunctional rural development theory: A case study of Zahan Village in Hainan Province

English

Life is supposed to be a great teacher, but in the development field lessons have never been learnt because errors of decades ago continue being entrenched today, by more enlightened people. This paper deploys critical theories of rural development and community participation to explain why communities resist development projects. One such incident is community resistance to a donor-funded mega irrigation project in Nyangavi, Guruve, in Northern Zimbabwe. The community felt that the poverty alleviation project was imposed on them. The resilient ‘modernisation’ thinking countered by people-centred ideas of development in Guruve promotes active participation of rural communities as subjects rather than objects of development. Resistance in this paper is underscored to highlight the lack of fit between rural development policy and the actual implementation on the ground and underscores rural communities’ agency as masters of their own destiny. National governments have explicit rural development policies that can help rural communities drive economies. However, these policies are ignored, for expedience purposes as officials futilely fast-track change that is meant to improve the standard of living of the poor. There appears to be selective use of community participation policies to suit certain conditions. This kind of development characterises most of Africa and development of billion-dollar projects throughout the world.    Key words: Community-based rural development, community, community leadership, decentralisation, development, engagement, human rights, irrigation, land reform, militant leaders, mobilise, modernisation, participation, policy, resistance, rural development. &nbsp

Emprendedores y proyectos fallidos de LEADER y PRODER en Andalucía en el periodo 2000-2006. Perfil y motivos de desistimiento

Durante 25 años el enfoque LEADER ha contribuido a incorporar nuevos principios a las recientes teorías del desarrollo neoendógeno. Para esta Iniciativa, se realiza un análisis de los proyectos que, habiendo sido inicialmente aprobados, no se llegaron a ejecutar para conocer el perfil del promotor, tipo de inversión y causas que provocaron su caída. Se han consultado los expedientes no ejecutados durante el periodo 2002- 2008 de los Grupos de Acción Local de la provincia de Granada y se han realizado entrevistas tanto a los técnicos como a los gerentes de tales Grupos. En estos proyectos se aprecia una prevalencia del emprendedor privado sobre el público y de los jóvenes y nuevos empresarios frente a los que no lo son. Las causas últimas de desistimiento van desde la inadecuada planificación y la falta de financiación, hasta las rigideces en tiempo y requisitos administrativos exigidos.

Investigation of the Potentials and Obstacles for Diversifying Livelihood Leading to Sustainable Rural Development (Case Study: Rezvanshahr County)

Investigation of the Potentials and Obstacles for Diversifying Livelihood Leading to Sustainable Rural Development (Case Study: Rezvanshahr County)

Rural entrepreneurship and rural development in Nigeria

Rural entrepreneurship can help develop rural areas through good management of the local resources. Within the framework of integrated rural development theory, this study attempts to determine the perceptions of rural entrepreneurs on the nature and role of entrepreneurship in rural economic development. The study adopted the survey and descriptive design. The researchers randomly selected 200 rural entrepreneurs from five towns in Oyi Local Government Area. The major source of data was primary data, though secondary data such as journals, textbooks and Internet materials were also consulted. A 24-item questionnaire of strongly agree, agree, disagree and strongly disagree was designed and administered. Findings showed that rural entrepreneurship can help increase output, create employment and reduce rural urban migration among other things. However, rural entrepreneurs are faced with certain challenges such as insufficient funds and lack of government support. Based on these findings, the researchers recommended that rural areas should be made attractive and government should create enabling environments for rural entrepreneurs through their policies and other assistance.

Trend Analysis of Evolution in the Socio-Cultural Structures of the Peri Urban Villages (Case Study: Saqqez City -Kurdistan Province)

Trend Analysis of Evolution in the Socio-Cultural Structures of the Peri Urban Villages (Case Study: Saqqez City -Kurdistan Province)