Tenure Uncertainty Research Articles

“Here, your only relative is money…” why slum social networks do not facilitate neighborhood community development: insights through a sanitation lens

IntroductionThough social networks which are deemed vehicles of community development exist in slum areas, underdevelopment still persists in these areas. We explored the nature and role of social networks in facilitating community development in the slums of Kampala through a sanitation lens.MethodsQualitative Social Network Analysis (SNA) was done to understand the nature of slum social networks primarily through the analysis of sanitation behavior. Data were collected through six Focus Group Discussions (FGD), six In-depth Interviews (IDIs), and 18 Key Informant Interviews (KII) with Government, civil society and private stakeholders. We used both inductive and deductive thematic analysis.ResultsFour themes emerged in our analysis; i); Unsupportive environments, uncooperative neighbours and uncertainty of tenure: participants reported slums as unsupportive of community development due to a shortage of space, poverty and unplanned services. Tenants perceived landlords as exploitative and predatory and wished the tables are turned. This notion of cyclic exploitation did not encourage collective action for community good. Short-term economic survival trumped long-term community interests ii) Patronage and poor service delivery: varying degrees of patronage led to multiple forms of illegalities and violations such as tax evasion. Due to vested interests and corruption among public officials, the slum population was lethargic. iii) Intersecting realities of poverty and unemployment: slum dwellers lived on the margins daily. Hence, poor living conditions were a secondary concern. iv) Social relations for personal development: Slum social networks were driven by individual interests rather than community good. Slum dwellers prioritized connections with people of common socio-economic interests. As such social networks were instrumental only if they ‘added value’.ConclusionSocial networks in slums are only concerned about survival needs. Slums require responses that address the complexity of slum formation and broader livelihood challenges, as well as re-assessing the meaning of community. We posit that more needs to be done in understanding the meaning and workings of a sociology beyond physical societies. Poverty is a modifier of social systems and processes and should be a concern for all stakeholders involved in slum development.

Promotion incentives, tenure uncertainty, and local government debt risk

In this paper, we investigate how officials’ promotion incentives and tenure uncertainty affect the local government debt risks in China. We find that the promotion incentives of officials could increase the local government debt risk, but there is no direct relationship with explicit local debt risk. There is a significant U-shaped relationship between officials’ promotion incentives and local government debt size as tenure uncertainty increases. Our results remain robust after replacing the explanatory variables and endogeneity tests. Furthermore, local government debt risk is more likely to be affected by promotion incentives and tenure uncertainty when local officials have been promoted or work in eastern China. The influence of province governors on local debt risk is more relevant than that of provincial party secretaries.

Investigating the Factors Influencing the Intention to Adopt Long-Term Land Leasing in Northern Ireland

Short-term land rental agreements such as the traditional conacre system in Northern Ireland offer flexibility between the landowners and the farmers renting the land. However, the uncertainty of tenure linked to such short-term land rental systems does not allow for farmers renting the land to make longer-term investment planning and decisions, particularly around sustainable land management practices. Long-term tenancy agreements have been identified as a viable option to cope with short-term uncertainties and improve the environmental management of the land. In this study, we analysed the factors influencing farmers’ intention to adopt long-term land leasing with and without income tax incentives in Northern Ireland. To achieve our objective, we employed ordered logistic regression models complemented with qualitative analysis. The results of our analyses showed that varying factors including risk attitude, pro-environmental behaviour, profit consciousness, having a dairy enterprise, the area of farmland owned, the presence of a successor, and the age and education of the farmer influence farmers’ intention to adopt long-term land leasing. However, variability exists depending on the farmers’ rental status and availability of income tax incentives. It can be concluded from the study that policies aimed at encouraging long-term land leasing should take a holistic approach that incorporates environmental and socioeconomic factors.

The Contribution of Traditional Agroforestry Systems and Challenges of Adoption by Smallholder Farmers in Ethiopia. A review

Agroforestry is a system of land use that incorporates the use of trees with either crops, livestock, or both. In Ethiopia, traditional agroforestry systems such as home gardens, parkland, border planting, woodlots, coffee-based, enset-based, and fruit-based systems have been used. Therefore, the goal of this review study was to gather, arrange, and analyse traditional agroforestry systems’ social, economic, and environmental contributions as well as the factors influencing their uptake. In Ethiopia, traditional agroforestry systems enhanced biodiversity and improved the livelihood of the society by providing cash income, fuelwood, pole, timber, fencing, indigenous medicines and food. Additionally, they increase soil fertility and restore biomass carbon in the range of 12 to 228 Mg ha⁻1. Despite their importance, a variety of factors have prevented farmers from implementing these agroforestry techniques. They include the uncertainty of tenure, the availability of land, the age of the family’s leader, labour, gender, degree of education, access to training, and the availability of water. Therefore, it is important to encourage agroforestry practices in order to increase production, raise soil carbon stocks, and conserve biodiversity. This can be done through offering training, equitable land sharing, and institutional stability

The Great Resignation in the United States: A Study of Labor Market Segmentation

During 2021 and 2022, many news media outlets have reported that millions of workers in the United States have been quitting their jobs in record numbers. In a global economy rebounding from the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 outbreak and demanding more workers, a high rate of resignations has exacerbated labor shortages and may be aggravating unemployment and underemployment rates if many workers are not participating at all in the labor force or only working part time. Many reasons have been offered to explain this ‘Great Resignation’ including high day care costs for working parents that may in turn be causing the trend of lower female labor force participation; the supposed ‘liberating’ experience of not working at all or to work from home instead of having to work from one’s usual work place during the Covid-19 quarantine/lockdown periods; stagnant/low wages and greater job tenure uncertainty which make working less attractive and more stressful; and the feeling by many of not wanting to work further for bad bosses or management who create bad work environments so that resignation becomes a means of escape from such conditions. This article analyses data of US labor trends since 2003 and demonstrates that resignations have been trending upward in the US aggregate economy and that quit rates mostly have been trending higher within many US industries. These phenomena can be explained by the concept of labor market segmentation, high unemployment, and underemployment rates that exist even in good economic times in some industries, minority group composition within industries, wage stagnation, and type of managerial supervision. Some of these same factors help to explain labor under-utilization greater than national/aggregate rates within these industries as well.

Evaluating the Methods and Constraints of Land Accessibility in Benin City, Nigeria

Access to land remains a challenge in developing countries. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of various methods of accessing land and associated constraints in Benin City, Nigeria. Using a cross-sectional survey design, a total of 236 respondents comprising 210 household heads/owners of properties and 26 heads of practice in estate firms were sampled. Tools such as standard deviation and the relative importance index (RII) as well as factor analysis (FA) were used for data analysis. Results reveal that purchase, community allocation, and gifting are the best ways to gain access to the property in the study area. Key barriers to obtaining property are the high cost of acquisition, the uncertainty of tenure, and the difficulties in completing a land transaction. It is recommended that the city's zoning code is revised, to ensure equitable access to properties. An urgent need to address the problem of the exclusionary indigenous land-ownership syndrome is revealed. This will ameliorate the bottleneck associated with community and family land allocation.

Job insecurity and psychological well-being: The moderating roles of self-perceived employability and core self-evaluations

This study examined the relationship between job insecurity and psychological well-being of bank sector employees and the role of core self-evaluations and self-perceived employability in that relationship. Employing a two-wave panel design, we surveyed 259 casual employees of commercial banks in Southeast, Nigeria (female = 72%; mean age =35.83 years, SD = 4.70 years, range = 27 to 47 years). Regression analysis revealed higher job insecurity to predict lower psychological well-being with lower self-perceived employability. Core self-evaluations did not influence the relationship between job insecurity and psychological well-being among the casual bank employees. Self-employability may have a less well recognised personal asset of employees with job tenure uncertainty.

The Theoretical Origins of the Legal Regimes of Land Rights in Nigeria

This article traced the theoretical origins of the legal regime of the current land rights in Nigeria. It argues that the configuration of the federal system of government is influenced by institutional theory which has systematically evolved from the era of colonisation backed by the unstable national affinity to the modernisation theory. Both theoretical pivots have given false hope of developing a prosperous national economy that wholly rely on investment in crude oil which required unwavering control of lands. The article posits that, the current state of affair with regards to land use, land ownership rights and the unitary control of land through coercive legislation is consistent with the suggestions of the dependency theory. Therefore, that Nigeria’s land laws have evolved to a point of increased uncertainty of tenure for private and communal entities. The article further highlights the deep-rooted effects of institutional capture flowing from the theoretical origin of Nigeria’s laws and policy formulations on infrastructure including land rights. In conclusion, this article excavated the paradoxes of the laws governing land use and land ownership rights in Nigeria by emphasizing that the true nature and effects of the extant land laws in the country should be evaluated based on its functions and not its form, hence to understand and correct the defectiveness of the land laws, there should be detachment from the false normative expectations about institutional appearance. Keywords: Land, Laws, Dependency, Institutional Theory, Institutional Capture. JEL Classifications : B15, B52, K11, K23, Q15, Q24. DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/97-08 Publication date: May 31 st 2020

Is community management of resources by urban households, feasible? Lessons from community gardens in Gweru, Zimbabwe

The poor economic situation in Zimbabwe has forced many households to engage in urban agriculture. With the increasing number of households engaging in the practice, a local NGO in 2009 introduced community gardens in the city of Gweru to vulnerable households as a new development initiative. We examine the feasibility of community resource management in these gardens using a blend of econometrics and community resource management theory. The study finds that sex of head of household, household labour, on-plot area, and off-plot area significantly affected the decision to practice community gardening. Results also show that households characterised by food insecurity tended to be the participants in community gardens. Strong social capital made it possible for these households to participate in community management of resources. However, there is need to remove obstacles such as uncertainty of tenure. Given the potential of urban agriculture in alleviating food insecurity, urban authorities need to consider their position that the practice causes river siltation and include it in their planning processes.

Forest tenure and conflict in Indonesia: Contested rights in Rempek Village, Lombok

Land tenure in Indonesia is regulated by a complex combination of traditional, formal and informal arrangements. Legal ambiguity over land and natural resources has resulted in tenure insecurity, impacting livelihoods and perpetuating conflict. We reviewed land and forest laws in Indonesia and their effect on livelihoods and conflict and studied the impact of land tenure uncertainty in Rempek village on the island of Lombok, Nusa Tenggara Barat. In Rempek, conflict over land tenure and forest boundaries has occurred since 1984. We built a timeline of events from discussions with various stakeholders and obtained legal documents to support our analysis. The major driver of conflict is the disagreement over the forest boundaries between the Ministry of Forestry and the National Land Agency. This disagreement has escalated and introduced uncertainty, which negatively affects livelihoods in the area. Conflict resolution in Rempek requires a multi-stakeholder approach and an agreement between the Ministry of Forestry and the National Land Agency over the forest boundary and an explicit classification of land status in the conflict area. Our case study is relevant to recurrent disputes over land tenure in contemporary Indonesia. Agrarian conflict and tenure insecurity have stimulated political and social justice movements throughout the country. Recent reforms of land and forest tenure in Indonesia are opening up new pathways for local forest tenure arrangements in situations such as Rempek. Integrated landscape approaches are emerging in Indonesia and have elements that may contribute to resolving land tenure uncertainty. As land tenure security underpins livelihoods for most Indonesians, land authorities must demonstrate stronger coordination and pay more attention to realities on the ground to achieve political and legal progress on land tenure arrangements.

Fragmented Territories: Incomplete Enclosures and Agrarian Change on the Agricultural Frontier of Samlaut District, North‐West Cambodia

In Cambodia, the interactions between large‐scale land investment and land titling gathered particular momentum in 2012–13, when the government initiated an unprecedented upland land titling programme in an attempt to address land tenure insecurity where large‐scale land investment overlaps with land appropriated by peasants. This paper is based on a spatially explicit ethnography of land rights conducted in the Samlaut district of north‐west Cambodia – a former Khmer Rouge resistance stronghold – in a context where the enclosures are both incomplete and entangled with post‐war, socially embedded land tenure systems. We discuss how this new pattern of fragmentation affects the prevailing dynamics of agrarian change. We argue that it has introduced new forms of exclusion and a generalized perception of land tenure uncertainty that is managed by peasants through the actualization of hybrid land tenure arrangements borrowing from state rules and local consensus. In contrast with common expectations about land formalization, the process reinforces the patterns of social differentiation initiated by land rent capture practices of early migrants and pushes more vulnerable peasants into seeking wage labour and resorting to job migration.

Current Status and Future Trends of School Counseling in Australia

School counselling in Australia is presently in a state of flux and adaptation. Within this period of change and adjustment, three key points are acknowledged. First structural and organisational change is a constant in the field of school counselling in the Australian context. Second, despite this, the nature of the school counselling role tends to remain the same but with new areas of need being added, such as self harm and cyberbullying. Third, each state and territory in Australia has differing role statements and training requirements for its school counsellors. This paper initially reviews the historical context of school counselling in Australia, including changes and developments in qualifications and training programs. A description is then provided of the current status of school counselling including the differences among the state systems. Issues such as work intensification, uncertainty of tenure, supervision, ethical issues and online counselling are discussed. The scant research into the effectiveness of the profession is outlined, followed by future recommendations.

The socio-ecological drivers of forest degradation in part of the tropical peatlands of Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Connections between human activities (social systems) and nature (ecological systems) are key factors affecting forest-cover change in tropical peatland ecosystems. However, the complexity of these socio-ecological factors is often poorly understood. This study identifies the socio-ecological factors influencing land-cover change in the ex-Mega Rice Project area of Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. A systems thinking approach was used to construct two causal loop diagrams to assess the interrelationships between land-cover change, actors' choice and their motivation to convert land cover. The analysis reveals that current community livelihood activities to improve welfare and maintain food availability are the main endogenous drivers of land-and forest-cover change in the study area. Unintentional fire resulting from uncontrolled slash-and-burn practices by local communities is the main mechanism of forest-cover change. Land tenure uncertainty has also accelerated community land claiming using fire. Our analysis indicates that forest access, commodity prices and rainfall patterns are dominant exogenous drivers of land-cover change. Programmes that emphasize sustainable sources of food and income for local communities in conjunction with physical peatland restoration activities, such as drainage canal-blocking and reforestation, should be the key features of interventions aimed at preventing further peatland degradation.

Corticosteroids inhaled could inhibit substance P receptor expression in asthmatic rat's ASMC

Land tenure in Indonesia is regulated by a complex combination of traditional, formal and informal arrangements. Legal ambiguity over land and natural resources has resulted in tenure insecurity, impacting livelihoods and perpetuating conflict. We reviewed land and forest laws in Indonesia and their effect on livelihoods and conflict and studied the impact of land tenure uncertainty in Rempek village on the island of Lombok, Nusa Tenggara Barat. In Rempek, conflict over land tenure and forest boundaries has occurred since 1984. We built a timeline of events from discussions with various stakeholders and obtained legal documents to support our analysis. The major driver of conflict is the disagreement over the forest boundaries between the Ministry of Forestry and the National Land Agency. This disagreement has escalated and introduced uncertainty, which negatively affects livelihoods in the area. Conflict resolution in Rempek requires a multi-stakeholder approach and an agreement between the Ministry of Forestry and the National Land Agency over the forest boundary and an explicit classification of land status in the conflict area. Our case study is relevant to recurrent disputes over land tenure in contemporary Indonesia. Agrarian conflict and tenure insecurity have stimulated political and social justice movements throughout the country. Recent reforms of land and forest tenure in Indonesia are opening up new pathways for local forest tenure arrangements in situations such as Rempek. Integrated landscape approaches are emerging in Indonesia and have elements that may contribute to resolving land tenure uncertainty. As land tenure security underpins livelihoods for most Indonesians, land authorities must demonstrate stronger coordination and pay more attention to realities on the ground to achieve political and legal progress on land tenure arrangements.

Assessment of integrated soil and water conservation measures on key soil properties in South Gonder, North-Western Highlands of Ethiopia

Land degradation caused by erosion was an environmental threat that hampered agricultural production and the causes include: over cultivation, overgrazing, overpopulation and deforestation. Loss of productive land undermined rural livelihoods and national food security. The major factors discouraged farmers adoption of soil conservation measures were labour shortage, land tenure uncertainty, fitness of structures and the farming system. The study assessed effect of soil and water conservation measures on key soil properties in two micro-watersheds of Farta Wereda of South Gonder. Data analyzed using different soft wares. The results revealed that soil chemical and physical properties: soil organic matter, total N, available phosphorous (P), bulk density, infiltration rate and soil texture found a significant difference between conserved and non-conserved. Soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC) did not show significant difference. The non-conserved had the lowest soil organic matter, total N and infiltration rate with highest bulk density, clay content and available P. Soil organic matter content positively correlated with infiltration rate and total N and it negatively correlated with soil bulk density. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) positively correlated with soil pH and available P. The undulating lands were moderately suitable for rain fed agriculture. Hilly and valley lands found suitable for protective forestry and livestock production. Further research shall be conducted for a better understanding for sustainable land use. Key words: Ethiopia, land evaluation, sustainable development, soil nutrients, watershed management.

Identifying Marginal Housing for People with a Mental Illness Living in Rural and Regional Areas

Homelessness among people with a mental illness is a serious issue. Objective: The study aimed to identify the types of housing available for people with a mental illness in the region; to develop an audit tool to assess the housing of patients of the mental health service; and to pilot this audit tool. Key informants were interviewed to obtain information about the type of housing options available in the Loddon Campaspe Southern Mallee Region. This information was used to develop a survey to audit the housing status of existing patients of the area mental health service. A pilot study using the survey was completed by case managers for 81 patients who were being case managed by the area mental health service. There were a wide variety of housing options in the region, but housing availability was not evenly distributed. Although most patients lived in owned or rented accommodation, a substantial proportion of patients had difficulties with accessing the required services, the affordability of their housing, uncertainty of tenure or were at risk of violence within their housing. A substantial proportion of patients treated by a rural area mental health service had lived in impoverished housing.

Identifying marginal housing for people with a mental illness living in rural and regional areas

Objective: Homelessness among people with a mental illness is a serious issue. Objective: The study aimed to identify the types of housing available for people with a mental illness in the region; to develop an audit tool to assess the housing of patients of the mental health service; and to pilot this audit tool. Method: Key informants were interviewed to obtain information about the type of housing options available in the Loddon Campaspe Southern Mallee Region. This information was used to develop a survey to audit the housing status of existing patients of the area mental health service. A pilot study using the survey was completed by case managers for 81 patients who were being case managed by the area mental health service. Results: There were a wide variety of housing options in the region, but housing availability was not evenly distributed. Although most patients lived in owned or rented accommodation, a substantial proportion of patients had difficulties with accessing the required services, the affordability of their housing, uncertainty of tenure or were at risk of violence within their housing. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of patients treated by a rural area mental health service had lived in impoverished housing.

Reassessing the interaction between investment and tenure uncertainty

A diverse body of empirical literature recognizes that investment can influence tenure security, yet this phenomenon has rarely been examined analytically. This paper develops a theoretical model that demonstrates explicitly conditions under which the probability of eviction is endogenous to investment undertaken on illegally encroached land. By accommodating explicitly the government's objective function and its ability to commit credibly to an eviction policy, the model reveals why both those farmers who under-invest, and those who raise their investment levels to improve tenure security, may be behaving rationally. Indeed, both types of behaviour are accommodated within a single model.

Identifying Marginal Housing for People with a Mental Illness Living in Rural and Regional Areas

Homelessness among people with a mental illness is a serious issue. The purpose of the present study was to identify the types of housing available for people with a mental illness in the region, to develop an audit tool to assess the housing of patients of the mental health service, and to pilot this audit tool. Key informants were interviewed to obtain information about the type of housing options available in the Loddon Campaspe Southern Mallee Region, Victoria, Australia. This information was used to develop a survey to audit the housing status of existing patients of the area mental health service. A pilot study using the survey was completed by case managers for 81 patients who were being case managed by the area mental health service. There was a wide variety of housing options in the region but housing availability was not evenly distributed. Although most patients lived in owned or rented accommodation, a substantial proportion of patients had difficulties with accessing the required services, the affordability of their housing, uncertainty of tenure or were at risk of violence within their housing. A substantial proportion of patients treated by a rural area mental health service had lived in impoverished housing.

The impact of structural adjustment and property rights conflicts on Nicaraguan Agrarian reform beneficiaries

In Nicaragua, structural adjustment policies under the new government have led to sharply reduced agricultural producer credit and tighter conditions for its use. Along with conflicts over property rights that emerged from the Sandinista era land confiscations, the effect has been to speed a process of parceling and land sales among the population of agrarian reform beneficiaries which was the main recipient of redistributed lands. Faced with imperfect capital markets and tenure uncertainty, small-scale producers have resorted to distress sales of their parcels that could lead to a restratification of land ownership patterns.