7 research outputs found
Perception of concept and practice of social power in development interventions in Malawi
The study examined research participantsâ perception of social power in intervention programmes in Malawi. Two districts and four villages with active participation in the intervention programmes were purposively selected. Focus group participants were purposively identified, while the snow balling procedure was employed to select key informants. A total of 375 participants consisting of 219 men and 156 women (to better explore the viewpoints of men from those of women) were drawn from the two study locations. Data were analysed by content analysis. The results showed that >98% of participants stated that power meant the âcapacity of a social actor to influence decisions and secure compliance of other social actors. Less than 98% also perceived âpowerâ as the leadership ability of a social actor but few participants with high level of power shared this construct. Further analysis informed that power was perceived as the act of guiding fellow social actors to plan and implement activities serving common interest while another 50% of respondents perceived power as a mere potential ability to influence. Statistics however showed only 3.7% of relatively powerful social actors from agricultural extension workers and 1.3 % of sexual and reproductive health interventionists shared power as potential ability to influence way of thinking and doing. Therefore, stakeholders of development intervention should recognize experienced social actors and traditions as power indicators since these will enhance effective extension policy process aimed at development intervention among rural populace
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Identifying gender-responsive approaches in rural advisory services that contribute to the institutionalisation of gender in Pakistan
Purpose:
Unequal reach and access to information is an issue that affects women involved in agricultural activities around the world. Recent initiatives to address gender unequal access to agricultural information have been clumsy, overlooking participatory approaches that focus on transformative change. This study uses Pakistani rural advisory services to compare farmers' and extension workersâ perceptions of access to agricultural information, to identify culturally acceptable gender-responsive schemes.
Design/methodology/approach:
One-hundred and eleven extension workers in Pakistanâs public rural advisory services were interviewed and crosstabulated with farmersâ answers in previous studies.
Findings:
Male extension workers are aware that women access less information less often; however they might not be aware of its importance in the gender inequality debate. Lead farmers could offer a potentially transformative knowledge pathway because of its blend of formal and informal interactions â both systems favoured by female smallholders. An exclusively female-led lead farmer approach could be developed and trialled in specific areas of the province.
Practical implications:
Targeted initiatives focusing on improving awareness and importance of gender inequalities in information access as well as specific extension system development centred on lead female farmers and extension agents are important in institutionalising gender and creating transformative change.
Theoretical implications:
Linking these activities to in-depth social network and agricultural innovation system analyses would provide further evidence of the importance of focused gender activities and their impact on food security.
Originality/value:
This paper highlights the importance of analysing individual perceptions to understand the types of initiatives that could be considered for a wider institutionalisation of gender in RAS
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Gendering sugarcane farming: understanding the plight of sugarcane block farmers in Batangas, Philippines
In the Philippines, sugarcane farming is perceived to be a male occupation, meaning female smallholder farmers tend to be overlooked by extension and policy. While research on sugarcane farming and production processes has been extensive, there is limited understanding of the impact of gender dynamics in family farmersâ day-to-day lived experiences in the Philippines and the implications these have on the sugarcane production process. This paper asks whether and how recognising gender dynamics in sugarcane farming in the Philippines can identify an enabling environment for production and empowerment for family farmers. Using forty semi-structured interviews and four focus group discussions of forty participants from Balayan and Calaca, Batangas, Philippines, the research adopts a transcendental phenomenological approach to reveal the lived experiences of block farm members and implications for the block farm system and sugarcane production. The thematic analysis finds institutionalising the block farm system to have had a considerable impact in terms of the assistance provided by the government to harness the knowledge of the sugarcane family farmers to adapt to the modern technologies provided to them. Additionally, patriarchal views in Filipino society restrict that of female family farmers, particularly those who hold key positions in the sugarcane block farm system
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Farmer experience of pluralistic agricultural extension, Malawi
Purpose: Malawiâs current extension policy supports pluralism and advocates responsiveness to farmer demand. We investigate whether smallholder farmersâ experience supports the assumption that access to multiple service providers leads to extension and advisory services that respond to the needs of farmers.
Design/methodology/approach: Within a case study approach, two villages were purposively selected for in-depth qualitative analysis of available services and farmersâ experiences. Focus group discussions were held separately with male and female farmers in each village, followed by semi-structured interviews with 12 key informants selected through snowball sampling. Transcripts were analysed by themes and summaries of themes were made from cross case analysis.
Findings: Farmers appreciate having access to a variety of sources of technical advice and enterprise specific technology. However, most service providers continue to dominate and dictate what they will offer. Market access remains a challenge, as providers still emphasize pushing a
particular technology to increase farm productivity rather than addressing farmersâ expressed needs. Although farmers work in groups, providers do not seek to strengthen these to enable active interaction and to link them to input and produce markets. This limits farmersâ capacity to continue with innovations after service providers pull out. Poor coordination between providers limits exploitation of potential synergies amongst actors.
Practical implications: Services providers can adapt their approach to engage farmers in discussion of their needs
and work collaboratively to address them. At a system level, institutions that have a coordination function can play a more dynamic role in brokering interaction between
providers and farmers to ensure coverage and responsiveness.
Originality/value: The study provides a new farmer perspective on the implementation of extension reforms
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A Multi-Actor Literature Review on Alternative and Sustainable Food Systems for the Promotion of Cereal Biodiversity
Organic and low-input food systems are emerging worldwide in answer to the sustainability crisis of the conventional agri-food sector. âAlternativeâ systems are based on local, decentralized approaches to production and processing, regarding quality and health, and short supply-chains for products with strong local identities. Diversity is deeply embedded in these food systems, from the agrobiodiversity grown in farmersâ fields, which improves resilience and adaptation, to diverse approaches, contexts and actors in food manufacturing and marketing. Diversity thus becomes a cross-sectoral issue which acknowledges consumersâ demand for healthy products. In the framework of the European project âCERERE, CEreal REnaissance in Rural Europe: embedding diversity in organic and low-input food systemsâ, the paper aims at reviewing recent research on alternative and sustainable food systems by adopting an innovative and participatory multi-actor approach; this has involved ten practitioners and twenty-two researchers from across Europe and a variety of technical backgrounds in the paper and analysis stages. The participatory approach is the main innovation and distinctive feature of this literature review. Partners selected indeed what they perceived as most relevant in order to facilitate a transition towards more sustainable and diversity based cereal systems and food chains. This includes issues related to alternative food networks, formal and informal institutional settings, grass root initiatives, consumer involvement and, finally, knowledge exchange and sustainability. The review provides an overview of recent research that is relevant to CERERE partners as well as to anyone interested in alternative and sustainable food systems. The main objective of this paper was indeed to present a narrative of studies, which can form the foundation for future applied research to promote alternative methods of cereal production in Europe.Peer reviewe
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Entertainment education theory and practice in HIV/AIDS communication: a South Africa / United Kingdom comparison
Within development communication, gaps remain in theory and practice: communication innovations are taking place which either do not incorporate theory or fail to challenge the assumptions of development communication and HIV/AIDS theory. This can lead to the implementation of unsuccessful interventions that lack theoretical frameworks or to uninformed practice, making it difficult to replicate. Further, research has demonstrated that Entertainment Education (EE) interventions have a measurable impact on behaviour in areas such as HIV/AIDS prevention. Given the transitions in EE practice and evidence of its impact, EE theory and practice can contribute insight into these challenges. A pilot study investigated these dilemmas within the context of the monitoring and evaluation of development communication. Framing this discussion is the concept of South-North dialogue, using comparative analysis of EE interventions to distil lessons through contrasting experiences in two diverse settings. It holds as a principle that lessons from the experience of EE in the Southern context can inform lessons for the North. Further, comparison of the case studies can generate insights for the broader development communication field. We present four case studies, informed by key informant interviews, of EE interventions in the UK and South Africa. We address how communication is defined in planning, implementation and evaluation, highlighting how it often misses the importance of 'listening'. The case studies show that HIV/AIDS communication, and development communication more broadly, has not internalised ideas of evaluation and listening in communication. Successes in the case studies can be partially attributed to responsiveness and context-specificity rather than following rigid planning templates, such as those found in some development communication literature. This indicates the importance of flexibility and responsiveness to context for both development communication and HIV/AIDS communication