Reliability of National Data Sets: Evidence from a detailed Small Area Study in Rural Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Researchers often rely on Census data to provide us with information for local areas. In a study in rural Nepal we came across major discrepancies between the number of women with a child under the age of two as estimated from the national Census and the prevalence rate of this population in our local in-depth household survey. This Research Notes highlights why Census data might not be as reliable as one would hope. In summary, researchers using Census data in developing countries should include an element of quality control of the national dataset. We advise researchers to conduct a small survey from a random sample to provide an estimate of the likely population in the area under study

Farming Systems and Rural Out‐Migration in N ang R ong, T hailand, and C hitwan V alley, N epal

Using data from two postfrontier rural settings, N ang R ong, T hailand ( N = 2,538), and C hitwan V alley, N epal ( N = 876), this article examines agricultural push factors determining the out‐migration of young people age 15 to 19. We focus on different dimensions of migration, including distance and duration. Our study examines a wide array of agricultural determinants, each with its own potential effect on migration. These determinants include land tenure, crop portfolios, animal husbandry activities, and use of farm inputs. We link these proximal causes to two underlying mechanisms: risk and amenities. We examine these determinants using separate models across settings. Our results indicate that agricultural factors are significant determinants of migration in both contexts. However, different factors operate in different settings, indicating the importance of contextual variation in explaining the manner in which risks and amenities influence agricultural determinants of migration.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96772/1/ruso12000.pd

Financial Self-Help Associations among Far West Nepalese Labor Migrants in Delhi, India

Labor migration to India is the most important source of income for people in Far West Nepal. To better understand the effects of labor migration, a research analyzing why and how migrants invest their money in financial self-help organizations was undertaken. Fieldwork was conducted in the communities of origin in Nepal and migrant communities in India. Based on the study, the paper provides an overview of the existing financial self-help associations, their strengths and weaknesses, accessibility and possibilities of benefits and losses for the migrants and their families. The major conclusion is that migration helps to improve income or security but can also undermine a household's financial situation by perpetuating debt and dependency

Community Services and Out-Migration

This paper investigates the relationship between changing community context and out-migration in one of today’s poor countries, seeking to document the various mechanisms by which infrastructure affects the migratory behavior. We focus on the expansion of social and physical facilities and services near to rural people’s homes, including transportation, new markets, employment, schools, health clinics, and mass media outlets such as movie halls. We draw upon detailed data from Nepal to estimate the hypothesized effects. The direct effects of expanding economic and human capital infrastructure are clearly negative, reducing out-migration. However, increased economic infrastructure is associated with a greater accumulation of human and social capital among respondents and their parents. Through these intervening mechanisms, economic and social infrastructure increased the odds of migrating out. These results reveal the often countervailing nature of short- and long-term effects of economic and social change, and the complex pathways influencing migration outcomes.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78714/1/j.1468-2435.2009.00581.x.pd

Livelihood strategies and local perceptions of a new nature conservation project in Nepal

The recently established Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project (KCAP)—jointly managed by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF)—is based on the principles of the new participatory concept of nature conservation. The main objectives are to protect the unique environment of the Kanchenjunga region and to help local communities improve their standard of living. This study focuses on existing livelihood strategies and local institutions as well as on the local population's perception of the participatory approach. A theoretical consideration of the different concepts of nature and conservation is regarded as helpful in understanding locally observed processes. The results show wide diversification in the economic system that contributes to sustaining livelihood. Various local institutions have established governance over particular resources. With regard to the KCAP, it became obvious that nearly all interviewees had expectations that went far beyond the intended and economically feasible potential of the project. This is largely because they do not entirely comprehend the principal aim of “conservation.” On the other hand, most of the local people believe that conservation of nature is necessary in their region and that it is only possible through a joint effort made by everyone in the community

Die Erweiterung des Schweizerischen Nationalparks: der Planungsprozess 1995–2000, betrachtet aus partizipationstheoretischer Sicht

It seems to be increasingly recognised worldwide that the aims of nature conservation or of regional planning can only be achieved with adequate involvement of the concerned communities themselves. This article analyses the social processes during the proposed extension of the Swiss National Park between 1996 and 2000 from a participatory viewpoint. It is based on an analysis of relevant newspaper articles and in-depth interviews with representatives of involved stakeholders. Considering that participation is a very popular, yet contested term, we distinguish between normative (i.e., the aim is participation) and instrumental (i.e., the aim is to achieve predefined goals) participation, notions that supplement rather than exclude each other. While the local population rejected the majority of the proposed extensions of the Park, results show that this should not be perceived as a failure of the process. That the outcome was not perceived by local people to be satisfactory could be explained by the lack of awareness of the basic principles of participatory processes, like openness and transparency of planning, a sufficient timeframe, and independent mediation. These organisational shortcomings resulted in fundamental opposition from groups of local stakeholders and constrained the future development potential of the region

The household as an analytical category: concepts and challenges

Der Haushalt ist eine wichtige analytische Kategorie in der Sozial-, Wirtschafts- und ethnologischen Forschung. Die in den 1980-er ]Jahren heftig geführten Diskussionen um diese Kategorie haben die Problematiken der jeweiligen Haushalts-Konzepte aufgezeigt. In den 1990-er J]ahren verstummte die Debatte, ohne dass je ein Konsens formuliert worden ware. Dennoch blieb die Bedeutung und Haufigkeit der Anwendung des Haushaltes als Untersuchungseinheit ungeschmalert. Ziel dieses Beitrages ist es daher, die frühere - wie wir meinen fruchtbare - Diskussion um diese genauso prob- lematische wie auch unverzichtbare Kategorie nochmals aufzurollen und wieder zu beleben. The conceptualisation of the household as a category of analysis in social, economic and anthropological research provoked vigorous scientific disputes in the 1980s. These discussions demonstrated the problematic character of concepts of the household. Nowadays, the debate about household conceptualisation has calmed down without having arrived at a definite consensus. Nevertheless, the signicficance and frequency of the use of the 'household' as a research category remains undiminished. Therefore, this article aims to resume the relevant discussions and revive thinking about this simultaneously problematic and fundamental category