INTERPAKS, Describes the cultural based nature of home economics that is a consequence of its particular development in the US. A male agricultural extension service, when transferred overseas, has cultural and value underpinnings that have made the content of training and technical expertise inappropriate or ineffective under conditions in developing countries. To an even greater extent home economics extension, which was aimed primarily at women, has had problems in developing countries in responding to the actual activities of women in rural settings. Home economics, both domestically and overseas, has traditionally ignored farm women's production work because it has had an implicit commitment to certain cultural norms about the proper role or women. These norms may have served some function during a time in the US when the sex ratio was heavily male-biased. In developing countries, however, where sex ratios in rural areas are often skewed toward females, male temporary migration is the rule rather than the exception, and women have traditionally been the producers of food. To be effective in providing a women-oriented extension service, must take into account both the productive and reproductive roles of women and serve to help women better integrate them in their activities.
Huth, Neil I. (author), Cocks, Brett (author), Dalgliesh, Neal (author), Poulton, Perry L. (author), Marinoni, Oswald (author), and Navarro Garcia, Javier (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2018-03
Published:
Australia: Springer
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 6 Document Number: D10211
Article first online 13 June 2017, Via online journal., The Coal Seam Gas (CSG) extraction industry is developing rapidly within the Surat Basin in southern Queensland, Australia, with licenses already approved for tenements covering more than 24,000 km2. Much of this land is used for a broad range of agricultural purposes and the need for coexistence between the farm and gas industries has been the source of much conflict. Whilst much research has been undertaken into the environmental and economic impacts of CSG, little research has looked into the issues of coexistence between farmers and the CSG industry in the shared space that is a farm business, a home and a resource extraction network. We conducted three workshops with farmers from across a broad region undergoing CSG development to explore farmers’ perceptions of some of the issues arising from large scale land use change. Workshops explored the importance of place identity and landscape aesthetics for farmers, farmers’ acceptance and coping with change, and possible benefits from off-farm income. We found that farmers believed that place identity was not well understood by CSG staff from non-rural backgrounds and that farmers struggled to explain some concerns because of the different way they interpreted their landscape. Furthermore, high staff turnover, and the extensive use of contractors also impacted on communications. These factors were the cause of much frustration and farmers felt that this has led to severe impacts on mental health and wellbeing. Farmers felt that a change in culture within the CSG companies will be required if engagement with farmers is to improve and that efforts to employ local people in these communications was helping this. The workshops also identified a range of issues perceived by farmers arising from increased traffic volumes, impacts to mental health and wellbeing, place identity and loss of water resources for farmers. Finally, it was suggested that scientists and agricultural industry groups will need to work closely with farmers to develop understanding of these emerging issues and to develop solutions that are timely and relevant.
In this paper, the author points out that although by-passed by international development assistance in many parts of the world, women have been providing skill and labor for agricultural production, as well as subsistence of food, water and firewood for their families. Some of the assumptions which have contributed to the marginal attention to women as agriculturalists in international development assistance programs are reviewed. Factors contributing to these assumptions, examples of achievements in development projects and persistent problems are discussed. Some issues which continue to challenge national policy makers in developing countries as well as donors are identified. The author notes that while various donors and organizations address bits and pieces of the issues intermittently, a systematic, organized and universally shared approach to the issues, within a nation state or on a global basis is lacking. She concludes that just as agricultural production inputs and information need to be modified to fit the unique constraints of any ecological niche, similarly, modifications must be made in development assistance programs to fit the specific needs of women in their agricultural roles and cultural settings. (original)
Hansen, Art (author), Spring, Anita (author), and Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida; Associate Professor and Graduate Cooridnator of Anthropology, University of Florida
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1985
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 74 Document Number: C03691
