Search results for "Rural Area"
showing 10 items of 247 documents
Simulation of the effects of climate change on barley yields in rural Italy
2009
The Greenhouse effect is considered to be one of the most influential factors on climate change today, especially where temperature and rainfall levels/distribution are concerned, making it of considerable importance in the field of Agronomy. Crop growth and development simulation models are a valuable cognitive tool in understanding water and nutrient dynamics in soil/plant systems. This paper looks at the direct and indirect effects of climatic changes on average barley yields. The complex nature of the study rendered the use of mathematical simulation models essential, both for predicting future climate conditions and for the simulation of crop growth and development. Of the different si…
The Trasversale Sicula. Themes and action research projects in sensitive Mediterranean areas
2022
There are many sensitive territories located in disadvantaged areas of the Mediterranean where depopulation has been a significant consequence of their economic and demographic decline. This has led to the gradual flight of young people and the disappearance of certain essential services. The conservation of resources is a topic of growing interest in Europe. It is necessary to rethink a new vision concerning the territory of small towns. Within this framework, this action research project aims to define a new collective sensibility, full of resources and history, throughout the territory of the Trasversale Sicula. The narrative of a new imaginary of the Sicilian hinterland is the foundatio…
Le potenzialità innovative delle aree rurali in Sicilia
2016
Il presente lavoro sottolinea l’importanza di collegare processi di innovazione in territori rurali al modello di innovazione della quintupla elica, alla luce dell’implementazione della Smart Specialisation Strategy. A tal fine sono stati presi in considerazione, alcuni indicatori ambientali e settoriali per la Sicilia e confrontati con i dati a livello nazionale, proprio per sottolineare il valore che aree periferiche possono avere per una nuova competitività basata su principi di sviluppo sostenibile. Following the implementation of the Smart Specialization Strategy and the Quintuple Helix Model this paper underlines the importance of connecting the innovation process with rural territori…
Age differences in adolescent identity exploration and commitment in urban and rural environments
1996
Sociocultural context may play an important role in identity development by shaping the opportunities adolescents are facing. To examine this, adolescents living in urban and rural environments were compared in terms of age differences in identity exploration and commitment. Younger (13-14-year-olds) and older (16-17-year-olds) males and females from urban and rural areas in both Australia (n=367) and Finland (n=316) were investigated. The participants completed the Exploration and Commitment Questionnaire which includes items concerning future education, occupation and family. The results showed that the older youths living in Australian urban environments showed higher levels of explorati…
Strengthening the Social Capital in Rural Areas Through the Rural Renewal Program. A Case Study of Opole Voivodeship
2019
Opinions regarding the limited resources of the social capital in Poland are quite common. The country is particularly often referred to as a place with a lower level of organization of its inhabitants. Therefore, a change is necessary towards a greater activation of local communities and creation of social organizations aimed at solving local problems. The effective implementation of development programs may provide considerable support for the introduction of these changes. The Rural Renewal Program may serve as a particularly good example in this respect because the local community is not only the beneficiary, but mainly the initiator of the actions taken. The purpose of the paper is to …
Whose Narrative is it Anyway? Narratives of Social Innovation in Rural Areas – A Comparative Analysis of Community‐Led Initiatives in Scotland and Sp…
2020
Social innovation is a process in which local communities build social and cultural capital to address challenges and social needs. The diffusion of social innovation requires compelling narratives that encourage people to join them. Using qualitative techniques and a multiple case study methodology, this paper examines the content of narratives of social innovation in rural areas and how actors construct, spread and change them. We propose a narrative analytical framework comprising four key components: problematisation; solutions and goals; actors; and plot, which we apply to three initiatives in Scotland and Spain. Our findings suggest that marginalisation, the natural environment and co…
“Splendid Isolation”: embracing islandness in a global pandemic
2022
Islandness is often considered to be a disadvantage. However, it has helped the residents of islands to delay, deter, and, in some cases, totally insulate themselves from COVID-19. While islanders have been quick to lock themselves down, this has had a tremendous impact on their connectivity and on tourism, which in many cases is their major economic sector. Yet, the association of islands with being safe, “COVID-19 free” zones has helped these spaces to be among the first destinations to restart the tourism economy once travel restrictions were lifted. After several weeks of lockdown, and with the COVID-19 threat still looming, social distancing remained the norm. Travellers we…
Local Powers and a Distant State in Rural Central African Republic
1997
‘The State Stops at PK 12’ – i.e. 12 kilometres from the capital, Bangui.The situation described by this statement, often heard in the Central African Republic, seems to conform to the objectives of the currently fashionable policies of decentralisation and structural adjustment – for example, to end ‘too much state’. However, the absence of the state in the rural areas of the CAR is so striking that the position in certain respects has almost reached the level of caricature. It also reflects the more general situation in other parts of the continent where the excesses of a centralised, over-staffed post-colonial regime can coexist perfectly with the pronounced absence in the rural areas of…
Local State-Society Relations in Latvia
2020
The Latvian case of local state-society relations includes an analysis of local action groups, public councils, and advisory councils. Concerning these networks, the intensity and dynamics of interaction between the local state and society in Latvia and the locally induced variation between cities and rural areas are explored. The autonomy, the coherence, and the relevance of the analyzed networks are medium and high, and they are labeled accordingly as consociational or collaborative.
Rural Municipalities and Change in Local School Structure: Comparing Room of manoeuvre among Rural Municipalities in Latvia and Norway
2018
Rural depopulation, decreasing numbers of children and general centralization combined with high expectations to education, are factors that challenge rural communities and school structures in Latvia and Norway. The ambition of this article is to explore and compare the role of the municipality and other levels of governance in making decisions on school structure in rural municipalities. The research method is a multiple case study approach, supported by survey data. Through the lenses of multi-level governance theory, we have investigated how national frames like regulations and educational expectations are affecting local decision-making. Local politicians navigate between national fram…