Thesis (MA (Political Science. International Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Southern Africa as a region requires a rallying point from where they can integrate and mobilize their resources in order to create a security community, which acts both as a deterrent to the outbreak of conflict and regional bloc to protect local industries from global forces. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) does not have the strong relationship which usually exists between states that share a common goal or interest. The study argues that the lack of leadership within the region accounts for the weak cooperative relationship that presently exists in Southern Africa. This study argues that regionalization does not come about unless the states in a particular region want it. It may come about through spontaneous or unintended convergence in terms of political regime, economic policy or security, but often one can identify a triggering political event which sets the process in motion. The study argues that the Development Corridors apparent in Southern Africa can act as the triggering event and have the promise to forge the most feasible cooperation amongst regional states. The phenomenon of Peace Parks rooted in the Spatial Development Initiatives, offer a unique type of regional integration embedded on traditional focal areas and Southern African Identity. This study intends to analyze the potential ability of regional hegemony to foster peace through development. The primary objective of this study consequently is to examine the role of regional hegemonies as tools for peace; using South Africa’s hegemony in Southern Africa as a case study. This study describes the importance of South Africa as a regional hegemon to lead the process of creating a peaceful co-existence in SADC. To achieve the research objectives the following questions have been formulated: What is South Africa’s role as a development partner in Southern Africa? The second research question asks how the political economy of regionalism is apparent in the Spatial Development Indicators (Development Corridors). Specifically what contribution could Spatial Development Initiatives make towards SADC’s regional integration objectives? The research questions provide an impression of major socio-political developments looming in the region and also seek to provide the required tools to analyze and understand what is going on in Southern Africa today. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suider-Afrikaanse streek het ’n definitiewe behoefte om ‘n sentrale punt te identifiseer waar beide integrasie kan plaasvind en hulpbronne gemobiliseer kan word om ’n veiligheids gemeenskap te skep. Dit kan as ’n definitiewe teenvoeter dien vir die onstaan van konflik en om plaaslike industrie te beskerm teen die soms negatiewe invloed van internasionale magte. Die Suider-Afrikaanse Ontwikkelings Gemeenskap (SAOG) het huidiglik nie ’n sterk verhouding wat tussen state met gemeenskaplike doelwitte en belange heers nie. Die kern argument van hierdie studie is dat die tekort aan leierskap binne die streek een van die hoofoorsake is vir die algemene swak samewerking wat tans bestaan in Suider-Afrika. Die studie argumenteer dat sogenaamde streeks/regionale integrasie nie tot stand kan kom tensy die state in ’n spesifieke streek ’n definitiewe behoefte daartoe het nie. Dit kan wel onstaan deur middel van ’n spontane samevloei van politieke regimes, ekonomiese beleid en veiligheid. Daar is soms egter ’n spesifieke gebeurtenis wat die proses laat onstaan. Die studie argumenteer dat die sogenaamde Ontwikkelings Deurgange (‘Development Corridors’) wat tans in Suider-Afrika ontwikkel as ’n moontlike vertrekpunt gesien kan word wat die beste kans bied om samewerking tussen state te bevorder. Die onstaan van Vredes Parke (‘Peace Parks’) gevestig binne die Ontwikkelings Deurgange, bied ’n unieke vorm van regionale integrasie in Suider-Afrika. Hierdie studie het ten doel om die potensiële moontlikheid van regionale hegemonie om vrede te bewerkstellig deur middel van ontwikkeling te ontleed. Die hoof doelwit van hierdie studie is om die rol van regionale hegemonie as instrument van vrede te ontleed. Die studie sal spesifiek die gevallestudie van Suid-Afrika se regionale hegemonie in Suider-Afrika ondersoek. Hierdie studie beskryf die belangrikheid van Suid-Afrika as ’n streeks moondheid om die leiding te neem om vreedsame samewerking binne die SAOG te bewerkstellig. Die volgende belangrike vrae is in hierdie studie gestel: Wat is Suid-Afrika se rol as ’n ontwikkelings-vennoot in Suider-Afrika? Die tweede vraag probeer vasstel tot watter mate die politieke ekonomie van regionale samewerking tans bestaan in die Omgewings Ontwikkelings Indikatore (die sogenaamde ‘Development Corridors’). Watter spesifieke bydraes kan hierdie inisiatiewe lewer om die SAOG se regionale integrasie doelwitte te bereik? Die vrae probeer ’n geheel indruk skep hoe die Omgewings-Ontwikkelings Inisiatiewe (‘Spatial Development Initiatives’) tans bydra om ’n beter begrip te skep van huidige verwikkelinge in Suider-Afrika.

L’objectif de ce travail est d’analyser les déterminants des inégalités de performances scolaires de 56 392 élèves en fin de cycle primaire dans 2 603 établissements scolaires situés dans 647 districts des 12 pays d’Afrique australe et orientale (Afrique du Sud, Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibie, Ouganda, Swaziland, Tanzanie, Zambie et Zimbabwe) à partir de la troi-sième enquête de 2007 du Consortium de suivi de la qualité de l’éducation en Afrique orientale et australe (SACMEQ III). Le travail s’articule autour de trois chapitres. Il s’agit d’étudier, dans le premier chapitre, l’influence des caractéristiques individuelles de l’élève et de l’école sur les per-formances scolaires, ainsi que le rôle important des caractéristiques régionales. Dans le deuxième chapitre, nous cherchons à analyser comment l’inspection des établissements scolaires et leur ac-cessibilité par rapport au domicile des élèves agissent sur l’eÿcience scolaire. Le dernier chapitre propose d’étudier les facteurs socio-économiques et les conditions de scolarité déterminant les per-formances et les inégalités scolaires entre les filles et les garçons, compte tenu de leurs origines socio-économiques. Pour ce faire, nous avons utilisé di˙érentes approches économétriques, à savoir une modélisation multiniveau dans le premier chapitre, un modèle de frontière non paramétrique dans le chapitre deux et un modèle d’économétrie spatiale dans le chapitre trois. Les résultats montrent que les acquis des élèves, l’eÿcience des établissements et les inégalités scolaires entre les filles et les garçons sont très hétérogènes en Afrique australe et orientale. Les résultats révèlent que les élèves qui enregistrent des scores relativement élevés sont situés dans les régions urbaines riches et ayant accès aux moyens de transport. De profondes inégalités scolaires existent du fait de la carence de transports, d’infrastructures routières, éducatives et de santé particulièrement pour les districts situés en milieu rural et dans les quartiers pauvres des grandes villes. Il est également montré que les variables touchant les missions d’inspection des écoles, l’utilisation de la langue d’instruction à la maison et la sécurité dans le milieu scolaire jouent un rôle important dans la réussite des élèves. Les résultats obtenus permettent une meilleure compréhension du système sco-laire dans ces pays. / The objective of this work is to analyze the determinants of inequalities in the school performance of 56 392 pupils at the end of primary school in 2 603 schools located in 647 districts in 12 countries of Eastern and Southern Africa (Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swa-ziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) based on the third 2007 Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ III) survey. The work is struc-tured around three chapters. The first chapter studies the influence of individual characteristics of the student and the school on school performance, as well as the important role of regional characteristics. In the second chapter, we seek to analyze how the inspection of schools and their accessibility by students a˙ect the eÿciency of schools. The last chapter proposes to study the socio-economic factors and schooling conditions a˙ecting performance and inequalities in access between girls and boys, taking into account their socio-economic backgrounds. To do this, we used di˙erent econometric approaches, namely a multilevel model in the first chapter, a non-parametric frontier model in chapter two, and a spatial econometric model in chapter three. The results show that the achievements of pupils, the eÿciency of institutions and inequality in access to school between girls and boys are highly heterogeneous in Southern and Eastern Africa. The results also indicate that the students who registered relatively high scores are located in rich urban areas with access to the means of transportation. Moroever, deep inequalities in schooling exist due to deficiency of transportation, road infrastructure, educational and health conditions particularly in districts located in rural areas and in poor neighborhoods in large cities. We also show that the variables a˙ecting school inspection missions, the use of the teaching langage at home and security of the school environment play an important role in student success.

Poon Fung Ting. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 152-166). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.ii / ABSTRACT --- p.iii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.vi / LIST OF TABLES --- p.ix / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.x / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Research Questions --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Research Objectives --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- Definitions --- p.4 / Chapter 1.4 --- Research Design --- p.9 / Chapter 1.5 --- Outline of the Thesis --- p.11 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY AND THE LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2 --- Background of the Study --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3 --- Literature Review --- p.28 / Chapter 2.4 --- Summary --- p.38 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- SPATIAL PATTERNS OF NON-HUKOU MIGRANTS IN THE PEARL RIVER DELTA --- p.41 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.41 / Chapter 3.2 --- Proportion of Non-hukou Migrants --- p.44 / Chapter 3.3 --- Distribution of Migrants --- p.47 / Chapter 3.4 --- Sources of Migrants --- p.50 / Chapter 3.5 --- The PRD as a Destination --- p.56 / Chapter 3.6 --- Gender Ratio of Non-hukou Migrants --- p.64 / Chapter 3.7 --- Spatial Patterns and Correlation of Migration Indicators --- p.67 / Chapter 3.8 --- Summary --- p.79 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- ANALYZING THE DETERMINANTS OF NON-HUKOU POPULATION IN COUNTY-LEVEL AREAS --- p.83 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.83 / Chapter 4.2 --- Method --- p.84 / Chapter 4.3 --- Variables --- p.86 / Chapter 4.4 --- The Results --- p.90 / Chapter 4.5 --- Summary --- p.102 / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- IMPACTS OF NON-HUKOU MIGRANTS AND THE POLICY RESPONSES --- p.104 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.104 / Chapter 5.2 --- The Trend of Non-hukou Migrants in PRD --- p.106 / Chapter 5.3 --- Positive Impacts --- p.110 / Chapter 5.4 --- Negative Impacts --- p.115 / Chapter 5.5 --- Policy Responses --- p.121 / Chapter 5.6 --- Summary --- p.139 / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- CONCLUSION --- p.142 / Chapter 6.1 --- Non-hukou Migration in PRD --- p.142 / Chapter 6.2 --- Policy Responses --- p.147 / Chapter 6.3 --- Suggestions for Further Research --- p.150 / REFERENCES --- p.152

对于转型期中国地方政府行为的研究，现有文献日益重视正式制度对官员行为的激励和约束作用：以GDP为标尺的相对绩效考核制度是改革开放后中国经济成功的决定因素，同时该正式制度也是地方政府忽视公共物品供给的重要原因。即使在考虑了正式制度及社会经济因素之后，本研究仍然观察到地方政府在公共物品供给水平上存在着显著的地区和时间差异。然而，对于此差异背后的决定因素，现有文献却考察不足。本文认为，非正式制度是造成该差异的原因。通过采用地区领导人籍贯作为非正式制度的代理并利用1990年至2010年的中国地级市数据，本研究系统检验了上述假设。本文发现，和来自外地的地方领导人相比，那些在其籍贯地任职的官员有更大的动力为本地区提供公共服务：本地籍贯的领导在基础教育、公共医疗和环境保护上的财政投入比重显著高于外地籍贯的领导。本研究同时发现，公共服务支出份额的增加是以基础设施建设支出的减少为代价的：本地籍贯官员对该项支出的投入比重显著低于外地籍贯官员。同时，利用省级数据及相同的模型设定，本文也发现非正式制度在省级行政单位依然发挥作用，但作用程度减弱。上述发现彰显出在一个正式制度主导的环境中，非正式制度依然发挥着显著的作用，并在一定程度上弥补了前者的不足。在实证发现的基础上，本研究又通过案例分析和访谈进一步考察了非正式制度发挥作用的机制。通过分析两个地级市的本地籍贯领导大力发展民生项目的行为以及普通民众对本地官员和外地官员的看法，本文详细说明了非正式制度对官员行为产生影响的机制，从而为实证分析揭示出的因果机制提供了证据。本研究认为，造成上述差异的原因在于：相比于外地官员，本地官员更多地被嵌入到当地的人际网络中，出于对本人及本家族在家乡声望的重视，他们会对民生项目有更多的投入。本文对非正式制度及两种制度互动的考察凸显出非民主国家内部官员行为丰富的制度动态。 / Literature on local government behavior in transitional China has primarily examined the impact of formal institutions on the motivations of officials in promoting local economic growth. In particular, investigations focused on how the existing personnel management system provides a “yardstick competition among local officials and therefore guarantees the success of economic reform. Meanwhile, such formal institutions have similarly been studied for the crucial reason that local government ignores the provision of public goods. Nevertheless, even after controlling the influence of formal institutions and socio-economic factors, variations could still be observed on the level of efforts among local governments regarding the provision of public goods. However, these variations cannot be sufficiently explained by existing literature. This research, based on prefectural data in China in 1990-2010, aims to fill this gap through a systematic examination of the effects of informal institutions on local government behavior, especially the casual relationship between the hometown of officials and the provision of local public goods. This research, based on prefectural data in China in 19902010, aims to fill this gap by systematically examining the effects of informal institutions on local government behavior, especially the casual relationship between the hometown of officials and the provision of local public goods. This study finds that holding other variables equal, a native prefectural leader would significantly increase fiscal expenditure rates on basic education, public health, and environmental protection in his jurisdiction, compared with a leader with a different hometown. However, the increased expenditure on public goods impacts those on infrastructure construction, which tends to incur a lower expenditure rate from a local leader compared with that of an official from other prefectures. Meanwhile, using provincial data, this research determines that informal institutions influence the upper-level government, though the effects have weakened. These findings reveal that, in an environment dominated by formal institutions, informal institutions still influence the behavior of officials. In addition, to a certain extent, informal institutions could mitigate the negative effects of formal institutions on the behavior of officials. Based on empirical findings, I used two cases and several interviews with local people and officials to further investigate the mechanism of this influence from informal institutions. By analyzing the efforts of native leaders on promoting the provision of local public goods, I illustrate the mechanism on how the informal institution shapes the behavior of officials, thereby providing evidence for a casual causal relationship. I attribute such pattern to the constraints of local reputation imposed on native officials, who would be deeply embedded in local personnel networks and therefore focus on the evaluation from local people. Local reputation thus imposes additional constraints on the behavior of native officials, which serves as a kind of bottom-up accountability. By investigating the effects of informal institutions and the interaction of formal-informal institutions, this research would help deepen our understanding on the dynamics of institutions under nondemocratic regimes and enable more accurate predictions of political behavior. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 王芳. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-154). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Wang Fang. / Chapter 第1章 --- 引言 --- p.1 / Chapter 第2章 --- 制度及官员行为：一个综述 --- p.10 / Chapter 2.1 --- 制度 --- p.10 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- 正式-非正式制度的划分标准 --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- 非正式制度发挥作用的机制 --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2 --- 正式制度与官员行为 --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- 当代中国的人事管理制度 --- p.18 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- 人事管理制度的影响 --- p.30 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- 人事管理制度与公共物品供给 --- p.35 / Chapter 2.3 --- 非正式制度与官员行为 --- p.37 / Chapter 第3章 --- 地方政府公共物品供给 --- p.46 / Chapter 3.1 --- 地方政府概况 --- p.46 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- 各级政府的性质、地位和职能 --- p.47 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- 地级市政府：历史沿革 --- p.51 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- 地级市政府：决策过程 --- p.54 / Chapter 3.2 --- 公共物品供给的法律规定及各级政府职责 --- p.62 / Chapter 3.3 --- 经济学文献上的中国公共物品供给研究 --- p.72 / Chapter 第4章 --- 籍贯：一个非正式制度 --- p.76 / Chapter 4.1 --- 官员籍贯回避制度 --- p.76 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- 帝制中国的避籍制度 --- p.77 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- 当代中国的避籍制度 --- p.84 / Chapter 4.2 --- 籍贯与官员行为 --- p.89 / Chapter 第5章 --- 数据及实证分析 --- p.93 / Chapter 5.1 --- 数据及模型 --- p.93 / Chapter 5.2 --- 实证结果及讨论 --- p.103 / Chapter 5.3 --- 非正式制度对省级政府行为的影响 --- p.109 / Chapter 第6章 --- 因果机制：案例研究 --- p.114 / Chapter 6.1 --- 案例分析 --- p.114 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- 山东省东营市市委书记石军 --- p.115 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- 甘肃省兰州市市委书记陈宝生 --- p.120 / Chapter 6.2 --- 访谈资料 --- p.124 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- 宁夏回族自治区固原市 --- p.125 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- 江苏省南京市 --- p.127 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- 内蒙古自治区兴安盟 --- p.129 / Chapter 6.2.4 --- 浙江省绍兴市 --- p.131 / Chapter 6.3 --- 本地籍贯的约束机制 --- p.133 / Chapter 第7章 --- 结论 --- p.137 / Chapter 7.1 --- 研究发现 --- p.137 / Chapter 7.2 --- 本文贡献 --- p.139 / 附录 --- p.142 / Chapter 附录一： --- 《党政领导干部任职回避暂行规定》 --- p.142 / Chapter 附录二： --- 石军简历 --- p.144 / Chapter 附录三： --- 陈宝生简历 --- p.145 / 参考文献 --- p.146 / 英文文献 --- p.146 / 中文文献 --- p.151 / 史书典籍 --- p.153 / 法律法规 --- p.153 / 媒体资源 --- p.154

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Government and Public Administration

The research aimed at assessing the extent to which the provincial Government's development programmes are succeeding in reducing regional unemployment. The research focused on the North West Province Central District, which is the second largest of the four districts. It comprises of 5 Municipalities of Mafikeng, Ditsobotla, Setlakgobi, Tswaing and Zeerust. The objectives of the research were to determine: Assess the extent of unemployment. poverty and development status of each of the municipal areas falling within the central region. To assess the prevalence of unemployment in the study area with a specific focus on providing analysis of socio-economic development trends. To development programmes aimed at eradicating poverty in the province especially in the Central District. To evaluate the extent to which government development policies programmes and projects are succeeding in curbing the increasing of unemployment and underdevelopment in the region. From the information gathered, the following results or findings were discovered: The challenges of poverty and unemployment cannot be dealt with by the current approach from the provincial government's planning processes, which tend to focus more on smaller projects than large- scales projects. The current level of migration of people from rural to urban areas seems to be a viable option for most people caught in poverty and under-development in the rural areas. Most people have moved out of the central district to look for jobs outside the region. The majority of the funded projects are too small to make any noticeable impact on the major challenges facing the province. The majority of the proposed projects directly initiated by the provincial government have not taken off the ground. / (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng campus, 2006

Esta pesquisa procura captar efeitos no desenvolvimento de comunidades escolhidas nas regiões do Litoral Norte, Campanha e Vale do Taquari a partir de projetos financiados pelo Programa RS Rural. Para tanto, são tomadas a ideia de desenvolvimento humano em suas diversas dimensões e a metodologia proposta por KAGEYAMA (2008) para identificar simultâneamente, fatores condicionantes, características e efeitos no desenvolvimento, o que foi realizado através de um Índice de Condições de Vida – ICV que aproxima ambas ideias e de uma análise multidimensional dos investimentos realizados, junto aos beneficiários. Reflexões em torno do paradigma de desenvolvimento são utilizadas para compreender a complexidade do meio rural quando se tem um quadro de desigualdades regionais na execução de políticas públicas. Da mesma maneira, recorre-se a pressupostos da geografia e estudos em economia regional do Rio Grande do Sul, que revelam diferenças e disparidades na origem e na atualidade do desenvolvimento rural gaúcho. Por fim, detectam-se homogeneidades e heterogeneidades entre as regiões e os lugares analisados no que tange as condições de vida dos beneficários do RS Rural. A pesquisa também evidenciou que o programa trouxe significativas melhorias para as populações beneficiadas e disparidades regionais detectadas neste momento podem levar a um processo mais rápido de desenvolvimento sustentável uma das localidades estudadas. / This research seeks to capture effects on the development of communities in selected regions of the Litoral Norte, Campanha and Vale do Taquari from projects financed by the RS Rural Initiative. To that end, the idea of human development in its various dimensions and the methodology proposed by KAGEYAMA (2008) has been utilised to simultaneously identify conditioning factors, characteristics and effects on development. This was accomplished through a Living Conditions Index – LCI, which approaches both ideas and also a multidimensional analysis of investments mades together with the beneficiaries. Reflections on the development paradigm are used to understand the complexity of the rural context when there is a status of regional inequalities in the implementation of public policies. Similarly, it refers to a presupposition of the studies in geography and regional economy of Rio Grande do Sul, which reveal differences and disparities in the origin and current practices of rural development today. Through this research, homogeneity and heterogeneity between the regions and places analyzed in terms of living conditions of the RS Rural beneficiaries have been identified. The research also showed that the RS Rural Initiative has induced significant improvements to beneficiary populations and regional disparities detected at this time, which could lead to a faster process of sustainable development to one of the localities studied.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / From the viewpoint of economic development, the state of Rio Grande do Sul presents a particularly special kind of peculiarity, when taking into account the state divided into two regions: North and South. The Southern half, which used to have the state s economical power, began a process of economical stagnation in the midst of the XX century, which persists until today. The Northern half, which used have the least economical power, is now considered the state s most economically developed region. This process has had continuity due to the economical concentration that can be observed in a certain region of the Northern half, referred to by Alonso et al. (1994) as the Northeastern region. Thus, this work considers the state of Rio Grande do Sul divided into three regions: Northeastern, Northern and Southern regions. Many factors have contributed to this economical condition, but it is prominently due to the processes of occupation, urbanization and industrialization. The importance of the agricultural sector in the state of Rio Grande do Sul is known; it is also known that these regional disparities, as they become increasingly accentuated, have a direct effect on the activities performed by this sector. The North-eastern Region, which s size corresponds to only 8.98% of the total area of the state, represents 53.44% of the state Gross National Product (GNP) and 15.53% of the Gross Agricultural Value (GAV). However, in economic values per area, the region contributes more than the Southern and Northern regions which correspond to approximately 87% of the state area contribute to 84.47% to the state s GAV. The Northern Region perceivably presents some advantages over the other two regions, being that there is a better-structured consumer market, with higher acquisitive power; the agricultural activities performed are more dynamic and there are better opportunities for industrialization and commerce which differs outstandingly from the Southern and Northern regions. From this analysis, the importance of the study of the dynamics of this process can be verified, so that other efficient policies can be elaborated in order to minimize the effects of regional economical disparities on the Agricultural sector of Rio Grande do Sul state. / Do ponto de vista do desenvolvimento econômico, o Rio Grande do Sul apresenta uma realidade bastante particular, quando considera-se o Estado dividido em duas regiões, Metade Sul e Norte. A Metade Sul, que antes detinha o poder econômico acaba, a partir da metade século XX, por entrar em um período de estagnação econômica que persiste até os dias atuais. A Metade Norte, por sua vez, passa de condição de atrasada para a Região economicamente mais desenvolvida do Estado. Este processo teve continuidade na medida em que se observa a concentração econômica em uma área da Metade Norte, definido por Alonso et al (1994) como Região Nordeste. Assim considera-se no presente trabalho o Estado dividido em três Regiões: Nordeste, Norte e Sul. Vários fatores contribuíram para essa condição de concentração econômica, porém destaca-se o processo de ocupação, de urbanização e industrialização do Estado. A importância do Setor Agropecuário para Rio Grande do Sul é amplamente reconhecida e as desigualdades regionais, à medida que se acentuam, atingem diretamente as atividades deste setor. A Região Nordeste, com apenas 8,98% da área, representa 53,44% do PIB Total e participa com 15,53% do VAB da Agropecuária do Estado. Porém, em termos monetários por área a participação da Região é superior as Regiões Sul e Norte, as quais participam em uma área de 86,45% com 84,47% do VAB da agropecuária estadual. A Região Nordeste apresenta algumas vantagens sobre as demais Regiões, onde destaca-se a estrutura do mercado consumidor, com maior poder aquisitivo. Também o fato das atividades agropecuárias desenvolvidas serem mais dinâmicas, além das oportunidades para industrialização e comercialização, diferentemente das Regiões Sul e Norte. A partir desta análise, verifica-se a importância do estudo da dinâmica deste processo, a fim de que sejam elaboradas políticas eficientes de modo que sejam minimizados os efeitos das desigualdades econômicas regionais sobre o Setor Agropecuário do Rio Grande do Sul.

Esta pesquisa procura captar efeitos no desenvolvimento de comunidades escolhidas nas regiões do Litoral Norte, Campanha e Vale do Taquari a partir de projetos financiados pelo Programa RS Rural. Para tanto, são tomadas a ideia de desenvolvimento humano em suas diversas dimensões e a metodologia proposta por KAGEYAMA (2008) para identificar simultâneamente, fatores condicionantes, características e efeitos no desenvolvimento, o que foi realizado através de um Índice de Condições de Vida – ICV que aproxima ambas ideias e de uma análise multidimensional dos investimentos realizados, junto aos beneficiários. Reflexões em torno do paradigma de desenvolvimento são utilizadas para compreender a complexidade do meio rural quando se tem um quadro de desigualdades regionais na execução de políticas públicas. Da mesma maneira, recorre-se a pressupostos da geografia e estudos em economia regional do Rio Grande do Sul, que revelam diferenças e disparidades na origem e na atualidade do desenvolvimento rural gaúcho. Por fim, detectam-se homogeneidades e heterogeneidades entre as regiões e os lugares analisados no que tange as condições de vida dos beneficários do RS Rural. A pesquisa também evidenciou que o programa trouxe significativas melhorias para as populações beneficiadas e disparidades regionais detectadas neste momento podem levar a um processo mais rápido de desenvolvimento sustentável uma das localidades estudadas. / This research seeks to capture effects on the development of communities in selected regions of the Litoral Norte, Campanha and Vale do Taquari from projects financed by the RS Rural Initiative. To that end, the idea of human development in its various dimensions and the methodology proposed by KAGEYAMA (2008) has been utilised to simultaneously identify conditioning factors, characteristics and effects on development. This was accomplished through a Living Conditions Index – LCI, which approaches both ideas and also a multidimensional analysis of investments mades together with the beneficiaries. Reflections on the development paradigm are used to understand the complexity of the rural context when there is a status of regional inequalities in the implementation of public policies. Similarly, it refers to a presupposition of the studies in geography and regional economy of Rio Grande do Sul, which reveal differences and disparities in the origin and current practices of rural development today. Through this research, homogeneity and heterogeneity between the regions and places analyzed in terms of living conditions of the RS Rural beneficiaries have been identified. The research also showed that the RS Rural Initiative has induced significant improvements to beneficiary populations and regional disparities detected at this time, which could lead to a faster process of sustainable development to one of the localities studied.

Esta pesquisa procura captar efeitos no desenvolvimento de comunidades escolhidas nas regiões do Litoral Norte, Campanha e Vale do Taquari a partir de projetos financiados pelo Programa RS Rural. Para tanto, são tomadas a ideia de desenvolvimento humano em suas diversas dimensões e a metodologia proposta por KAGEYAMA (2008) para identificar simultâneamente, fatores condicionantes, características e efeitos no desenvolvimento, o que foi realizado através de um Índice de Condições de Vida – ICV que aproxima ambas ideias e de uma análise multidimensional dos investimentos realizados, junto aos beneficiários. Reflexões em torno do paradigma de desenvolvimento são utilizadas para compreender a complexidade do meio rural quando se tem um quadro de desigualdades regionais na execução de políticas públicas. Da mesma maneira, recorre-se a pressupostos da geografia e estudos em economia regional do Rio Grande do Sul, que revelam diferenças e disparidades na origem e na atualidade do desenvolvimento rural gaúcho. Por fim, detectam-se homogeneidades e heterogeneidades entre as regiões e os lugares analisados no que tange as condições de vida dos beneficários do RS Rural. A pesquisa também evidenciou que o programa trouxe significativas melhorias para as populações beneficiadas e disparidades regionais detectadas neste momento podem levar a um processo mais rápido de desenvolvimento sustentável uma das localidades estudadas. / This research seeks to capture effects on the development of communities in selected regions of the Litoral Norte, Campanha and Vale do Taquari from projects financed by the RS Rural Initiative. To that end, the idea of human development in its various dimensions and the methodology proposed by KAGEYAMA (2008) has been utilised to simultaneously identify conditioning factors, characteristics and effects on development. This was accomplished through a Living Conditions Index – LCI, which approaches both ideas and also a multidimensional analysis of investments mades together with the beneficiaries. Reflections on the development paradigm are used to understand the complexity of the rural context when there is a status of regional inequalities in the implementation of public policies. Similarly, it refers to a presupposition of the studies in geography and regional economy of Rio Grande do Sul, which reveal differences and disparities in the origin and current practices of rural development today. Through this research, homogeneity and heterogeneity between the regions and places analyzed in terms of living conditions of the RS Rural beneficiaries have been identified. The research also showed that the RS Rural Initiative has induced significant improvements to beneficiary populations and regional disparities detected at this time, which could lead to a faster process of sustainable development to one of the localities studied.