Key institutions and services are suggested to contribute to remote communities in ways that extend beyond their primary function.  For example, schools and health services are suggested to have important, social, symbolic or economic roles in small remote communities.  There is little empirical evidence identifying the nature and extent of such roles.  Consequently, service reconfiguration driven by economic, political, technological and demographic change may have wider, but currently inadequately understood, impact on remote communities.  This is important for policy. This study explored the nature and extent of added-value contributions, using remote health services as an exemplar (Part 1).  A method for measuring the impact, on remote communities, of added-value contributions from any sector was then constructed (Part 2). Part 1: Eight remote community case studies in Scotland and South Australia explored the added-value roles of the health sector.  Cross-case findings present evidence of health professionals’ behaviour and residents’ perceptions of the social, economic and symbolic importance of remote health service to communities.  Findings revealed a distinction between health service institutions’ contributions (built environment, employer role, health professional status and competencies and symbolic aspects) and those attributable to health professionals as individuals. Part 2:  Institutional and personal added-value contributions were conceptualised as contributing to stocks of different categories of capital insofar as they constitute tangible and intangible resources available for use by individuals and communities.  This conceptual framework provided the basis for developing a prototype generic quantitative instrument (C-CAT) capable of measuring the added-value contributions of institutions and individuals to community stocks of human, social, economic, symbolic and institutional capital. Uniquely, study outputs provide a potential method of quantifying complex and intangible aspects of remote community life that  underpin an innate sense of community ownership, but which have hitherto not been explicitly conceptualised or been capable of measurement.

Memoria para optar al título de Arquitecto

A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine. / The Rural Trauma Team Development Course (RTTDC) is a one day course given to trauma personnel at various rural medical centers across the United States with the goal of improving care to injured patients in such areas. The purpose of this study is to determine the retention of RTTDC knowledge by those trained, as well as the migration rates of trainees out of these sites. The teaching of the RTTDC includes both pre‐test and post‐test assessments to ensure proper skills were learned. There was a statistically significant increase in score from the average course pre‐test score of 76.9% to the average course post‐test score of 92.1%. At this interim analysis, plotting the study post‐test scores over time since the course was given does reveal a pattern of decreased scores over time. The average study post‐test score of 88.8% is only slightly below the average initial post‐test score of 92.1%, though this was not significant. When assessed by individual questions, the participants scored significantly worse with questions addressing initial approach to the trauma patient and management of burn patients. There was no significant difference in scores between trauma team role. In this data set, the percentage of trainees remaining at course sites was 100%, though this was not expected based on previous studies. Our goal of 200 participants to achieve power has not been met at this time, but this could be established if more sites become involved, thus providing significant feedback for possible course revision.

Summary This chapter brings to a conclusion the main issues that have been raised in the book and provides some ideas on the type of policies that are needed to enhance land-based livelihoods in the Eastern Cape Province and possibly elsewhere in South Africa. In our opinion the key objective of agrarian policy should be the facilitation of a process that can be labelled as repeasantisation (chapter 1). The empirical material in this book shows that there are still remnants of a peasantry in both villages, albeit few and limited in extent. By examining these we simultaneously explored what constitutes the agrarian in contemporary rural villages such as Guquka and Koloni. The evidence presented indicates a long process of retreat of the agrarian in the rural central Eastern Cape province. Critical examination of past and contemporary interventions in these rural areas, such as betterment planning and land and agrarian reform initiatives, raises questions about the role of expert knowledge in rural and agrarian development in South Africa. There are elements of continuity in the approach being used, leading to the conclusion that alternative expert curricula in agriculture and rural development are needed.

The purpose of this research, based on Tönnies’s theory of Gemeinschaft and Durkheim’s theory of mechanical solidarity, was to determine if there were differences between rural Virginia teachers from rural areas and those from nonrural areas in their perceptions of salary, isolation, working conditions, NCLB requirements, and job satisfaction, as well as their plans to remain in rural schools. It also was to determine if there was a relationship between rural and nonrural backgrounds and the rural teachers’ intentions to remain employed in rural schools. Rural teachers from each of Virginia’s eight Superintendents’ Regions were selected and were asked to respond to an on-line survey. Their responses were collected and the data were analyzed using SPSS. The findings of this research showed that perceptions of isolation and working conditions were significant predictors of teachers’ plans to remain in rural schools. Although the findings of this research did not show rural origin to be significant, the concept of community that is inherent in ruralness was indicated by the significance of the relationship between feeling membership in the community and plans to remain in a rural school. In addition, the findings of this research supported the development of the grow-your-own programs discussed in the literature review. This research showed that established residency in the rural area and feeling membership in the rural community significantly influenced the decision to remain in a rural school.

Dans notre recherche on a essayé de découvrir quelle est la position de la Moldavie, sur le marché touristique interne et externe et dans quelle mesure sa périphéricité joue un rôle positif dans le développement touristique.On a vu que l’espace de la recherche se confronte avec une triple périphéricité, qui agit à tous les niveaux : périphérie spatiale de l’Union Européenne, périphérie économique et décisionnelle de la Roumanie, et dernièrement une périphérie figée qui agit dans l’intérieur de la région entre les centres urbains et les zones rurales. On a observé que la région présente une concentration plus dense de ressources potentielles touristiques dans sa partie occidentale, montagneuse. Les départements de Suceava, Neamţ, Bacău et Vrancea bénéficient pleinement de leur disposition dans un cadre plus attractif, le tourisme de montagne ayant un grand succès en Roumanie. De nos jours, la Moldavie présente un retard du point de vue touristique par rapport à la moyenne nationale, retard qui se traduit par le nombre de places de logements, l’indice d’occupation, les arrivées ou les nuitées. Malgré tout ça, la région a connu une évolution foudroyante des unités de logement dans les dernières décennies. Sur le fond de la popularisation du tourisme rural et de ses différentes formes, la pension rurale devient de plus en plus perceptible. La dynamique des arrivées et des nuitées touristiques de l’espace rural moldave dessine plusieurs zones distinctes en Moldavie. Le département de Suceava est le plus dynamique, sa croissance se basant sur quelques centres régionaux auxquels l'on ajoute des communes mono-destination. Le département de Neamţ enregistre une dynamique positive basée sur quelques centres locaux à spécifique diffèrent, ce qui la positionne en deuxième position comme importance touristique en Moldavie. Le département de Bacău se remarque par la chute des activités touristiques de Slănic Moldova et Târgu-Ocna, anciens centres touristiques pendant la période communiste, mais descendus de nos jours à cause de la mauvaise gestion après 1990. L’enquête appliquée auprès des touristes a identifié un profil contrastant du visiteur de la zone rurale moldave. Ces contrastes sont une conséquence de la période communiste et du manque d’implication (organisationnelle, affective, décisionnelle) du touriste dans l’organisation des voyages. / The aim of our research was to discover the position of Moldavia region on the internal and international tourism market and how his peripheral feature acts on its tourism development.We observed that research area is confronted with a three times peripheral feature, each one acting on a different spatial level: spatial periphery of European Union, economical and decision-making periphery of Romania, and finally, a frozen periphery which acts inside the region itself between the urban centers and the rural zones.We observed also that the region shows a bigger density of potential tourism resources in its western, mountainous part. The counties of Suceava, Neamț, Bacău and Vrancea take fully advantage of their position in a more attractive environment, the mountainous tourism being very popular and appreciate in Romania.In our days, Moldavia has a tourism delay compared with the national mean, delay translated in accommodation places, occupation rate, tourist arrivals or overnight stays. Nevertheless, the region knew an astonishing evolution of accommodation units in the last two decades. The rural boarding house become more and more visible, its development being based on the rural tourism’s popularization and its uncountable forms, The dynamic of tourism arrivals and overnight stays draws several distinct tourism zones in Moldavia. Suceava County is by far the most dynamic, its growth being based on some regional centers and mono-destination villages. Neamț County recorded a positive dynamic based on few local centers, each one with a different uniqueness, fact that put this county on the second step as tourism importance in Moldavia. Bacău County is noticed by its tourism fall, especially in the ancient resorts from communist era, Slănic Moldova and Târgu Ocna. After 1990 this destinations knew a decrease of their tourism weight because of the bad management.The investigation made among the visitors of the Moldavian rural area showed a changing profile for the usual Moldavian tourist, marked by several contrasts. These contrasts are a consequence of the communist era and the lack of implication (organizational, decision-making) from the tourist in its own trip planning.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Geography / Lisa M. Butler Harrington / This research examines the intersections of sexuality and gender identity and how differing socio-cultural networks are important to how we can begin to address multiple issues affecting rural America. The overarching question of the research was: How do sexuality and gender identity minorities living in rural areas experience or perceive where they live and the community networks that they navigate? Subtopics included the factors that contribute to an LGBT individual living in the Flint Hills, whether individual sexual and gender identities and perception affect concepts of location and community, and how one’s sexuality or gender identity affects the lived experience in a rural region. A multi-disciplinary approach based on Geography and LGBT Studies, using interviews and surveys of distinctive rural populations in the Flint Hills of Kansas, was applied. Five focus groups and 31 individual interviews yielded information about LGBT community concerns in the Flint Hills. A broader region was represented through an electronic survey which accessed a large population anonymously through a variety of social networking sites. The survey yielded 119 complete responses. Discrimination was a concern and sense of community was important. Many individuals acknowledged that they had a system of navigation of rural environments: where to go, to whom to speak openly, how to blend in to the larger population. Despite fears that were expressed, there was a sense of resilience among participants related to living in a relatively rural region. A sense of queer community and an acknowledgement of a rural community were important. Community connections are a major factor contributing to the individual’s lived experience and perception of the Flint Hills. For most of the participants, identity as a rural LGBT person or as part of the (relatively) rural queer community is important. There is a strong affinity to what individuals view as rural, and they view rural as being different from urban landscapes and communities.

El presente informe acopia todas las experiencias obtenidas durante mi carrera profesional, laborando dentro de la Oficina de Proyectos de Comunicaciones del Viceministerio de Comunicaciones como jefe del proyecto “Implementación de Telecomunicación Rural – Internet Rural”. Para poder llevar a cabo un proyecto dentro del sector publico, actualmente se requiere pasar por varias etapas, desde la formulación, evaluación, ejecución y monitoreo, de acuerdo a la norma vigente denominada “Sistema Nacional de Inversión Pública - SNIP”. Actualmente el proyecto se encuentra en la etapa de ejecución, por lo que dentro del presente informe se comentarán todos los trabajos previos, actuales y planes futuros para el correcto desarrollo del proyecto. El proyecto “Implementación de Telecomunicación Rural – Internet Rural”, tiene por finalidad, promover el desarrollo socio económico cultural de la población rural y de preferente interés social a través del uso de las Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación, haciendo que su uso se masifique y forme parte de sus hábitos y costumbres diarias. El desarrollo y uso creciente de las tecnologías de la información y comunicación, en especial del Internet, están ejerciendo un gran impacto en el ámbito urbano de la sociedad peruana, principalmente por su tendencia a la masificación y por representar un medio eficaz para difundir y acceder a todo tipo de información. Sin embargo, este fenómeno no se presenta en el área rural del país, pues los pobladores de esta zona no tienen el acceso a este medio, y, por lo tanto, ven limitadas sus posibilidades de desarrollo. En tal sentido, este proyecto permitirá impulsar el desarrollo de la llamada Sociedad Global de la Información, que se basa en la aplicación y uso masivo de las tecnologías de la información por parte de los ciudadanos, conformándose un nuevo tipo de sociedad basada en el conocimiento, de carácter universal y global, con consecuencias fundamentales en las relaciones económicas y sociales. El Capítulo II considera todas las variables utilizadas para desarrollar el proyecto. Así como también la identificación del problema central y los objetivos concretos que nos ayudaron a definir la estrategia general del proyecto. Considerando el análisis del capitulo II, se formula el proyecto, evaluando su rentabilidad económica, a través de metodologías que buscan trasladar el beneficio a las comunidades. El capitulo III define el marco metodológico de la ejecución del proyecto, a través de herramientas de gestión orientadas a garantizar que se cumplan los tiempos, costos, calidad y alcance de todas las actividades.

MSc (Med), Population-Based Field Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand / ABSTRACT Background: World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 1.6 million people die every year because of violence and out of these deaths, homicide accounts for almost one third. Ninety percent (90%) of homicide are thought to occur in low and middle income countries. South Africa has one of the most disturbing rates of homicide in the world. These high homicide rates besides resulting in reduced life expectancy also have serious health, social and economic consequences. Aim: The study aimed at quantifying the burden as well as and identifying factors associated with homicide deaths in rural KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa during the period of 2000 to 2008. Objectives: To estimate a 9 year period (2000-2008) homicide incidence rates as well as identify factors associated with homicide-related deaths. Further, the analysis described spatial distribution of homicide-related deaths in a rural South African population. Design: Analytical longitudinal study. Methods: Using data drawn from the Verbal Autopsies (VAs) conducted on all deaths recorded during annual demographic and health surveillance over a 9-year period (2000-2008), Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival estimates of incidence rates were used to estimate the cumulative probability of death until the end of the period. Estimates were reported by sex and residency. Weibull regression methods were used to investigate factor associated with homicide deaths. Kulldorff spatial scan statistics was used to describe homicide clustering. Results: With 536 homicide-related deaths, and 814, 715 total Person Years of contribution, the study found an overall incidence rate of 66 (95% CI= (60, 72) per 100, 000 Person Years of v Observation (PYOs) for the period studied. Death due to firearm was reported the leading cause of mortality (65%). Most deaths occurred over the weekends (43%), followed by Friday (16.2%).The highest homicide incidence rates were recorded in 2001 (90; 95% CI= (71, 111) per 100,000 person years at risk and 2004 (86; 95% CI= (68, 108) per 100,000 person years at risk. Males had a rate that was about six times more than females 115 (95% CI=105,127) per 100,000 PYOs. Age-specific homicide rate were highest among males aged 25-29 years (209.90 per 100,000 PYOs) and females aged 50-54 years (78 per 100,000 PYOs). Resident, age, sex, education, socioeconomic status, and employment independently predicted homicide risk. The study identified two geographical clusters with significantly elevated homicide risk. Conclusion: A significant six fold difference in homicide rate existed between males and females. Sex differential increases with age, with males aged 15-54 years the most likely to be killed, and females aged 55 years and above having the highest homicide rate. Increase in wealth status and level of education increases one‘s risk of homicide. Employment per se was protective from homicide risk. Firearm was the leading cause of mortality. Most deaths occur over the weekend. Two geographical areas with elevated homicide risk were observed. These findings underscore the need to have timely information and strategies for effective violence prevention program to subgroups and areas at risk.

[pt] A escola no meio rural é um tema periférico no meio acadêmico educacional brasileiro. Conhecer quem são os professores brasileiros que atuam em contexto rural constitui condição essencial para que se possam efetivar as expectativas ligadas à profissão e à valorização deste trabalhador. A presente investigação se situa no universo das pesquisas sobre o trabalho dos profissionais docentes, sua formação e o exercício do seu ofício. Filia-se aos estudos que privilegiam, por um lado, a importância dos contextos e organizações escolares, e, por outro, o realce da singularidade dos sujeitos. O objetivo foi conhecer os modos de exercício do ofício de professores que lecionam várias disciplinas, em todas as séries, há mais de dez anos, em uma escola pública situada no meio rural fluminense, cujos estudantes têm tido o melhor desempenho regional no Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM). O estudo de caso de base etnográfica fez uso de técnicas associadas à etnografia (observação participante, análise de documentos e entrevista biográfica), além de questionário, e procurou compreender quais os sentidos os professores dão àquela escola, qual a imagem que têm de si e de sua profissão, assim como quais os estilos de ensinar desenvolvem. Para a interpretação dos dados, a interlocução foi feita com autores da sociologia e da antropologia, como Dubar, Dubet, Canário, Tardif, Geertz e Roberto DaMatta. O grupo docente parece ter elevada auto-estima, sendo a escola percebida pelo menos por três modos: uma escola-família; um espaço de se ensinar-aprender; e, ainda, o quintal da casa (baseada em categorização de DaMatta, 1997). Os estilos de ensinar variam de acordo com estas representações anteriores tanto sobre a escola como sobre os estudantes. / [en] Rural schooling is a peripheral issue in Brazilian Schools of Education. In order to meet teachers expectations and to value those from schools in the countryside, it is a crucial condition to know what type of professionals they are. The present research is on teachers training and performance. It is part of several studies that, on one hand, emphasize the importance of school context and organization and, on the other hand, emphasize the uniqueness of each research subject. It aims at understanding the procedures of teachers who, for more than ten years, have been teaching different subjects to primary and secondary school students at a public school in Rio de Janeiro agricultural area. These students have had the best regional performance at ENEM - Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (Brazilian National Exam of Secondary Education). The present ethnographically-based case study made use of ethnographic techniques (participative observation, document analysis and biographic interviews) and questionnaires, so that we could understand teachers` views of the school they work at, the image they have of themselves and of their profession, as well as the type of teaching they develop. The analysis of the data was based on sociologists and anthropologists, such as Dubar, Dubet, Canário, Tardif, Geertz and Roberto DaMatta. The teaching staff we studied seem to have high self-esteem and see their school in at least one of three perspectives: the family-school, the teaching-learning environment and the backyard (based on 1997 DaMattas category). Their different teaching styles vary according to these representations of school and students.