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Readings from a Life: Rural Educators Read our Rural Selves is a cultural study of identity in place in Atlantic Canada. The study is developed based on hybrid methodology drawing on key elements of literary anthropology, self-study, autobiography, auto-ethnography, and geo-poetics. The literary landscape of rural Nova Scotia provides the principal site for the readings which are developed throughout in contrapuntal fashion, that is to say the readings move back and forth between global and local representations of rural space. Key to the development of each of the chapters is the concept of distance as a device for making the world strange and therefore knowable. The readings are contained within seven chapters based on the research question, 'What are you doing here?' This question is deconstructed first through establishing the literary landscape of rural Nova Scotia as a site for analysis, followed by a discussion of literary anthropology as method, which leads in turn to a close examination of how particular teachers read themselves through their engagement with the literary texts. These readings are followed by a critical examination of what kinds of reading count in official policy discourses when compared to the more literary representations. As self-study the readings are used to provide insight into a life lived for the most part in rural Nova Scotia and at the same time are used to highlight aspects of education and teacher identity in this place. The concluding chapter moves recursively in order to strengthen the insights contained in the previous chapters and at the same time articulates the ambivalent nature of the project as a whole. Policy implications, potential beneficiaries, limitations of the study, and future directions are indicated in the final chapter.

In this thesis I shall consider the process of economic change in tribal and peasant societies, and show how traditional principles of social and economic organization within these societies are related to such change. I shall be aoncerned with how far "organization" may be treated as a factor in development apart from and in conjunction with such factors as "capital", "values", "innovation", etc. [...]

The purpose of this research study was to profile exemplary rural music programs, examining how their components and contexts contributed to a deep sense of place for students, teachers, and the community. Using case-study methodology, two rural communities were profiled: Bella Coola, British Columbia and Winkler, Manitoba. By examining these programs through interview, observational, and questionnaire data, the conditions that support these programs and the perceptions of stakeholders were garnered in order to create a rich view of music education programs that could inform the development of high-quality music programs in other rural communities. Analysis procedures consisted of coding the data for emergent themes as well as a priori themes combed from music education curricula and place-based education literature. The analysis was guided by complexity thinking literature. Closed-ended questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Through this analysis process, a descriptive framework of the contents and context of the music programs was created. The adaptive and iterative nature of the music programs and how they related to the communities were also examined. Findings from this study revealed rich place-based music education general music programs, choral programs, and band programs that were highly regarded by the communities. Features in each music program were reflective of the musical practices in the communities. Developing place-based music programs also included the celebration of diversity and the incorporation of activities that broadened students’ musical experiences and allowed students to be leaders. The extent to which diverse types of music could be incorporated into the music programs was dependent on the teachers’ background and available resources. Performances were an important aspect of these place-based programs as attending students’ performances served as one of the only times that community residents interacted with the school, and for many, these performances were the only source of live music. Performing at other local and provincial music events strengthened students’ musical understanding and also deepened their connections to the respective communities. Students were part of their communities, and they were actively able to participate in the present in a way that honoured the past and brightened the future. / Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2011-08-02 23:27:03.786

This study examines why excellent working class rural female teachers remain in teaching. Although the teachers of this study admit to having experienced disillusionment during their teaching careers, they have remained passionate and enthusiastic educators, and are the teachers most often cited when colleagues, students and parents are discussing "good" teachers. Thus, this study seeks to determine the factors that influence these women educators to remain in education and to remain passionate about education. The original supposition that an administrator was a determinative variable in influencing the rural female educators proved to be erroneous. For the women of this study, their working class backgrounds, their beliefs that teaching is a calling and an art form, and their belief that teaching is a socially constructed form of public service are important determinative factors in their continuing belief in their educational career. Additionally, the women of this study, through their stories and interactions, disproved the stereotypical image of the female teacher who works alone. The teachers of this study actively seek out collegial relationships and pursue professional development.

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Vast disparities exist between China’s rural and urban areas. Throughout the history of Communist Party rule, ever-widening rural-urban inequality, problems with migration to the cities, and the threat of rural unrest have afflicted the countryside. Efforts by previous administrations have largely failed to solve the nation’s rural problems. China’s current leaders are determined to tackle these issues by means of a change in the direction in policy: the new focus is on sustainable development and social justice rather than rapid economic growth. At the same time, the central government hopes to strengthen the Communist Party’s power base and reduce potential threats to its ongoing reign. While the new policy direction is expected to improve the standard of living of China’s rural people and reduce social conflict in the short term, it may be insufficient to bring peace and satisfaction among the people in the long term.

Gran cantidad de personas en el Perú no tiene la oportunidad de mejorar su calidad de vida, incluso hay personas que viven con altos índices de pobreza de hasta un 54%. La inclusión financiera a través de algunas herramientas, brinda la oportunidad de tener una vida digna. Por esta razón, proponer un modelo de banca comunal para la inclusión financiera y el desarrollo de las comunidades rurales fue el principal objetivo de esta investigación. El análisis documental de los modelos más éxitos de banca comunal (Crecer y Pro-mujer en Bolivia, Finca en Nicaragua y Compartamos en México) junto con la prueba piloto de línea de base aplicada a uno de los distritos más pobres del país llamado Cujillo, permitieron elaborar un modelo sustentado en las mejores prácticas de banca comunal. El modelo está desarrollado en tres etapas; la primera enfocada al empoderamiento y educación financiera, la segunda propone la conformación y consolidación de los bancos comunales en sí, y la última dirigida al seguimiento y asesoramiento de los pequeños negocios; cabe mencionar que para la consolidación de los bancos comunales, los socios deben cumplir con el perfil propuesto dentro del modelo. Por otro lado la prueba piloto de línea de base del distrito de Cujillo permitió documentar el daño que causa el asistencialismo a las personas, cortándoles toda iniciativa de superación; además muestra claramente que no todas las comunidades rurales están en condiciones para ejecutar el modelo de banca comunal en el corto plazo.