Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In recent decades increasing attention has been paid to the idea of sustainable development
and in particular to sustainable agricultural practices. Studies in the seventies, eighties and
nineties indicated that many resource-poor farmers were practising low external input
sustainable practices by virtue of their resource-poor status. Despite this status these farmers
were developing sustainable practises that enabled them to survive even the harshest
conditions. It was believed that an understanding of their local practices and associated
knowledge, called indigenous technical knowledge by conventional scientists, could provide
agricultural development workers with a greater understanding of how to achieve sustainable
agricultural development. This awareness would ensure the optimal and sustainable use of
local livelihood sources. Following this interest a number of complementary research methods
were developed to generate and record indigenous knowledge. Many of these methods fall
within the participatory research paradigm of the Social Sciences. Using one of the earlier
complementary methods, Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA), this study considers its value as a
method to collect indigenous knowledge about the local cultivation and use of indigenous
vegetables in a parish in Uganda. The basic RRA tools are described and the position of RRA
within the participatory research paradigm is discussed, indicating that the method probably
has a lower-middle of the road position when placed on a continuum of participation. In this
study the use of the method enabled the generation of information relating to the context in
which agriculture was practised in the parish; specifically the production and use of plants
known as indigenous vegetables. At the same time the tools enabled a broad understanding
of indigenous knowledge regarding the production, associated practises and beliefs, as well
as the use of indigenous vegetables in the parish. This information included technical and
socio-cultural information indicating that indigenous knowledge is not only about technical
knowledge. In recent years debate has emerged with regard to the value, use and misuse of
indigenous knowledge. The debate has questioned the ability of various participatory
complementary methods to accurately generate and record this knowledge. One of the main
concerns is that most of these methods, like those associated with the quantitative and
qualitative paradigms, tend to have inherent biases which detract from their value. Reflection on the use of RRA in the Ugandan study indicated that it was subject to a number of
contextual constraints, namely: the assumption and treatment of indigenous knowledge as a
stock of knowledge which can neatly conform to scientific categorisation; the unawareness of
the powerladen interactions in which knowledge is generated; the consequences of local
power struggles on the generation of knowledge; the significance that the presence of
researchers during the knowledge generating process has on the resultant knowledge; the
relevance of the time, timing and location where knowledge is generated; and the effect that
local social differences, such as gender, age, wealth, class, etc. have on who has access to
what sort of knowledge. More recently developed and refined methods such as Participatory
Rural Appraisal (PRA) and Participatory Technology Development (PTD) include some tools
and strategies that overcome some of these constraints. However, these methods are often
subject to similar constraints, given the context in which they are used. In the final analysis,
the use of the RRA method in Uganda is considered to be a useful tool for collecting
contextual data and indigenous knowledge given the circumstances in which it was used.
These circumstances included financial constraints, a lack of skills in the complementary
methods within the research team, insufficient time and other resources. These hindrances
are common in many agricultural development contexts. Based on the results of the study it is
recommended that where circumstances permit it, participatory methods such as PRA and
PTD should be used. However, users must remain aware that these methods can suffer from
some contextual constraints if they are not used with care and if this use is not regularly
reflected upon. Despite a number of shortcomings, the use of the RRA method indicated that
it is a suitable method in certain contexts. It also indicated that indigenous knowledge is
extremely important for agricultural development, but that care must be taken as to how it is
generated, understood, recorded and subsequently used. The data generated by means of
the RRA method enabled some preliminary reflections on the current understanding of
indigenous knowledge. These were reflections on the following: it is a system of knowledge; it
originates in and is exclusive to a particular location; it has the ability to include knowledge
developed in other locations; and it is deeply entwined within the context in which it is
developed. In conclusion a number of possible areas for future research on indigenous
knowledge and participatory methods are identified which will allow us to develop a deeper
understanding of the value of participatory methods and the significance of indigenous
knowledge. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gedurende die afgelope dekades is verhoogde aandag geskenk aan die idee van volhoubare
ontwikkeling en spesifiek aan volhoubare landboupraktyke. Studies gedurende die sewentigs,
tagtigs en negentigs wys daarop dat verskeie hulpbronbeperkte boere lae eksterne inset,
volhoubare praktyke be-oefen het na aanleiding van hulle hulpbronbeperkte status.
Nieteenstaande hierdie boere se stand van sake het hulle nietemin standhoudende praktyke
ontwikkel wat hulle in staat gestel het om selfs die moeilikste omstandighede te oorleef. Daar
was geglo dat deur van hulle plaaslike praktyke en die daarmee saamgaande kennis, bekend
as Inheemse Tegniese Kennis onder konvensionele wetenskaplikes, te begryp, dit landbouontwikkelingswerkers
kan voorsien van ‘n beter begrip rakende, hoe om standhoudende
landbou-ontwikkeling te bereik. Hierdie bewustheid sal die optimale en volhoubare gebruik
van plaaslike lewens- en huishoudingsbronne verseker. As gevolg van hierdie belangstelling
is ‘n hele aantal komplimenterende navorsingsmetodes ontwikkel om inheemse kennis in te
win en op te teken. Verskeie van hierdie metodes val binne die deelnemende navorsingsparadigma
van die Geesteswetenskappe. Deur gebruik te maak van een van die vroeëre
aanvullende metodes, Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA), lê die waarde van RRA daarin dat dit ‘n
metode is om inheemse kennis in te samel rakende die plaaslike verbouïng en gebruik van
inheemse groentes in ‘n wyk in Uganda. Die basiese RRA tegnieke word omskryf asook die
posisie van RRA binne die deelnemende navorsings paradigma en dan word daar aangedui
dat die metode heel moontlik ‘n lae-middelposisie het wanneer dit geplaas word in terme van
‘n kontinuüm van deelname. In hierdie studie het die metode dit moontlik gemaak om inligting
in te win wat verband hou met die konteks waarbinne landbou be-oefen is in die wyk;
spesifiek wat produksie en die gebruik van plante, bekend as inheemse groentes, aanbetref.
Terselfdertyd het die tegnieke ‘n breër begrip daargestel van inheemse kennis rakende die
produksie, daarmee saamgaande praktyke en plaaslike menings, sowel as die gebruik van
inheemse groentes in die wyk. Hierdie inligting het ingesluit die tegniese en sosio-kulturele
inligting en aangedui dat inheemse kennis nie net oor tegniese kennis handel nie. In die pas
afgelope jare het die debat ontstaan rakende die waarde, gebruik en misbruik van inheemse
kennis. Die debat het die vermoë van die verskeie deelnemende komplimentêre metodes om
akkuraat hierdie kennis in te win en op te skryf, bevraagteken. Een van die hoof bekommernisse is dat die meeste van hierdie metodes, soos die verbonde aan kwalitatiewe
en kwantitatiewe paradigmas, daarna neig om inherent bevooroordeeld te wees wat hulle
van hul waarde laat verminder. ‘n Refleksie op die gebruik van RRA in die Uganda-studie
wys daarop dat dit onderhewig was aan ‘n aantal kontekstuele beperkings naamlik: die
aanname en hantering van inheemse kennis as ‘n inventaris van kennis wat netjies
omgeskakel kan word in wetenskaplike katagorisering; onbewustheid van die magsonewewigtigheid
interaksies waarbinne kennis ingewin word; die gevolge van plaaslike
magstryde op die insameling van kennis; die effek wat die teenwoordigheid van navorsers
tydens die proses van kennis insameling het op die resultaatgewende kennis, die relevansie
van tyd, tydsberekening en plek waar kennis ingewin word; en die effek wat plaaslike sosiale
verskille, soos geslag, ouderdom, rykdom, klas, ens. het op wie toegang het tot watter soort
van kennis. Meer onlangs ontwikkelde en verfynde metodes soos Participatory Rural
Appraisal (PRA) en Participtory Technology Development (PTD) sluit van die tegnieke en
strategieë in wat sommige van hierdie beperkings oorkom. Maar sommige van hierdie
metodes is gereëld onderworpe aan soortgelyke beperkings, gegewe die konteks waarbinne
dit gebruik word. In die finale analise is die gebruik van die RRA metode in Uganda beskou
as ‘n bruikbare tegniek vir die insameling van kontekstuele data en inheemse kennis, gegewe
die omstandighede waarbinne dit gebruik is. Hierdie omstandighede sluit in, finansiele
beperkings, ‘n gebrek aan vaardigheid met die komplimentêre metodes binne die
navorsingspan, onvoldoende tyd en ander bronne. Hierdie hindernisse is algemeen in
verskeie landbouontwikkelingskontekste. Gebasseer op die resultate van die studie word
aanbeveel dat waar omstandighede hul daartoe leen, deelnemende metodes soos PRA en
PTD, gebruik moet word. Maar gebruikers moet daarvan bewus bly dat hierdie metodes kan
ly aan kontekstuele tekortkomings indien hulle nie met sorg gebruik word en daar nie gereeld
oor die gebruik daarvan gereflekteer word nie. Ten spyte van ‘n aantal tekortkomminge het
die gebruik van die RRA metode aangewys dat dit ‘n toespaslike metode binne ‘n sekere
konteks is. Dit het ook aangewys dat inheemse kennis uiters belangrik is vir
landbouontwikkeling, maar dat sorg gedra moet word rakende hoe dit ingewin, verstaan,
opgeskryf en daarna gebruik word. Die data wat ingewin is deur middel van die RRA metode
het voorlopige refleksies moontlik gemaak rakende die huidige begrip van inheemse kennis.
Hierdie was refleksies op die volgende: dit is ‘n stelsel van kennis, dit ontstaan in en is
eksklusief aan ‘n spesifieke gebied, dit het die vermoë om kennis in te sluit wat in ander
gebiede ontwikkel is, en dit is diep ingeweef in die konteks waarbinne dit ontwikkel is. Ten
slotte ‘n hele aantal moontlike areas vir toekomstige navorsing rakende inheemse kennis en deelnemende metodes is geidentifiseer wat ons in staat sal stel om ‘n beter begrip te
ontwikkel van die waarde van deelnemende metodes en die belangrikheid van inheemse
kennis.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/16338 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Hart, Tim George Balne |
| Contributors | Mouton J., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | v, 299 leaves : ill. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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