3a) Components of integrated rural development
Integrated rural development is, at the same time, a goal
and a methodological approach. The goal is to include the
neglected masses of rural poor in the process of increasing
the well-being of mankind. The approach for reaching this
goal is the application of a bundle of well-balanced measures
of economic and socio-political nature. In this process, by
applying a system research method, the interdependent relation
of all economic, social, political, and technical factors
has to be taken into account. Here, we have to admit that
a quantitative analysis would create many difficuiculties.
The content of this bundle of measures will vary in different
cases. Therefore, any approach to rural development has to
start with the assessment of the current situation and the
identification of existing bottlenecks. The following, somewhat
abstract, checklist gives an idea of the internal and external
factors to be considered:
- Natural resources, agricultural and non-agricultural;
- Human resources(quality and quantity);
- Pattern of social organization(values, social stratification
mobility, power structure land tenure system);
- Economic structure(agricultural production structure,
industry, market relations, etc,);
- Technology in agriculture and in the non-agricultural
sector;
- Infrastructure(physical infrastructure, transport and
communication, social infrastructure, spatial order);
- Institutions and organizations (administration, people's
organization, etc.);
- Services (marketing, credit extension, social security);
- Education and training (formal and informal).
The application of measures concerning the sectors listed
above-perhaps with some additional ones-to a specific area,
will allow the identification of the elements promoting and
restricting development possibilities, as well as their interrelationship.
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