product 5 wp2_academic guide to emra_draft

European Masters Programme for

Rural Animators

EMRA

DRAFT ACADEMIC GUIDE

2nd version

February 2011

Compiled by

Euracademy Association and N. Copernicus University

with input by all EMRA partners

Project Nr: 503008-LLP-1-2009-1-PL-ERASMUS- ECDSP

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme, Erasmus Multilateral

Projects, Curriculum Development Projects of the European Union

2

February 2011

Prepared by: The EMRA Partnership

For more information on EMRA visit the website http://rural-animator.eu/

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This

publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held

responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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CONTENTS PAGE

PART A. ABOUT EMRA 4

1. INTRODUCTION – MAIN FEATURES OF EMRA 4

2. THE PROFILE OF RURAL ANIMATOR 4

3. PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH 6

4. DELIVERY METHODS, LEARNING SCHEDULE AND EVALUATION 8

5. ACCREDITATION AND CERTIFICATION 10

PART B. THE CURRICULUM 11

MODULE A1. THEORY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT 12

MODULE A2. METHODS OF RESEARCH ON RURAL AREAS 18

MODULE A3. RURAL ANIMATION 22

MODULE 1. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE 27

MODULE 2. HUMAN AND SOCIAL CAPITAL, WELFARE 33

MODULE 3. INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT POLICIES IN RURAL AREAS 39

MODULE 4. CULTURE FOR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL AREAS 47

MODULE 5. SUSTAINABLE RURAL TOURISM 53

MODULE 6. ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT 60

MODULE 7. EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT 67

MODULE 8. DIVERSIFICATION OF RURAL ECONOMIES 73

MODULE: VILLAGE WORKSHOP 79

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PART A. ABOUT EMRA

1. INTRODUCTION – MAIN FEATURES OF EMRA

This is a second draft of the Academic Guide to the European Masters for Rural

Animators (EMRA) following the International Seminar in Warsaw, which took place

in November 2010.

EMRA is currently being prepared by seven European universities, namely: Nicolaus

Copernicus University (Poland). Babes-Bolayi University (Romania); Isztvan Szchenyi

University (Hungary); University of Helsinki (Finland); University of Porto (Portugal);

University of Rostock (Germany); University of Valencia (Spain), Mediterranean

Agronomic Institute of Chania (Greece); and by Euracademy Association (Greece).

The lead partner is N. Copernicus University.

1.1 Aims and objectives of EMRA

The aim of EMRA is to establish a new European programme of studies at postgraduate

level, interdisciplinary in nature, which would offer the necessary education,

competence building and qualifications to graduates who wish to work as rural

animators

The objectives of EMRA include

• Bestowing rural animator with a wide knowledge and understanding of rural

development issues and at the same time equipping them with practical skills that

would allow them to encourage and manage rural development initiatives.

• Establish the profession of Rural Animator

• Make a direct contribution to rural development through rural animators

1.2 Target group

EMRA targets graduates in humanities and social sciences (sociology, economics,

political science, social psychology) geography, agronomy, land use planning,

engineering, management, education etc., both mid-career professionals and people who

just completed their first degree, and are willing to work in rural areas. Special emphasis

is given to professionals that are active in the field of rural development.

2. THE PROFILE OF RURAL ANIMATOR

It is important to define, even briefly, the role and expected tasks that a Rural Animator

would be called to perform, in order to understand better the competences required for

such a role and the contribution EMRA will make to the aquisition of such

competences.

The role of Rural Animator

The role of Rural Animator can be summarised as follows:

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• The Rural Animator initiates and sustains community activities related to the local

economy; he/she also encourages the re-establishment of social bonds and the

reinforcement or re-establishment of local identity, thus facilitating sustainable rural

development.

• The Rural Animator stimulates everyday economic and social activity using a

bottom-up approach. This confers authenticity as it is based upon grass-roots

definitions of local needs and the means necessary for their fulfilment.

• The Rural Animator holds a role that is closely linked to the concept of social

capacity traditionally associated with rural communities and utilises the power of

mutual help, strong neighbourhood ties and local social capital.

• The Rural Animator is a trusted person who can protect and develop the interests of

the community and address local development issues including the enhancement of

quality of life.

• The Rural Animator is an agent of change. Intensive modernisation of rural areas, as

a result of urbanisation or the industrialisation of agriculture makes the re-definition

of rural development and its agents an important issue. The Rural Animator

contributes to this re-definition.

A contemporary Rural Animator can be distinguished from other animators (e.g.

animators working with underprivileged communities in cities) by his/her knowledge

and understanding of the paradigm of sustainable rural development. This gives the

Rural Animator the ability to work within the political and cultural context of social,

ecological, economic and cultural changes in rural areas.

Tasks that a Rural Animator is likely to perform

The tasks in which rural animators may be asked to tackle include:

• building and maintaining mutual trust in the community,

• supporting the creation of development plans, showing leadership

• participating in the implementation of development plans, undertaking coordination

and management tasks

• fulfilling the function of an intermediary between different stakeholders, being also

the link between decision-makers and the local communities.

These tasks call for a variety of skills and competences:

1. Social communication: building trust, ability to interact easily with every member

of the community, conflict resolution, stimulation of innovative thinking,

stimulation of positive attitudes towards community and himself/herself, self-

presentation awareness and skills, rhetorical skills and skills covering the

explanation of complicated issues; information processing skills, writing and

publishing articles, contributing in discussion fora, web pages etc., IT skills.

2. Finding out the community’s needs and problems: ability to gather knowledge

about the community through simple surveys and polls, conducting focus groups

and exploratory meetings, investigating individuals’ attitudes towards common

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action, conducting and observation, ability to perform qualitative data analysis and

to compile reports.

3. Managing and coordinating local actions and projects: ability to assess different

kinds of opportunities and actions, knowledge of sources of financing, basic

information about procedures, motivation techniques, group management, project

management, coordination, leadership, communication with community leaders,

practical knowledge of the functioning of local institutions and organisations (self-

government, NGO’s, regional bodies, national bodies).

4. Promoting different aspects of sustainable rural development: possess a good

understanding and an inter-disciplinary knowledge of different fields involved in

sustainable rural development, such as: agriculture and farming; environmental

protection and management; cultural development; community development and

welfare; innovation and support of SMEs; developing sustainable rural tourism;

promoting education and lifelong learning for rural development; and encouraging

the diversification of rural economies.

3. PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH

3.1 Learning methodology

The learning methodology is based on e-learning combined with hands-on experience

(practical work) face-to-face learning in an international seminar and thesis work.

The e-learning section is the longest and most demanding in terms of input from the

participating universities. Both synchronous and asynchronous learning is employed.

Learning materials, exercises and project assignments are uploaded. Virtual classes is

held regularly, using a video-conferencing system. Tutors are assigned by each

participating university to guide the students through the different modules, while a

“mentoring tutor” is appointed by NCU for each student to monitor progress and solve

problems.

Peer learning is encouraged, both through the virtual class sessions and by organising

small groups of students who will work together on projects, will exchange experiences

and learn from each other.

A strong emphasis is given on the interdisciplinary nature of the studies, to correspond

with the many facets of rural development and the different skills that the rural animator

should develop. It is made clear, at the same time that the rural animator will not be

expected to became an expert in all theses fields; rather, he/she is expected to acquire

enough knowledge and skills to understand the different aspects of rural development,

communicate efficiently with the various actors of rural development, and provide

encouragement, mediation and advice when and where required.

The students will also be led to grasp the cultural aspects of rural development at

European level. The multi-national and multi-cultural team that delivers EMRA will

pass this message easily, as reference is made to the eight countries participating in the

partnership. Further to that, the issue of the distinctiveness of rural culture on the one

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hand and multiculturalism in present-day Europe on the other hand is incorporated in all

modules and learning tasks.

3.2 Learning objectives

EMRA aims to achieve a number of general learning objectives for students that relate

to the totality of the learning material and activities; and specific objectives, that relate

separately to each module.

The general objectives are:

• Understand rural development;

• Obtain the skills necessary for the profession of rural animator:

The specific objectives are stated separately in the description of each module

3.3 Skills and competences to be acquired

The skills, competences and social abilities that students are expected to acquire are

divided to “transversal or key skills” that will stem from the totality of the learning

material and activities and “specific” skills that is acquired by each module separately.

Furthermore a number of “social abilities” is acquired from the experience of attending

EMRA.

The transversal or key skills are:

• Learning to learn;

• Participate or lead work in groups ;

• Initiate and maintain networks;

• Time management;

• Conflict management;

• Review documentation and extract necessary information and tools ;

• Independence and autonomy at work;

• Analytical and critical thinking ;

• Report writing;

• Social communication;

• Leadership (capacity to generate and maintain trust).

The specific skills are stated separately in the description of each module and mostly

concern:

• Working knowledge on a number of disciplines and subjects that are essential to

perform the profession of the rural animator; and related skills.

The social abilities are:

• Responsibility

• Cooperation

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• Understanding of and tolerance to different norms and values

• Social sensitivity

• Ability for decision making

• Ability for community building

• Ability to tackle problems and suggest solutions;

• Ability to initiate processes and coordinate actions;

• Ability to develop a global understand of the factors that underlie rural societies

(economic, socio-cultural, environmental, political and institutional).

4. DELIVERY METHODS, LEARNING SCHEDULE AND EVALUATION

4.1 Delivery model and structure

EMRA is delivered jointly as a Master of Arts degree by a consortium of eight

universities. The language of EMRA is English, aiming to attract students from all

European countries. The main delivery medium is an e-learning platform, combined

with hands-on experience through a placement (practical work), face-to-face learning in

an international seminar and thesis work.

EMRA comprises four semesters, corresponding to two years of full-time study or

three years of part-time study. The curriculum is organised around a “core” course and 8

“specialist modules”, exploiting to a large extent the 8 Thematic Guides produced by

Euracademy Association, relating to salient topics of rural development, such as

sustainable agriculture; community development and welfare; environmental planning

and management; cultural development; sustainable rural tourism; innovation and

development policies; education and LLL for rural development; diversification of rural

economies.

Each module is delivered by a different university which will also accredit it. The joint

degree is granted by Nicolas Copernicus University.

The allocation of work in the four semesters adopts the following pattern:

• The first semester is devoted to the core course.

• The second and third semesters will include three modules each – six modules in

total.

• The fourth semester is devoted to the Masters thesis.

• Between the 2nd

and 3rd

semester a 10-day face-to-face seminar is held, participation

in which is compulsory for all students.

• Between the 3rd

and 4th

semester the students will do practical work by placement, in

order to gather relevant experience for the writing of their Master Thesis.

Learning materials are compiled in an electronic library to be available to all students on

the web. Each participating university proposes learning materials in English, to

accompany the module they are in charge of. The library forms part of the e-learning

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platform. In addition, NCU library provides access to the international system of

libraries.

4.2 The components of EMRA

The components of EMRA include:

Class work:

• Delivery of learning materials to students prior to each lecture;

• Lectures (video, ppt, virtual class);

• Online, synchronous discussion (forum, chat, video-conferencing);

• Group assignments (3-4 students per group);

• Individual assignments (essays, practical tasks including fieldwork, making formal

presentations to audiences etc).

Seminar

• Students will have to prepare their own case study of a real-life rural development

problem that can be solved through animation. Can be taken from their placement’s

experience;

• One day presentation of cases;

• 3 days - Lectures: practical animation skills: social communication skills, leadership

skills, conflict resolution skills etc;

• Workgroups. They may include simulation of real-life situations taken from the

cases brought in by students;

• 3-day fieldwork to identify local problems and suggest solutions;

• One-day thesis discussion with tutors (one-to-one basis);

• 2 days preparation and presentation of fieldwork results – preliminary report;

• After the seminar: prepare final reports by the groups;

Placements

Students should find an institution related to rural development in consultation with

tutor. The institution could be local and regional authorities and their organizations,

LAG, NGO (village association, business association, cultural or environmental

association) or education institutions with local and regional development activities, or

private consultancy or business incubators/technology centres operating in a rural area.

All students who undertake a placement negotiate with the organization offering the

place to carry out a “village project” which is of interest to both the student and the

organization.

Thesis

The results of the placement will be used to identify the thesis topic and provide the

overall background for dealing with a specific problem or development need of the area.

The thesis should include:

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1. The context: an introduction to the rural area chosen and its problems (from

placement work/village project);

2. A theoretical introduction, including literature review about the topic chosen

(referring back to appropriate modules);

3. The research questions/hypotheses;

4. Methodology of research, including the proposed methods for animation;

5. Description of the action research - fieldwork carried out. Analysis and discussion

of the results;

6. Conclusions and recommendations for action;

4.2 Student Evaluation

A. Evaluation will be performed on a continuous basis using:

• online multiple choice test, exercises, quizzes

• comparative analysis of case studies

• written assignments, including essay-writing

• project work

• attitude toward the learning process, on time delivery of assigned work, problem

solving ability, as assessed by the tutor

B. Final evaluation will be performed on the student’s portfolio. The portfolio will be

compiled online, preferably through suitable software, and will include:

• Proof of participation in the theoretical and practical sessions;

• Attitude toward the learning process (significant contributions in theoretical

sessions, attitude and contributions to teamwork, effective use of tutorials,

animation and participation in forum, etc.);

• On time preparation and delivery of exercises and assignments;

• Results of tests and other assignments;

• Performance in the seminar and seminar report.

• Placement/village workshop;

• Thesis.

5. ACCREDITATION AND CERTIFICATION

EMRA is planned as a two year-Master of Arts programme requiring 120 ECTS.

The allocation of ECTS is planned as follows:

Core course: 30 ECTS

6 modules x 7ECTS = 42 ECTS

Thesis: 30 ECTS

10-day Seminar: 9 ECTS

Practical work (placement): 9 ECTS

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PART B. THE CURRICULUM

The curriculum consists of a core course and 8 modules, as detailed in the next chapter.

The core course is delivered by N. Copernicus University and will include three units:

• theory of rural development;

• methods of rural research;

• the role and skills of the Rural Animator;

The eight specialist modules (linked with most important problems of European rural

development) are delivered by the participating universities who have also prepared the

outline modules appearing in the next chapter:

1. sustainable agriculture (by MAICH);

2. human and social capital, welfare (by University Babes-Bolyai;

3. environmental planning and management; (by the University of Rostock)

4. cultural development (by the University of Valencia);

5. sustainable rural tourism (by Széchenyi Istvan University);

6. innovation and development policies in rural areas (by the University of Helsinki,

Ruralia Institute);

7. education and LLL for rural development (by the University of Porto);

8. diversification of rural economies (by N. Copernicus University).

An additional module describes the practical placement work, organised as a “village

workshop”

The same structure is adopted by all modules, consisting of eight sections:

1. identification data;

2. introduction to the module;

3. conceptual map

4. volume of work (hrs);

5. specific objectives;

6. content;

7. skills to be acquired;

8. references and supporting material

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Draft Academic Guide

Core Course – Module A1. Theory of Rural

Development

I.- IDENTIFICATION DATA

Name of the module: Theory of rural development

Modality of education: E-learning

Name of the course: European Masters Programme for Rural Animators

Partner responsible: Institute of Sociology – Nicolas Copernicus University

II.- INTRODUCTION TO THE MODULE

The module A1 consists of theoretical knowledge of the essence and concepts of

development of rural areas; also empirical data that document social transformations

of European rural areas during the 20th and 21st centuries. Its completion should

enable to answer the three following questions:

1. How do we define rural areas and why different academic disciplines become

interested in this type of social environment?

2. What does the development of rural areas involve both in terms of social change

and of positivistic and humanistic characteristics?

3. What are the characteristics of social transformation in European rural areas at the

turn of 20th and 21st which take place in their structure and social functions

(structural-functional approach) as well as in various dimensions of every day life

and work of their inhabitants (individual perspective).

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CONCEPTUAL MAP

III.- VOLUME OF WORK

280 h TOTAL VOLUME OF WORK

10 ECTS Equivalent to 60 h of conventional lectures

Theory of rural development

Theoretical and empirical knowledge on the rural areas and

concepts of its development

2.

Rural

development as

a form of social

development

1.

Different ways

of defining

rural areas

3.

Multidirectorial

character of

social change in

rural areas

4.

Rural

development

Policy of the

EU

5.

European

legal system

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ACTIVITY Workload

HOURS

Unit 1 - Total 80

Lectures attending 18

Chat attending 2

Study and assignment 60

Unit 2 - Total 90


Chat attending 2


Unit 3 - Total 110


Case studies analysis 18

Chat attending 2


TOTAL VOLUME OF WORK 280

IV.- SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

The completion of the module should enable students to:

o acquire orderly theoretical knowledge which ensures comprehension of the essence

of the development process in rural areas.

o acquire specific knowledge of social transformation in European rural areas at the

turn of 20th and the 21st centuries;

o acquire the ability to use the learned categories (definitions, theories, concepts) in

explaining phenomena that occur in a given social environment of a village or

small town.

V.-CONTENTS

Unit A1.1. What are rural areas?

1.1.1. Rural areas as a subject matter of various academic disciplines;

1.1.2. Definitions of rural areas;

1.1.3. Rural areas as a place of everyday and occupational activities;

1.1.4. Rural areas as a subject of the European law and object of political activities.

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Unit A1.2. The development of rural areas.

1.2.1. The rural development as social progress.

1.2.2. Positivistic and humanistic theories of social change as the grounds of selected

concepts of the rural development: Theory of modernization - rural

industrialisation and urbanisation;

� Theory of modernization - rural industrialisation and urbanisation;

� Theory of the dependent (exogenous) rural development;

� Regulation theory – fordism and post-fordism;

� Theory of integrated rural development;

� Theories of endogenous and post –endogenous rural development;

� Theory of sustainable rural development;

� Theory of the knowledge/ information society.

Unit A1.3. Social changes in the European rural areas at the turn of 20th

and 21st

centuries

1.3.1. Structural-functional approach: changes in the structure and social functions of

rural areas

1.3.2. Individual approach – changes in lifestyle and occupational activities of

inhabitants of rural areas

Analysis of best practices and case studies

About 20 case studies (5/6 for each unit) from different countries of Europe is provided.

V. SKILLS TO BE ACQUIRED

1. Interest in learning

2. Ability to search / research / compare further information

3. Ability to handle information and to use theoretical framework for analysis of local

problems.

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VIII.- REFERENCES AND SUPPORTING MATERIAL

Basic bibliography:

Almas R., 1993, Norway’s Gift to Europe. Fifteen Selected Articles on Rural

Persistence and Change, Trondheim.

Bonnano A. and other (ed), 1994, From Columbus to Conagra. The Globalization of

Agriculture and Food, University of Kansas Press.

Macken Walsh A., 2009, Barriers to Change: a Sociological study of Rural

Development in Ireland, Co. Galway.

Rogers E. M., 1960, Social Change in Rural Society, New York.

Singh K., 1999, Rural Development. Principles, Policies and Management, New Delhi-

Thousand Oaks – London.

Sztompka P., 1993, The Sociology of Social Change, Oxford.

Van der Ploeg J. D., 1995, Beyond Modernization: The Impact of Endogenous Rural

Development, Assen: Van Gorcum.

Van Huylebroeck G., Durand G., 2003, Multifunctional Agriculture. A NewParadigm

for European Agriculture and Rural Development, Ashgate.

Complementary bibliography:

Bealer R.F., Willis K., Kuvletsky W., The Meaning of “rurality” in American Society:

some implications of alternative definitions, Rural Sociology 1965, No 1.

Bodenstedt A., Rural Culture – a New Concept, Sociologia Ruralis 1990, No 1.

Buttel F.H., 1966, Environmental and Resource Sociology: theoretical issues and

opportunities for synthesis, Rural Sociology, No 6.

Friedland W., Agriculture and Rurality. Beginning the “final separation”, Rural

Sociology 2002, No 3.

Gilbert J. C., Rural Theory. The grounding of rural sociology, Rural Sociology 1982,

No 4.

Kaleta A., In the Search of New Paradigms in the Rural Development, Eastern

European Countryside 1993.

Marsden T., Rural Futures: The consumption countryside and its regulation. Sociologia

Ruralis 1999, No 4.

Pongratz H., Cultural Tradition and Social Change in Agriculture, Sociologia Ruralis

1990, No 1.

Van der Ploeg J.G., and others, Rural Development: from practices and policies

towards theory, Sociologia Ruralis 2000, No 4.

17

Web pages / links:

American Sociological Review

http://www2.asanet.org/journals/asr/

Eastern European Countryside

http://www.soc.umk.pl/eec/

Handbook of Social Psychology

http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/book/978-0-387-32515-6

Rural Realities Publications

http://www.ruralsociology.org/index.php?L1=left_Home.php&L2=staticcontent/Publica

tions/Ruralrealities/publications.php

Sociologia Ruralis

http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=0038-0199

The American Sociologist

http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/journal/12108

The Rural Sociologist

http://www.ruralsociology.org/index.php?L1=left_Home.php&L2=body_membership_

RuralSociologist.php&outside=y

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Core Course – Module A2. Methods of Research on

Rural Areas


Name of the module: Methods of Research on Rural Areas

ECTS: 10



Partner responsible: Institute for Sociology – Nicolas Copernicus University


The suggested content of methodological module assumes that during BA course

students learned the basics of methodology and methods of social research. Hence, what

we offer is more a complementary than a basic course and it is aimed at achieving two

main goals.

• to arrange and systematise student’s previous knowledge of methodology and

methods of social research

• to direct students’ attention towards specificity of rural studies, their conformity to

general rules of scientific research and tools of other social sciences.

With completion of the module students will learn about:

1. the structure of a empirical research process and its diversity unique for rural

studies;

2. the procedures, methods, techniques, and tools most often applied in rural studies;

3. the manners of compiling and analyzing the gathered empirical data through the use

of quantitative and qualitative procedures; also possibilities of their implementation

in the processes of rural animation activity;

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CONCEPTUAL MAP




ACTIVITY Workload

HOURS

Unit 1 - Total 72


Chat attending 2


Unit 2 - Total 122


Chat attending 2


Unit 3 - Total 86


Chat attending 2



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With completion of the module students is able to:

• to arrange, put in and order and systematize their knowledge of methodology and

techniques of research applied in rural studies;

• to learn the specificity of rural studies;

• select the most suitable procedure, methods, techniques, and tools to study, the

specific phenomena that take place in rural areas.

V.- CONTENTS

Unit A2.1. Identifying problems of rural areas

2.1.1. The structure of empirical research processes

2.1.2. Specificity of rural studies

Unit A2.2. The procedures, the methods the techniques, and the investigative tools

of cognition of rural areas

2.2. 1. The research procedures:

2.2.2. The research methods:

2.2.3. The research techniques

2.2.4. The research tools

Unit A2.3. Compiling and analyzing the results of empirical research

2.3.1. Compilation, analysis, and presentation of quantitative data

2.3.2. Compilation, analysis, and presentation of qualitative data

2.3.3. Application of the research results in practice of a rural animator


About 10 case studies (3/4 for each unit) - examples of use of procedures, methods,

techniques and research tools in investigations of rural areas in different countries of

Europe - is provided.

VI.- SKILLS TO BE ACQUIRED

1. Ability to proper use of wide range of methods and techniques in rural research

2. Ability to plan and conduct social research, including ability to create research tools

3. Management skills, including quality assurance of the research

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Basic bibliography:

Babbie B., 2007, The practice of social research, Thomson Learning.

Bell C., Newby H., 1971, Community Studies, London.

Denzin N. K., 1970, The Research Act. A Theoretical Introduction to Sociological

Methods, Chicago.

Denzin N. K., Lincon Y. S (ed.), 1994, Handbook Qualitative Research, Thousand

Oakes-London-New Delhi.

Jahoda M., Deutsch M., Cook S. W., 1958, Research Methods in Social Relations, New

York.

Silverman D., 1993, Interpreting Qualitative Data. Methods for Analysing Talk, Text

and Interaction, London.


Arensberg C.M., The Community Method, American Journal of Sociology 1954, No 9.

Berelson B., 1967, Content Analysis, in: Handbook of Social Psychology, Cambridge.

Heynes R. W., Lipitt R., 1967, Systematic Observational Techniques, in: Handbook of

Social Psychology, Cambridge.

Hyman H. H., 1954, Interviewing in Social Research, Chicago.

Kerlinger F. N., 1964, Foundations of Behavioural Research, New York.

Lofland J., Lofland L. H., 1994, Analysing Social Settings. A Guide to Qualitative

Observation and Analisis, Belmont.

Lofland J., Styles of Reporting Qualitative Field Research, The American Sociologist

1974, vol. 9.

Mayntz R., Holm K., Huebner P., 1975, Introduction to Empirical Sociology,

Cambidge.

Moreno J. J. (ed.), 1969, The Sociometry Reader, Glencoe.

Web pages / links:

http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/index.php

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713737293~db=all

http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/index

http://www.newschool.edu/centers/socres/

http://www.qualitativesociologyreview.org/ENG/index_eng.php

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=EUR

http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/622946/description#de

scription

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Core Course – Module A3. Role and tools of rural

animator


Name of the module: Rural Animation

ECTS: 10



Partner responsible: Institute for Sociology – Nicolas Copernicus University


Rural animation – according to the assumptions of already classic American theory of

community development supplemented with remarkably more recent experiences of the

European movements for rural area revitalisation includes five consecutive types of

social activities: diagnosis of the situation, discussion, drafting the schedule of

activities, persuade talk the community into execution of the plan, and finally the

execution of the plan.

As a result of execution of module 3, the student should obtain:

1. Systematic theoretical knowledge of the structure and stages of rural animation;

2. Practical knowledge of the ways and techniques to act on the local community

within all of the five animation stages.

23

CONCEPTUAL MAP




ACTIVITY WORKLOAD

HOURS

Unit 1 - Total 34


Chat attending 2


Unit 2 - Total 70


Rural Animator

Rural animation

defined as a process

of endogenous

potential of rural

population

Diagnosis of the

situation In the

rural animation

process Types of social action in rural animation

process

1.Stimulatio,

Initiation and

legitimization

2.Planning

for action

3. Public

decision

making

4.Implement

ation of

animation

plan

Measuring social impact of public programmes

24

ACTIVITY WORKLOAD

HOURS

Chat attending 2

Diagnosis of rural community preparation 26


Unit 3 - Total 42


Chat attending 2


Unit 4 – Total 52


Rural renewal plan preparation 28


Unit 5 - Total 40



Unit 6 - Total 42


Chat attending 2




As a result of the module the student should:

• have a systematic theoretical knowledge of the structure and phases of the process

of mobilization of local communities (rural animation);

• to gain practical knowledge about methods and techniques of impacts on the local

community in each phase of mobilization of local communities (rural animation);

V.- CONTENTS

Unit 3.1. Local community animation

3.1.1. Process aspect

3.1.2. Methodical aspect

3.1.3. Program aspect

3.1.4. Execution aspect (social movement)

3.1.5. Stages of local community animation

25

Unit 3.2. Diagnosis stage – identification of resources and possibilities

3.2.1. Diagnosis of the existing living conditions of local communities, interpersonal

relations and dominant ways of thinking and patterns of action.

3.2.2. Reconstruction of local social networks

3.2.3. Reconstruction of the history of community.

3.2.4. Diagnostics tools: Information systems (GIS, public services, www. etc)

• Own empirical studies

• Outside expertise

• Stakeholder analysis

• SWOT analysis

Unit 3.3. Discussion stage - finding the way to solve the problem

3.3.1. Initiation – awareness of the problem

3.3.2. Stimulation - finding means to change the present situation

3.3.3. Leadership

3.3.4. Public participation

Unit 3.4. Planning stage - drafting the action strategy

3.4.1. Planning - strategic / regional / local / territorial / spatial / sustainable

3.4.2. Dissemination of action plan:

• Personal and impersonal communication channels

• Creation of social networks

3.4.3. Public decision making

Unit 3.5. Execution stage - implementation of the action plan

3.5.1. Rural project management

3.5.2. Third sector management

3.5.3. Fundraising

3.5.4. Cost –effectiveness tools

3.5.5. International cooperation

26

Unit 3.6. Evaluation stage - assessment of the stage of project implementation and

its social efficiency

3.6.1. Types of evaluation: ex-ante / on-going / ex-post

3.6.2. Selected evaluation procedures

3.6.3. Social functions of evaluation


About 20 case studies (2/3 for each unit) from different countries of Europe is provided.


1. Practical knowledge on methods and phases of rural animation

2. Ability to prepare diagnosis of rural community, including conceptual map of

community’s problems

3. Ability to perform SWOT analysis

4. Ability to prepare holistic rural renewal plan


Basic bibliography:

Karasz J., Rogl H., 1987, Dorferneurung in Niederosterreich – eine erste

Zwischenbilantz, Wien.

Rogers E. M., Rural and Suburban Communities, in: Rogers E.M, 1960, Social Change

in Rural Society, New York.

Taylor C.C., Community Development Programs and Methods, in: Community

Development Review 1956.


Kaleta A., 1998, Aktywizacja społeczności lokalnych (Animation of Local

Communities), Wrocław – Warszawa – Kraków.

Papakonstantinidis L.A., A model for the sensitised, harmonic, integrated, endogenous

local development, Paper prepard on Eleventh International Rural Development

Summer School - Tripoli , Greece 8-13 june 1998.

Wierzbicki Z. T., Aktywizacja i rozwój społeczności lokalnych i środowiskowych

(Animation and Development of Local and Environmental Communities) w: Ruch

Prawniczy, Ekonomiczny i Socjologiczny 1987, No. 3.

Web pages / links:

http://cdj.oxfordjournals.org/content/35/3/199.short

27


Module 1. Sustainable Agriculture


Name of the module: Sustainable Agriculture



Partner responsible: Dept. Sustainable Agriculture - Mediterranean

Agronomic Institute of Chania


Sustainable agriculture is a relatively new concept that represents a response to natural

resources depletion which is associated with capital and technology intensive farming

systems (McIsaac and Edwards 1994). Farming is nowadays viewed as a system with

many interacting components (e.g. environmental, economic, social-cultural). As a

result, sustainable agriculture comes forward as a way to manipulate agroecosystems in

order to maintain or increase productivity within a certain social and economical context

for the long term and with fewer negative environmental impacts. Agriculture has major

and measurable impacts to the environment and amongst others, the quality of a rural

landscape and biodiversity encompassing essential economical, cultural and societal

values.

The module “Sustainable Agriculture” provides students with tools to critically review

different management approaches in sustainable agriculture with regards to

productivity, environment and current European legislation.

28

Figure 1. Conceptual map of the module “Sustainable Agriculture”


Approximation of the amount of time that students will need to dedicate to the module

ACTIVITY HOURS

Unit 1 - Total 56

(e.) Lectures attending 4


Unit 2 - Total 56



Unit 3 - Total 56




29

IV. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

By the end of the module, students are expected to:

• be familiar with the term “Sustainable Agriculture”

• be familiar with agroecosystem processes and functioning and be able to

differentiate between farming systems

• have an overview of the legal, statutory and commercial requirements for

agricultural products

• ability to collate, evaluate and use information for problem solving in agriculture

• have acquired general knowledge on agrobiodiversity, its components and relations

with sustainable agriculture.

And more specifically

• be familiar with the impacts of different farm management practices and their

connection with the term sustainability

• be familiar with environmental impact assessment applications in agriculture

• have a general understanding of the methodologies and indicators used to assess

sustainability of different (conventional, low input, ecological) agricultural

production systems

• have grasped the importance of agrobiodiversity, its components and interactions. A

general understanding of methodologies assessing agrobiodiversity at field, farm

and landscape scales is expected.

• being able to research international and EU legislation concerning agricultural

systems and products but also develop further skills at consultation level.

V.- CONTENTS

This section describes the units that integrate the module. This includes the relation of

theoretical and practical contents, and a brief description of the units and/or key

concepts.

Unit 1. Diversity of agricultural systems in Europe and Sustainable Agriculture

1.1 An overview of agricultural production systems.

1.2 Agroecosystems components and interactions. Sustainability in agroecosystems -

role of biodiversity.

1.3 Nutrient and energy balance in agroecosystems.

30

1.4 Transition to sustainable food systems.

1.5 Comparing the environmental impact of different farming systems.

Unit 2. European Agro-environmental Legislation and Fund Raising

2.1 Overview of Legislation: Directive 93/43/EEC on food hygiene. Codex

Alimentarius Commission

2.2 Primary Production Standards (Organic Farming, Integrated Crop Management,

Good Agricultural Practices; Standards created and recognised by wholesaler and

retailer chains and organisations)

2.3 Agri-environmental policies and supporting programs (e.g. "cross compliance" of

the EU)

2.4 Sorting, Packing and Processing Standards

2.5 Inspection and Certification Systems: The EN 45004, EN 45011 and EN 45012

Standards for bodies performing Inspections, Product Certification and System

Certification, respectively; Accreditation of such Bodies; Product vs. system

certification, correlation to the Standards presented in 3 and 4 above; Second and

Third Party Audits

2.6 Fund raising opportunities and strategies

Unit 3. Issues in contemporary agriculture

3.1 Agrobiodiversity degradation (e.g. endangered species, protected areas)

3.2 Climate change/global warming and agriculture

3.3 Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO); issues, opportunities and threats

3.4 Food quality and safety

3.5 Trade of agricultural commodities (e.g. fair trade, direct sales, Products

Denomination of Origin, farmers groups)

3.6 Water quality and soil degradation

3.7 Eutrophication

3.8 Energy plants (e.g. bioethanol production, biodiesel, etc.)

31


1. Ability to review literature and extract necessary information and tools

2. Utilization of extracted tools for project development, consultation and decision

making

3. Analytical and critical thinking leading to independence

4. Sense for collaborative team work

5. Ability to plan and deliver on time (commitment and punctuality)


Basic bibliography:

Altieri, M. A. (1999) “The ecological role of biodiversity in agroecosystems”,

Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 77, pp. 19-31.

Matson, P.A., Parton, W. J., Power, A. G. and Swift, M. J. (1997), “Agricultural

Intensifications and Ecosystem Properties”, Science 277, pp. 504-509.

Pimentel, D. P., Hepperly, J., Hanson, D., Douds, R. Seidel, (2005), “Environmental,

Energetic, and Economic Comparisons of Organic and Conventional Farming Systems”,

BioScience 55, 7, pp. 573-582.

Reganold, J. P., Glover, J. D., Andrews, P.K. , Hinnan, H. R. (2001), “Sustainability of

Three Apple Production Systems” Nature 410, pp. 926-930.


Altieri, M. A. (1995) Agroecology: the science of sustainable agriculture. Westview

Press. Boulder.

Altieri, M. A., Nicholls, C. I. (2004) Biodiversity and pest management in

agroecosystems. New York: The Haworth Press, Second edition, xii, p. 236.

Bailey, A. P., Basford, W. D., Penlington, N. , Park, J. R. , Keatinge, J. D. H. , Rehman,

T., Tranter, R. B., Yates C. M. (2003), “A comparison of energy use in conventional

and integrated arable farming systems in the UK”, Agriculture, Ecosystems and

Environment 97, pp. 241-253.

Benckiser, G. ed., Schnell Sylvia (2007) Biodiversity in agricultural production

systems, Boca Raton: CRC Press, xxii, p. 429.

Boller, E. F., Hani, F., Poehling, H.M. eds (2004) Ecological infrastructures: ideabook

on functional biodiversity at the farm level: temperate zones of Europe. Lindau: LBL,

xiv, p. 212.

32

Flora, C. (ed.) (2001) Integration between Agroecosystems and Rural Communities.

Advances in Agroecology Series. CRC Press, Boca Raton.

Loreau, M., Naeem, S., Inchausti, P. eds (2002) Biodiversity and ecosystem

functioning: synthesis and perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press, xii, p. 294.

Moonen A.C. & Bàrberi P. (2008), “Functional biodiversity: an agroecosystem

approach”, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 127 (1-2), pp. 7-21.

Moonen, A.C., Castro Rodas, N., Bàrberi, P. & Petacchi R. (2006), “Field margin

structure and vegetation composition effects on beneficial insect diversity at farm scale:

a case study on an organic farm near Pisa”. Landscape Management for Functional

Biodiversity (eds W.A.H. Rossing, L. Eggenschwiler & H.M. Poehling), IOBC wprs

Bulletin 29, pp. 77-80.

Web pages / links:

http://europa.eu.int/

http://www.fao.org/organicag/

http://www.ifoam.org/

33


Module 2. Human and Social Capital, Welfare


Name of the module: Human and Social Capital, Welfare



Partner responsible: University “Babes-Bolyai”, Cluj-Napoca, Romania


This module proposes to provide basic knowledge on the relationship between

sustainable rural development, human and social capital and welfare problems in rural

areas. Also to provide knowledge on rural development and the general frame of

resources available for the rural communities to participate in the development process.

Rural community development is influenced by two directions: the relations between

the agricultural sector and the non-agricultural one, and the problems of environment.

Agriculture has an important role in the rural economy, as it is sustained much more by

political than economic forces. Community development is discussed as a type of self-

organization by mobilizing the local resources, obtaining solutions for different social

problems and needs and for a real wellbeing of the members of the community.

The module is structured in six units. After a general presentation of the issues of

community, human and social capital (Unit 1) a more detailed discussion of the

concepts, definitions and related theories follows (Unit 2). Unit 3 reviews the

mechanisms of creation of social and human capital, making a distinction between the

“bottom-up” and “top down”-type mechanisms. Related to the latter, Unit 4 overviews

the social policies of European states, presenting also methods of identifying

disadvantaged social groups in rural communities. Unit 5 and Unit 6 are more practical

in their aims, presenting the function of human and social capital as economic agents,

and their respective roles in the preservation of the cultural and environmental heritage.

34

Fig. 1: The conceptual map of Module 2.

Human and social capital, welfare and local development in

rural areas

The relationship between human and

social capital and rural development

(concepts and problems)

The social problems of rural

areas

Agents of social capital,

mechanisms of creation

Strategies of local development related to human and social capital

Best practices Recommendations

35


ACTIVITY HOURS

Unit 1 - Total 25

(e.)Lectures attending 10

Study and exam preparation 10

Actual Exam 5

Unit 2 - Total 25



Actual Exam 5

Unit 3 - Total 25



Actual Exam 5

Unit 4 - Total 25



Actual Exam 5

Unit 5 - Total 25



Actual Exam 5

Unit 6 - Total 25



Actual Exam 5


IV- SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• To analyse the relationship between human and social capital, welfare policies and

rural development;

• To present the basic means of creating human and social capital;

• To present the rural social problems, policies, techniques of identifying

disadvantaged rural social groups;

36

• To present possible strategies of using human and social capital in local

development.

V. - CONTENTS

Unit 1. General introduction

o Rural development and the general frame of resources available for the rural

communities in development.

o The extended use of the concept of capital (Bourdieu 1986).

o Financial-material, environmental, human, cultural and social capital (Goreham

1997).

o The creation and functioning of human and social capital in developmental projects.

o Community development, developmental and social policies.

Unit 2. Human and social capital. Definitions, forms, theoretical debates

o The appearance of the concepts of human and social capital in the social sciences.

o Forms and components, qualitative and quantitative aspects of human capital

(Schultz 1971).

o Forms and components of social capital (Coleman 1988, Portes-Sensenbrenner

1993).

Unit 3. The functioning of social and human capital. Mechanisms of creation of

social and human capital

3.a. Endogenous, “bottom-up” approach in the creation of social and human capital.

o The role of community development in the creation of social capital

(Euracademy Guide 4, Chapter 3).

o The relationship between social and human capital, the role of the family and

the community in school success (Coleman 1988).

3.b. Creating social and human capital “from top down” by government agencies and

formal organisations.

o The role of developmental and social policies in facilitating and strengthening

social and human capital (Euracademy Guide 4, Chapter 6).

Unit 4. Facilitating the creation of human capital by social policies

4.a. Social policies in comparative perspective.

37

o Comparisons of social support of social policies

o Comparisons of wellbeing regimes

4.b. Identification of disadvantaged social groups in rural communities: minorities

(both ethnical and social), unemployed, elderly, women, immigrants, low-

educated and unskilled people, economically poor people, people with disabilities.

Unit 5. Social and human capital as economic agents

The influence of social capital on the cooperation in development and entrepreneurship

in local communities (Euracademy Guide 4. Chapter 4.)

Unit 6. Social and human capital, cultural and environmental heritage

(Euracademy Guide 4. Chapter 5.)

VI. SKILLS TO BE ACQUIRED

1. Autonomy in thinking

2. Ability to work out developmental plans

3. Research ability

4. Persistence in work


Basic bibliography:

Baron, S., Field, J. and Schuller, T (eds.) (2000). Social Capital. Critical Perspectives.

Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Bourdieu, P. (1986) The Forms of Capital. In: J.G. Richardson's Handbook for Theory

and Research for the Sociology of Education, (p. 241–258).

Coleman, J. S. (1988) “Social capital in the Creation of Human Capital”, American

Journal of Sociology 94:95-120.

Delanty, G. (2003) Community, London, New York: Routledge.

Keating, M. (1998) The New Regionalism in Western Europe. Territorial Restructuring

ans Political Change. Edward Elgar, USA.

Olson, M. (1982) The rise and decline of nations, New Haven: Yale University Press.

Portes, Alejandro - Sensenbrenner, Julia (1993) “Embeddedness and Immigration:

Notes on the Social Determinants of Economic Action”. American Journal of Sociology

(1320-1350).

38

Putnam, R.D. (2000) Bowling Alone. The Collapse and Revival of American

Community. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Schultz, Th. W. (1971) Investment in Human Capital: The Role of Education and of

Research, New York: Free Press (48-66, 100-116).

Ulin, R. C. (1995) “Invention and Representation as Cultural Capital. Southwest French

Winegrowing History”. American Anthropologist: 519-527.

**** Euracademy Thematic Guide Four, Social Capital and Sustainable Rural

Development, Athens, 2005, Published by Euracademy Association.


• Euracademy Thematic Guide Four, Social Capital and Sustainable Rural

Development. Athens, 2005, Published by Euracademy Association.

• Goreham, Gary A. (1997) Encyclopedia of rural America: the land and people.

ABC-CLIO, Inc. Santa Barbara, California.

• Brake, R., Deller, U.(eds)(2008) Community Development-A European challenge,

Leverkusen Opladen: Barbara Budrich Verlag.

39


Module 3. Environmental planning and management


Name of the module: Environmental planning and management

Modality of education: E-learning, E-classroom, applied exercise


Partner responsible: Institute for Management of rural areas, University of

Rostock


Based on economic and ecological basic conditions module No.3 obtains methods and

fundamental contents of planning and management in the rural areas. Therefore the

students will compile short village portraits.

A comprehensive inquiry method puts the participant into the position to recognize and

understand the complexity of the “phenomenon village and landscape”. By an even

selected practical example they have to seize the status quo, work out problems and

formulate first development targets. By small exercises solutions have to be developed

and to be presented and discussed in front of fellow students in a virtual classroom.

Depending on personals preference these suggestions is from the range of landscape and

garden planning, urban planning or architecture. The presentation of the realizations

from different nations of Europe sharpens consciousness for similarly problems and

increases the own supply of visions and solutions.

The strategic recommendation at the end of the village portrait could be combined with

contents of other modules of the EMRA program. At least the planning module is able

to integrate all electable modules using the skills of the core course and the special skills

of the other 7 modules.

The central issues of module No. 3 are:

• Which natural and anthropogenic factors determined the individual development of

rural areas in Europe in the past? Are culture landscapes and settlements still

inseparably connected with the natural local conditions?

40

• To which ecological, economic and social basic conditions rural areas find

themselves confronted with?

• Which instruments for initiation and management of rural development are available

and how do we use them?

• Which examples do preservation and development strategies for landscape and

settlement in our rural areas follow? How do we convert these?

Figure 1: Conceptual map of Module 3


Make an approximation of the amount of time that students will need to dedicate to the

module.

ACTIVITY HOURS

Unit 1

Lecture 6

Discussion 3

41

ACTIVITY HOURS

Studying materials 12

Unit 2

Lecture 4

Discussion 2


Unit 3

Lecture 4

Discussion 2


Unit 4

Lecture 6

Discussion 3

Studying the materials 12

Unit 5

Lecture 4

Discussion 2


Unit 6

Inventory and formulation of

development objectives

16

Draft, consultation and correction 40

Final presentation in a group session 10


IV. –SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• Provide students with a basic understanding of planning in rural areas. Based on

economic, environmental and social considerations of the processes that take place

in rural areas they should learn to collect and analyze the strengths and weaknesses

of regions and villages.

• Equip students with a supply of good practice examples, to enable them to formulate

development models, in which they discuss opportunities and adversities of possible

development scenarios; and finally weigh these scenarios.

• Enable students to collect, understand and evaluate the complex interdependencies

of rural settlements and smaller regions. On this basis they will be able to formulate

goals for conservation and development of structures; and outline a strategy for

implementing them.

42

• Familiarise students with methods of thinking and working in related disciplines that

are involved in the development of rural areas. The very heterogeneous teaching

units in this module make students familiar with the main activity fields of the rural

actors.

• Provide the skills to students as initiators and managers of rural development

processes, to coordinate strategies of different disciplines; conduct dialogue with the

local population; and ensure an integrated approach to action, in the context of

planning (which provides the methodological basis for this).

V. – CONTENTS

Unit 1 Introduction

1.1 The ecological approach

• The principles of ecology – a guideline for human acting?

- The adjustment to the location

- The use of natural resources

- Building circles of matter and energy

- Diversity and integration

- Autonomy and adequate density

- Macro- and microclimate

- “Social ecology” – integrating the inhabitants

• Environmental problems of today

• Men in the ecosystem

• The finiteness of natural resources – we are facing a post fossil epoch

- Carbon dioxide emissions and the effects on the global and local

climate

- Impacts on the environment

- Impacts on the agriculture

• The decline of biodiversity

1.2 Basics of planning

• Legal framework of the European Union - Agricultural policy and control

instruments in the rural area

43

• Hierarchy and types of planning processes – from land use regulations to

zoning maps

1.3 Methods of planning

• Time flow of planning – from the idea to the conversion

• Stocktaking and SWOT- Analysis – discussion of development guidelines

• Discussion of planning variations

• Principles and methods of inhabitant’s participation

Unit 2. Social topics in the village:

2.1 Networks and cooperation's – in the field of:

- Direct marketing of agricultural products

- Contract nature protection

- Rural tourism

- Settlement development

- Road and path networks

- Bio energy production

- Neighbourly help and organisation of voluntary work

2.2 Seniors in rural areas

- The dimension of the demographic change in Europe’s rural areas

- The ongoing agrarian structure change

- Increasing vacancy rates in historic villages

- Shortfall of supply with everyday’s commodities

- The problem of medical supply in rural areas

- Nursing home or wilful aging at home

2.3 Children and youth in rural areas

- Job situation – reasons for the rural exodus

- School system and education

Unit 3. Landscape planning, Landscape design and landscape aesthetics

3.1 Land development – a global overview

3.2 Landscape planning as a contribution to a sustainable development of rural areas

44

3.3 Land use planning and landscape development between region and globalization

3.4 Integration of the landscape planning in master planning processes - presented at

applied case studies

3.5 European environmental protection law as the basis of landscape planning

3.6 Protection and development of historical culture landscapes

Unit 4. Rural settlement and building;

4.1. Village typology as a result of human action in the environment - a short historical

review

4.2 The rural house and its location

- Historic house typologies depending on agricultural husbandry

- Local geographical conditions

- “Form follows function” – principles of ground plan organisation

4.3 Rural building structure of today

- Houses without use – a potential of the future?

- Conservation of ancient monuments

- Improvement of accommodation and conversion of historic building

- Architectural design – do we need a new regionalism?

- Conversion, redensification or housing development – sustainable settlement

development

4.4 Basic principles of ecological building

- Preservation of energy

- Renewable energies

- Active and passive use of solar energy

- Wind-, water- and bio energy

- Closed circuits in house and settlements

- Air budget – local climate and structural requirements

- Water balance and water supply - decentralised or centralised

- Principles of water catchment, preparation and wastewater treatment

- Principles of waste treatment and waste minimisation

45

Unit 5. Accessibility of rural areas – traffic planning

5.1. The significance of mobility for rural areas

- Situation in the area – the need for mobility

- Individual traffic versus public transportation systems

- Agricultural traffic, commuter traffic, pupil transport, the drive to purchase –

who is the user of traffic systems?

- Channelization of traffic and exploration systems for new settlements

5.2 History and typology of traffic systems

- Rural roads – a place of functional varieties

- Between footpath and highways – typology of traffic systems

5.3 Road design under functional and aesthetical criteria

5.4 Environmental protection along roads

- Sealing and infiltration

- Sound sources and noise protection

- Animal protection along the road

5.5 Traffic calming

- Constructive measures

- Measures in the roadside area

Unit 6. Project based unit

6.1 Draft – as a part of the village project – to be compiled during the term

- Development of functional and creative requirements

- Correction of preliminary drafts

- Intermediate presentation and discussion

- Final presentation and disputation of the results


About 20 case studies (4 for each unit, with the exception of module 6) from different

countries of Europe is provided.

The case studies are delivered with the teaching material.

46

VI- SKILLS TO BE ACQUIRED

1. Critical analysis and planning methods

2. Ability to visualize ideas in plans

3. Ability to compare different effects of strategic decisions

4. Ability to link and interpret interdisciplinary knowledge

5. Flexibility and creativity


VIII. - REFERENCES AND SUPPORTING MATERIAL

Basic bibliography:

1. Gallent,N., Juntti,M., Kidd,S., Shaw,D.: Introduction to rural planning; Routhledge

2008, ISBN-13: 978-0415429979

2. Wates, N.: The Community Planning Event Manual: How to Use Collaborative

Planning and Urban Design Events to Improve Your Environment (Tools for

Community Planning); Earthscan Publications Ltd 2008, ISBN-13: 978-

1844074921

3. Bruckmeier,K., Tovey,H.: Rural Sustainable Development in the Knowledge

Society; Ashgate Publishing 2009, ISBN-13: 978-0754674252

4. Murray, M.: Participatory Rural Planning (Perspectives on Rural Policy and

Planning); Ashgate 2010, ISBN-13: 978-0754677376.


1. Bryden,J., et al: Towards Sustainable Rural Regions in Europe: Exploring Inter-

Relationships Between Rural Policies, Farming, Environment, Demographics,

Regional Economies Studies in Development and Society; Routhledge 2010, ISBN-

13: 978-0415882255.

2. Sargent, F.O.: Rural Environmental Planning for Sustainable Communities; Island

Press 1991, ISBN-13: 978-1559630245.

3. Kending,L., Keast,B.: Community Character: Principles for Design and Planning;

Island Press 2010, ISBN-13: 978-1597266963.

4. Vergunst,J., et al: Comparing Rural Development (Perspectives on Rural Policy and

Planning); Ashgate 2009, ISBN-13: 978-0754675181.

5. Burlingham,A., et al: Rural Development Issues; Nova Science Publishers 2008,

ISBN-13: 978-1604564235.

Web pages / links:

1. http://www.dorferneuerung.at/website/output.php?id=1026&language=2

2. http://www.netzwerk-laendlicher-raum.de/service/publikationen/landinform

47


Module 4. Culture for local development in rural

areas


Name of the module: Culture for local development in rural areas



Partner responsible: Institute for Local Development – University of

Valencia


This Module aims at providing basic and fundamental knowledge, as well as

methodologies regarding culture as tool for territorial development of rural areas. The

rise and consolidation of the local development paradigm has brought policies,

programs, economic resources and technical capacities to the territories. At the same

time, the challenges derived from the globalisation process (increased inter-penetration

between economic, social and cultural systems) demand effective actions and strategies

from local actors that suit best the specificities and needs of each territory. Culture is

one of the development factors that have not traditionally been widely incorporated in

local development strategies. The diversity of rural areas in the old Europe contains all

types of cultural heritage in different states of conservation and use. Much of this

“culture” is valued for its uniqueness or because it represents a sign of identity for the

population who live there. In other cases, assets can be transformed into a cultural

resource and integrated into a development strategy.

This module aims to provide students with the knowledge, tools and attitudes needed to

tackle the issue of culture as a resource for local development in rural areas.

The module is structured on the following units: Unit 1 “Culture and rural

development” introduces the main theoretical and conceptual aspects of the relationship

between culture and development with special focus on rural areas; Unit 2 “The

European Cultural Policy Framework” presents and analyses the main political

strategies and instruments for the promotion of culture (ie. The European Agenda for

48

Culture, the Green Paper, etc.); Unit 3 “Strategies and tools to promote cultural

development from the territory” is the largest unit gathering a diversity of issues and

methods to deal with promotion, management and planning of culture for rural

development (ie. Issues like assessing the potential of cultural resources, the Agenda 21

of Culture, citizen participation, networking, promoting cultural entrepreneurship, etc.,

are included); Unit 4 “Guidelines and recommendations to build an integrated cultural

development strategy” guides the student in an “step by step” method to a cultural

strategy that works; finally, Unit 5 “Analysis of best practices and case studies” presents

a series of examples of good integration between culture and development.

The notions acquired from the fields mentioned above are very useful for the “rural

animator”. Through this Module, the student must discover the relevance of culture as

an element of territorial identity and local development. Become familiar with the

regulatory landscape of the European Union and the main tools for local management of

culture. At the same time, learn the importance of legitimizing cultural planning process

through public participation processes. Finally, acquire an applied knowledge related to

elements of study of practical cases.

Figure 1. Conceptual map of the module

0

20

40

60

80

100

1er

trim.

2do

trim.

3er

trim.

4to

trim.

Este

Oeste

Norte

CULTURE AND LOCAL

DEVELOPMENT UN RURAL AREAS

Which is the relationship between

culture and development? Conceptual

Framework

What are the strategic objectives of

the EU in terms of culture?

Strategies and tools to promote cultural

development from the territory

Guidelines and recommendations Best practices

49


The volume of work has been calculated on the basis of the concept of ECTS (European

Credit Transfer system). This system focuses on the effort of the student in the learning

process and, therefore, includes not only lectures and evaluation but study time and

participation in cooperative learning activities (i.e. forum, etc.) and any other stipulated

effort.

ACTIVITY HOURS

Unit 1 - Culture and rural development 30

E-lectures attending (10%) 3

Study and preparation of units (60%) 18

Discussion in the forum (20%) 6

Evaluation (10%) 3

Unit 2 - The European cultural policy framework 30

E-Lectures attending (10%) 3



Evaluation (10%) 3

Unit 3 - Strategies and tools to promote cultural

development from the territory 30




Evaluation (10%) 3

Unit 4 - Guidelines to build an integrated cultural

development strategy 40




Evaluation (10%) 4

Unit 5 - Analysis of best practices and case studies 20




Evaluation (20%) 4


50


• Know the role and importance of culture in rural development at different scales,

overall at local level.

• Learn and understand European policies and strategic objectives about culture.

• Practical illustration of rural communities which succeed or not in enhancing and

empowering their cultural identity as an extraordinary symbol of their region.

• Understand the importance of public participation in territorial development

programmes.

• Be acquainted with Agenda 21 development models.

By the end of the module, the students are expected to:

• Build up integrated territorial development approach including culture development

as a key issue on the rural territorial development.

• Know, develop, use and create tools and mechanisms to achieve and promote

cultural development in rural territories.

• Have the ability to assess the conditions and impacts that cultural patrimony suffers

in rural regions (e.g. through indicators).

• Acquire the skills to promote, improve and maintain the cultural patrimony/identity

(traditions, monuments, folklore festivities, etc.) of rural regions.

• Have the ability to monitor, assess and evaluate cultural development strategies and

policies.

V.- CONTENTS

This section describes the units that integrate the module. This includes the relation of

theoretical and practical contents, and a brief description of the units and/or key

concepts.

Unit 1. Culture and rural development

1.1 Culture and development: concepts and theories

1.2 How culture contributes to local and rural development?

1.3 The relevance of culture beyond economy

Unit 2. The European cultural policy framework

2.1 The European Agenda for Culture

2.2 The strategy of the EU: Unlocking the potential of cultural and creative industries

51

2.3 EU actions in the field of culture

Unit 3. Strategies and tools to promote cultural development from the territory

3.1 Cultural development policies at the local level

3.2 Assessing the potential of cultural resources: adding value through local cultural

planning

3.3 Agenda 21 of culture

3.4 Citizen participation as legitimating tool for cultural development strategies

3.5 Networking of cultural figures as development factor to enhance tourism and

increase attractiveness among rural regions

3.6 Promoting entrepreneurship in the field of cultural and creative industries

3.7 Increasing cultural capital through education and training

3.8 Monitoring and evaluation of cultural development policies and programmes

Unit 4. Guidelines and recommendations to build an integrated cultural

development strategy

Unit 5. Analysis of best practices and case studies

About 30 case studies ( 6 for each unit ) from different countries of Europe will

be provided.


1. Identifying, studying and analysing literature and other documents relevant to the

topic.

2. Learning the policy framework for culture and local development at the European

level.

3. Being able to identify and characterise the stakeholders in the process of cultural

development.

4. Learn to build an integrated cultural development strategy in a local context.

5. Being able to analyse in a systematic way study cases and extract conclusions.

6. Being able to summarise key observations in written reports (essays).


Basic bibliography:

Kayser; Sánchez Maldonado et al, 2006; Pike et al, 2006 ¿????

52

Rausell et al, 2007, Culture: Strategy for local development, cap. 1-7, 1ª ed. - Madrid:

AECI: Universitat de Valencia, Instituto Interuniversitario de Desarrollo Local, 2007. -

286 p. ; 23 cm. - (Culture and development ; 4)

Kayser, B. (1994) "La cultura: un incentivo para el desarrollo local" from the

proceedings of the LEADER seminar "Cultura y desarrollo rural" held in Molinos

(Spain) in july 1994. Downloadable from

http://www.rural-europe.aeidl.be/rural-es/biblio/culture/contents.htm

Sánchez Maldonado et al, 2006; Rausell et al. 2007 Cap 2; article from LEADER

Magazine,

http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rur/leader2/rural-es/biblio/culture/contents.htm

Del Castillo J. (2001) Job creation and local development induced by cultural

infrastructures and structural changes in Bilbao, OECD/LEED Seminar, Paris.

Greffe, X. (2002) Arts e artistes au miroir de l’economie, Economica, París.

OCDE (2005) Culture and Local Development, ISBN 92-64-00990-6.

Venturelli, C. (2003) “From the information economy to the creative economy”, Centre

for Arts and Culture, www.culturalpolicy.org.

The Green Paper of culture for development

European Union, 2010, Culture 2007-2013 Programme, EU actions in the field of

culture, Directorate-General for Education and Culture,

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/culture/programme/documents/2010/may/EN.pdf

Europe Innovation 2000 (1998) Article 10 pilot projects presentation: Culture and

territorial development: a challenge for the future, edited by AEIDL and downloadable

from

http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/innovation/innovating/download/avr99/en_cult.pdf

Web pages / links:

• LEADER website,

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-policy-development/doc399_en.htm

• EU actions in the field of culture,

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc421_en.htm

53


Module 5. Sustainable Rural Tourism

I. - IDENTIFICATION DATA

Name of the module: Sustainable Rural Tourism

Modality of education: E-learning, E-classroom, applied exercise


Partner responsible: Széchenyi István University Gyır Hungary

II. - INTRODUCTION TO THE MODULE

Since rural tourism is one of the most dynamically developing and colourful sectors of

today's rural economy the aim of the module is to make students aware of the different

interpretations of rural tourism, the characteristics of its types. Strong emphasis is put

on concept and goals of the sustainable rural tourism and the problems of the affected

territories. During the course they are given such professional information, which make

them be able to animate rural actors and activities. All interests and tools of each actor

in sustainable rural tourism are described from the supranational level even to the level

of local communities.

In Unit1 the detailed description of tourism - with special emphasis on rural tourism - as

a determining economic sector and the concept group of sustainable rural development,

its establishment processes and goal setting. Questions posed include: how natural

values, cultural and historical traditions as business profit generation attractions can be

preserved in their present state in a manner that it could remain a prospering branch at

the same time?

Unit2 aims to develop and improve marketing skills of students in order to be able to

animate actors in sustainable rural tourism. It contains the most important features,

processes of the tourism market survey and influencing tools which leads to the

successful commercialisation of tourism products, the introduction of new products for

both the regions and enterprises. There is a suitable educational material available for

further product development and the creation of quality management (Labelling

System).

54

Unit3 presents how to animate partnership between actors; how to encourage the effects

of the synergies; how to be able to cooperate and build networks of sectors according to

concept of community-based integrated rural development and how to manage

entrepreneurs in rural tourism (integrating them into rural economy as a whole and into

the local cultural, natural attractions).

CONCEPTUAL MAP

III. – VOLUME OF WORK

An approximation of the amount of time that students will need to dedicate to the

module is as follows:

ACTIVITY HOURS

Unit 1 - Total 60



Actual Exam 2

Unit 2 - Total 60

55



Actual Exam 2

Unit 3 - Total 40



Actual Exam 2


IV SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• to be aware of the different interpretations of rural tourism, the characteristics of its

types, the goals of the sustainable rural development and the problems of the

affected territories;

• to develop professional competences which would make students capable to

manage, develop and plan rural attractions and activities.

• to be able to manage all interests and tools of sustainable rural tourism and its

stakeholders, from the supranational level down to the level of local communities.

• to be able to plan and manage the balance between protection of environment and

economy

• to be able to manage the conflicts

o between local inhabitants and tourists

o between local inhabitants and businesses in rural tourism

o between businesses and local governments

• to encourage businesses and generate new activity in rural tourism

−

V. - CONTENTS

Unit 1

Position of rural tourism between tourism sector and sustainable rural tourism

1. Tourism – rural tourism

1.1. Position of tourism in economic sectors

1.2. Position of rural tourism in tourism sector

1.3. Basic concepts

2. Sustainable rural tourism in the global world

56

2.1. Globalization – Features of globality, regionality, locality

2.2. Sustainability and multifunctionality, diversification

2.3. Improvement of quality of life

2.4. Retention power of rural population – Income creation – workplaces – service

widening

3. Relation of sustainable rural development and sustainable rural tourism

3.1. Protection of identity, natural-cultural values – commercialisation of heritage

3.2. The role of rural tourism in the multifunctional agriculture and rural

development

3.3. EU programmes supporting rural tourism

3.4. EU organizations and their networks supporting rural tourism

4. Typology and features of rural tourism

1.4.1. Village tourism

1.4.2. Eco tourism

1.4.3. Farm tourism (agro, agri)

1.4.4. Heritage tourism (traditions, cultural heritages etc.)

Unit2

Learning path for creating, developing and marketing the rural tourism products

4. Marketing and rural tourism

4.1. Analyses of

o Specific elements of the supply: geographical environment, built

environment, infrastructure, population, regional management

o Demand – consumers: population, tourists, economic actors, occassional

VIP visits

o The factors influencing tourist demand: leisure time, discretionary income,

motivations

o Trends in tourism: demographic trends, increasing health awareness,

growing needs and demand for leisure time, lifestyle, IT

o Impact of trends in tourism on rural tourism

4.2. Understanding competition and competitiveness

o Identify of competitors

57

o Definition of competitive factors taking into account the target groups and

locations

o Local image and values

4.3. Importance of marketing research in rural tourism

o Steps (definition the problem; definition the information’s cost-effective

resources; selection the techniques of information collecting; data gathering;

data processing; publication of results)

o Examination of customer’s satisfaction per target group

o Examination of local image

4.4. Marketing tools in rural tourism:

o 2C instead of 4P:

o Competences from demand side: product development, price, sales

o Communicational competences: marketing communication tools

o Marketing communication: tools and applications:

o ATL tools

o BTL tools

4.5. Marketing control:

o Consumer’s satisfaction

o Number and change of investments

o Turnover - tourism data

5. The tourism product – and its marketing

5.1. Resources (natural, cultural, historical)

5.2. Composition of tourist package

5.3. Attractions of rural tourism: natural values, tangible and intangible heritage,

values and products of agriculture

5.4. Special products types of rural tourism

5.5. Evaluation of efficiency of local product (financial benefits and costs, location-

related advantages and disadvantages, emotion-related advantages and

disadvantages, psychic benefits and costs)

5.6. Tourist product development

o Collective role of the tourism product marketing in rural tourism – creating

the network of community marketing

58

o Networking forms of tourism product development: Thematic routes (eg.

according to geographic location, topic).

5.7. Importance of labelling systems in rural tourism – quality assurance

Unit3

Local partnership, synergies in rural tourism

6. Building synergies

6.1. Process of building local partnership and involving actors

6.2. Culture of cooperation

6.3. Network building – horizontal and vertical cooperation

6.4. Synergies among the actors

7. Management of enterprises in rural tourism

7.1. Position of SMEs in rural economy

7.2. The enterprise – context of culture, motivation, attitude

7.3. Social entrepreneurship – concept, orientation

7.4. Strategic & business plan for enterprises

Unit 4


About 15 case studies (5 for each unit) from different countries of Europe is provided.

VI. - SKILLS TO BE ACQUIRED

1. Conflict management skills

2. Understanding spatial aspect in management and planning tourism development

3. Understanding of rural economy – encouragement of rural tourism as an economic

activity

4. Ability for researching the market in rural tourism

59


Basic bibliography:

1. Hall, Derek–Kirkpatrick, Irene–Mitchell, Morag (ed) (2005): Aspects of Tourism,

Rural tourism and sustainable business. British Library Cataloguing in Publication

Data. ISBN 1-84541-012-2.

2. Page, Stephen–Getz, Donald (1997): The business of rural tourism. International

Perspectives. International Thompson Business Press, London. ISBN1-415-13511-

7.

3. Hall, Colin Michael–Page, Stephen (2006): The geography of tourism and

recreation. Environment, place and space. British Library Cataloguing in

Publication Data. ISBN 1-415-33560-4.


1. Derek Hall, Leslie Roberts, Morag Michell (2005): New directions of rural tourism.

Ashgate Publishing Company. ISBN 0 7546 3633 X

2. Jackie Clarke (1999): Marketing Structures for Farm Tourism: Beyond the

Individual Provider of Rural Tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 7,(1),

26-45, 1999

3. Bill Bramwell, Bernard Lane (2000): Aspects of tourism. Tourism collaboration and

partnerships: Politics, Practice and Sustainability. Library of Congress Cataloguing

in Publication Data ISBN 1-873150-79-2.

Web pages / links:

1. International Journal of Tourism Research: www.interscience.wiley.com

2. Tourism Geographies: www.geog.nau.edu//tg/index.html

60


Module 6. Innovation and Development Policies in

Rural Areas


Name of the module: Innovation and development policies in rural areas



Partner responsible: University of Helsinki Ruralia Institute


Rural areas are not typically understood to be the most innovative environments. Most

innovative activities are in many times thought to be taking place in bigger cities.

Despite of this, different kind of rural areas have still their own strengths and

weaknesses, which should be considered when promoting innovations.

For rural animator it is also important to be conscious of innovation policies and

practical tools when promoting innovations.

Important questions are:

What are the differences between innovation, invention and innovativeness?

How should the innovation practices be developed among different actors and central

players?

What kind of innovation tools and creative problem solving techniques can one choose

for creating of social (or other) innovation in the rural environment?

Narrow interpretation of innovation sees innovation as invention which has been

commercialized by a firm or equivalent and it is technologically new or significantly

enhanced product from the firm perspective. This definition is in line with e.g. the first

and the second edition of the OECD Oslo Manual for measuring innovations. The broad

definition of innovation sees them as the implementation of a new or significantly

improved product (good or service), or process, a new marketing method, or a new

61

organizational method in business practices, workplace organization or external

relations. (OECD Oslo Manual 2005, 46.).

On the other hand, social innovations are built e.g. through changes in concepts, values

and norms in short what is considered be good and aspired for the community. The role

of social innovations is not, however, limited to the sphere of the social. It forms an

interface with technological and organizational innovation processes; as social

innovations open the community to change and can even create new demand for

technological innovation. Social innovations thus play a crucial part in the innovation

activities of the regions.

Figure 2: Conceptual map of Module 3

62


Make an approximation of the amount of time that students will need to dedicate to the

module

ACTIVITY HOURS

Unit 1

Lecture 1

Discussion on the forum 5

Studying materials and writing the essay 20

Unit 2

Lecture 1



Unit 3

Lecture 1



Unit 4

Lecture 1


Planning, implementing and reporting the

group session 9



• to be able to identify the special characteristics of rural areas as innovation

environments.

• to be able to set the key concepts of innovation and regional development in the

rural context.

• to understand the role of SMEs in the innovation processes.

• to be able to identify the different types of innovations in different sectors.

• to know the main objectives of the key European, national and regional innovation

and development policies and programmes relevant to rural areas.

• to be able to recognise differences in the terms of innovativeness and innovation

policies in different rural areas of Europe.

63

• to be able to identify and use innovation support tools and mechanisms relevant to

rural actors, especially SMEs.

V. – CONTENTS

A deeper look is taken at the innovation environments and innovation processes in rural

SMEs and rural communities (different community-based innovation processes and

social innovation). In addition innovation and regional development policies (nodes and

hubs in national/global networks) and the study of different innovation environments

and systems (diversification and differentiation) is introduced. In the end some

innovation tools are being introduced and tested in practice.

Unit 1. Rural areas as innovation environments, 1 ETCS

1.1. Key concepts and background of innovation activities and regional development in

rural areas

� Globalization and the needs to remodel local economies to sustain their

competitiveness.

� Connection between regional development and innovations. Why does

innovation matter in regional development?

� What are the differences between innovation, invention and innovativeness?

1.2. Special characteristics of rural areas as innovation environments

� What makes rural areas special or challenged for innovation activities?

� The role of the rural SME’s in innovation processes in general.

Task suggestion, practical work:

Write a short essay concerning possibilities of innovative actions in rural areas

based on at least one of the references mentioned in section VIII basic

bibliography.

Unit 2. Innovation processes in rural SMEs and communities, 2 ETCS

� Creating the ground and communities of SMEs for innovations

� From different types of innovation to creative processes and networks of innovation

� Innovations in the different rural settings and sectors of development

� Technological, social, creative economy, service sector innovations etc. Some

cases and comparisons.

� Identifying and supporting the innovations of SMEs and communities at different

level of policy making.

Task suggestion, practical work:

Set yourself at the position of entrepreneur of SMEs at local rural setting and find out

how to develop your own creative idea further up into successful innovation. What do

64

you find most interesting or challenging in this process keeping in mind the studies of

innovation processes in rural SMEs and communities?

Write an essay on this from the perspective of rural SME. Include to the essay a

description of what kind of systems and organizations there are in your country

supporting new inventions to become successful innovations. Analyze also how

innovation policy should be developed to support innovations in SMEs.

Unit 3. Innovation and regional development policies, innovation environments

and innovation systems, 2 ETCS

3.1. Regional characteristics of innovation activities and policies in European rural areas

� Regional differences in terms of innovativeness and innovation activities

� Economic and institutional reasons

� Policy measures

� Challenges of measuring innovations and innovativeness

� Definition of innovation

� Input and output parameters

� Changing policy-landscape in terms of innovation activities

� EU policies (e.g. structural funds, framework programmes, community

initiatives)

� National policies (e.g. STI-policies, regional policy)

� Regional and local policy activities

Task suggestion: Practical work:

Read a selected EU innovation policy document and a national document of your

country and reflect the similarities and differences between those policy documents.

Write a short essay based on the policy document analysis.

Unit 4. How to support innovativeness in practice? 1,5 ETCS

Rural areas are considered somewhat handicapped when it comes to technological

innovation capabilities as knowhow is often scattered to vast geographical space and

rural regions tend to lack connections to national and international networks.

However, in the field of social innovation, tightly knit relatively small rural

communities can form a fruitful local innovation environment, as the core of the social

innovation is changing the way a certain community acts or sees the world.

The creating of social (or other) innovation needs concrete innovation tools. In this unit,

these tools are being introduced and used in practical assignments to help the students to

find concrete ways to develop innovations.

There is:

65

� Examples about innovation tools and creative problem solving techniques and

choosing a suitable method.

� A list and a short description about commonly used methods including e.g.:

� Mind mapping

� Brainstorming

� Creative problem solving etc.

Task suggestion: Practical work:

a) Plan and conduct a small innovation workshop for example in your own “practical

work” region and test one innovation tool and/or method, evaluate it and report how

the workshop was implemented.

b) If teleconference possibilities allow, some EMRA students may work as a small

group and test together one innovation method for a given problem setting and

report back their experiences both as a group and individually.


1. identifying, studying and analysing literature and other documents relevant to the

topic; e.g. policy documents

2. knowing and using tools and techniques for innovation and creativity

3. identifying innovation tools and services and evaluating their usability to different

stakeholders in rural areas, e.g. SMEs

4. finding practical solutions to the needs of the customers based on theoretical

knowledge

5. being able to summarise key observations in written reports (essays).


Basic bibliography:

Bessant, T., Kaplinsky, R. & Morris, M. (2003). Developing capability through learning

networks. International Journal of Technology Management & Sustainabe

Development, Vol 2, 1: 19-38.

Boschma, R. (2005). Proximity and Innovation: A Critical Assessment. Regional

Studies, Vol. 39, 1: 61–74

Chell, E. & Baines, S. (2000). Networking, entrepreneurship and microbusiness.

Entrepreneurship & Regional Development Vol 12, 3: 195-215.

Doloreux, D. (2003). Regional innovation systems in the periphery: The case of the

Beauce in Quebec (Canada). International Journal of Innovation Management Vol 7,1:

67–94.

66

Lindegaard, S. (2010). The Open Innovation Revolution. Essentials, Roadblocks, and

Leadership Skills. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Hoboken, New Jersey.

North, D. & Smallbone, D. (2000). Innovation activity in SMEs and rural economic

development: Some evidence from England. European Planning Studies, Vol 8, 1: 87-

106.

OECD (2005), OECD Oslo Manual .OECD, Paris.

Smallbone, D., North, D. & Kalantaridis, C. (1999). Adapting to peripheral: a study of

small rural manufacturing firms in northern England. Entrepreneurship & Regional

Development 11: 109–127.

Soo, C., DeVinney, T., Midgley, D. & Deering. A. (2002). Knowledge Management.

Philosophy, Processes and Pitfalls. California Management Review, Vol 44, 4: 129-150.

Swan, J., Newell, S., Scarborough, H. & Hislop, D. (1999). Knowledge management

and innovation: networks and networking. Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol 3,

4: 262-275.

Virkkala, S. & Niemi, K. (eds.) (2006). Peripheral location and Innovation Policies.

Learning from good practices between Nordic countries. Nordic Innovation Centre,

Oslo Norway. (Net source: http://www.nordicinnovation.net/prosjekt.cfm?id=1-4415-

47).

Wenger, E., McDermott, R. & Snyder, M. W. (2002). Cultivating Communities of

Practice. A Guide to Managing Knowledge. Harvard Business School Publishing Ltd.

Boston, Massachusetts.


Ash, A. & Cohendent, P. (2004). Architectures of Knowledge. Firms, Capabilities and

Communities. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

Chesbrough, H. & Vanhaverbeke, W., West, J. (2006). Open innovation. Researching a

New Paradigm. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

Karlheinz, K., Tisenkopfs, T., Peter, S. (eds.) (2009). Innovation processes in

agriculture and rural development. Results of a cross-national analysis of the situation

in seven countries, research gaps and recommendations. IN-SIGHT research project:

Strengthening Innovation Processes for Growth and Development. Net source:

http://www.insightproject.net/files/IN-SIGHT_final_report.pdf.

Web pages / links:

http://www.nordicinnovation.net/projectfolder.cfm?id=1-829-343&list=519

http://www.crlra.utas.edu.au/ ( see Publications > Discussion Papers).

67


Module 7. Education and Lifelong Learning for

Rural Development


Name of the module: Education and Lifelong Learning for Rural

Development



Partner responsible: Universida de do Porto


Module no. 7 of EMRA is offered as a support for understanding the challenges placed

to promoters of change in rural areas in terms of providing education to all levels and

throughout life and to suggest frameworks for provision of education and training

concerning access, delivery and provision of lifelong learning (LLL). Examples of these

questions that are targeted in this module are:

1. How can Information Society and Sustainable Rural Development be linked and

reciprocally be supported?

2. What is the role of LLL in improving the development of rural areas?

3. How can distance learning, especially e-learning, contribute to rural development in

Europe?

4. Are there several strategies for LLL in the different rural areas of the European

Union, especially in the countries that participate in the EMRA administration?

5. Accreditation of prior learning and informal training can be a major asset for LLL in

rural areas. How can methods cab be used to create proper accreditation of LLL in

rural environments?

6. What type of courses can be designed that are adequate for LLL in rural

development?

68

7. How can the trainers in LLL for rural areas be prepared and what is the adequate

profile?

8. What types of methods can be used for quality assurance of the LLL provided in

rural areas?

9. What is the solution for management structures of LLL in rural areas?

10. How can costs be evaluated for LLL in rural areas?

11. What sources of funding can be found to support LLL in rural development?

12. What types of indicators can be used to evaluate LLL in rural areas?

13. Is there a specific glossary for LLL in rural development?

14. What is the relation of LLL in rural areas and the European Qualification

Framework?

Conceptual Map


As an approximation of the amount of time that learners will need to participate in the

module the total expected is 150 hours. The distribution is:

1. LLL as promoter of development in rural areas

2. LLL tools

3. LLL models available

4. LLL support for rural development

69

ACTIVITY Hours

Chapter 1

Introduction recorded 1

Chat and Forum 3

Studying materials and quizzes 16

Chapter 2


Chat and Forum 3


Chapter 3 1


Chat and Forum 32

Studying materials and quizzes

Chapter 4


Chat and Forum 3


Chapter 5


Chat and Forum 3


TOTAL 150


• How globalization allows training for rural areas?

• What are the added values of LLL in rural areas?

• Opportunities of LLL in rural environments.

• Understanding LLL in rural settings.

• What are the capacities of TEL?

• How can TEL are used in LLL?

• How TEL is useful for rural areas?

• How to handle LLL with TEL in rural areas?

• Understand the value of APEL.

• Be able to integrate LLL courses into a degree.

70

• Be capable of working towards a qualification.

• Choose the courses adequately for LLL development.

• Awareness of supporting roles in LLL.

• Be able to understand the learning objectives of LLL.

• Capable of working with other participants in rural areas.

V.- CONTENTS

The summaries of the different chapters of the module are presented. Each summary

includes knowledge and learning objectives expected from each module.

1. Education in rural areas in Europe

1.1. Formal education (the structured education strategy provided for children)

1.2. Nonformal education in Europe (after-schooll programs, community based

organisations, adult education, life long learning programs)

1.3. Informal education

2. LLL as promoter of development in rural areas

2.1. Evolution in rural Europe

2.2. Progress in rural

2.3. Different forms of training

2.4. Formal, non-formal and informal training

2.5. Work based training

2.6. Training as added value of rural development

3. LLL tools

3.1. Open and distance learning

3.2. TEL: Technology enhanced learning

3.3. Characteristics of TEL

3.4. Added values of TEL

3.5. E-portfolios

3.6. TEL in rural areas

71

4. LLL models available

4.1. Accreditation of prior experiential and learning (APEL)

4.2. Creditation of LLL

4.3. Degree and non-degree courses

4.4. European Qualification Framework and competences

4.5. Individualized pathways in LLL

5. LLL support for rural development

5.1. Mentoring and tutoring in LLL

5.2. Exams and assessment in LLL

5.3. Interaction and collaboration

IV - SKILLS TO BE ACQUIRED

1. Ability to research independently

2. Evaluation of LLL programs offered for rural areas

3. Critical analysis and reasoning about LLL courses

4. Possibility of choosing adequate LLL

5. Creating an e-portfolio for LLL

6. Using e-learning as a tool for LLL


Bibliography:

1. Aspin, D., Chapman, J., Hatton, M., Sawano, Y., International Handbook of

Lifelong Learning, Springer, ISBN: 978-0792368151, 2001.

2. Evans, R., Papageorgiou, F. (editors), The Role of Education and Lifelong Learning

in Sustainable Rural Development, Thematic Guide Five; Published by the

Euracademy Association, Athens, Greece, 2008.

3. Mitchell, V., University Continuing Education Management Handbook, EUCEN,

Barcelona, 2000.

4. Knust, M., http://www.amazon.com/Continuing-Higher-Education-Lifelong-

Learning/dp/1402096755/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281360986&sr=8-

9Continuing Higher Education and Lifelong Learning: An international comparative

72

study on structures, organisation and provisions, Springer, ISBN: 978-1402096754,

2009.

5. Day, M., Assessment of Prior Learning: A Practitioner's Guide, Nelson Thornes,

ISBN: 978-0748769339, 2002.

6. Rossett, A. (editor), THE ASTD E-LEARNING HANDBOOK, McGraw-Hill,

ISBN: 978-0071387965, 2002.

Web pages:

1. www.fe.up.pt/nuce

2. www.eucen.org

3. www.eden-online.org

4. www.ucea.edu

73


Module 8. Diversification of rural economies


Name of the module: Diversification of rural economies



Partner responsible: Institute for Sociology – Nicolas Copernicus

University


The module no. 8 offers the material on the several questions apparently fundamental in

order to understand the essence of the most significant feature of the current rural socio-

economic system, described as a necessary diversification in the sources of income of

the rural population and the agricultural population in particular:

1. Why do ever growing numbers of European farmers, as well as other rural

inhabitants, have to search for ways of diversifying their sources of income?

2. Is this phenomenon influenced by the process of globalisation of the world socio-

economic system and, if so, how?

3. Will the enlargement of the European Union, which took place a few years ago,

simplify the diversification of sources of income of the rural population, particularly

in the rural areas of the 12 countries preparing to absorb CAP resources and those of

Structural Funds?

4. What are the most important fields of diversification of sources of income of rural

inhabitants?

Because the notion of sustainable rural development is an object of interest of different

modules of the EMRA studies, on this place we can only say that for us Sustainability is

not simply a matter of respect for the environment. It relates to all [....] of the “legs” or

“pillar’s” rural development – people, economy, environment and institutions (see:

Euracademy Thematic Guide Two, p.2-5.), culture, tradition, technology etc. This

sustainable perspective of the problem and process of the diversification of sources of

income of the rural population is present on the second part of our Module (units 4-7)

74

where we analyse the four more important fields of diversification (farms/ farmers;

small and medium-sized businesses; public services and infrastructure; human capital)

from several sustainable points of view: environmental, cultural, technological, financial

and last but not least – from the perspective of local and global economy. On the first

part of the module (units 1-3) we try to look on this question from more general

(historical and sociological) perspective, underlining that rural areas were always

pluriactive, and therefore its inhabitants, particularly those connected with agriculture,

carried out certain types of activity, evolving together with changes in the economy in

global society.

Conceptual map of the module

Historical and sociological

perspective

Sustainable rural development

perspective

Pluriactivity and

diversification of

rural economy

Multifunctionality of

agriculture and

pluriactivity of rural

society

EU’s policy as a

stimulator of

diversification

Consumer

networks

Provision of public

services and

infrastructural capa-

city of rural areas

Role of SME’s

Know-how of

diversification of

rural areas

Diversification of rural economies

75




ACTIVITY WORKLOAD

HOURS

Unit 1 - Total 24



Unit 2 - Total 24



Unit 3 - Total 24



Unit 4 – Total 24



Unit 5 - Total 54



Case studies analysis 30

Chat attending 2



The completion of the module should enable students to:

• acquire knowledge of the essence of historical and contemporary determinants of

process of diversification, of sources of income, of inhabitants of rural areas, and of

its role as a development strategy to apply in rural areas;

• acquire knowledge referring the forms of activities undertaken by rural population

in order to gain additional sources of income.

76

V.- CONTENTS

Unit B 8.1. Diversification of sources of income in perspective of various cognitive

approaches

8.1.1. What does diversification of income sources mean?

8.1.2. Why must we diversify sources of income?

8.1.3. Diversification of income sources as a historical characteristic of rural economic

Systems.

8.1.4. Diversification of income sources in the context of globalization processes in the

world economic system and European integration.

8.1.5. European policy of stimulating the process of diversification of income sources

of inhabitants in rural and agricultural areas.

Unit 8.2. From Farms to Producer- Consumer Networks

8.2.1. Value added to a traditional agriculture production - local product.

8.2.2. New functions of farm households – preserving legacy.

8.2.3. A farm household as a provider of services.

8.2.4. Social-cultural aspects of diversification of income sources in farm households.

Unit 8.3. Small and medium rural enterprise

8.3.1. Social-economic role of SME as a form of economic activity and diversification

of income sources of rural population.

8.3.2. Basic requirements for SME’s development in rural areas.

8.3.3. Spontaneous and generally voluntary nature of processes of generating

entrepreneurship in rural areas.

Unit 8.4. Provision of Public Services and Infrastructural Capacity

8.4.1. Underdevelopment of technical and social infrastructure as an area for

diversification of income sources of rural population.

8.4.2. New forms of services.

Unit 8.5. Human and Social Capital

8.5.1. Increase in resources of human capital as an area for diversification of income

sources of rural population.

8.5.2. Strengthening of human capital as an area of diversification of income sources

of rural population.

77


About 20 case studies (5/6 for each unit) from different countries of Europe is provided

(see: Euracademy Thematic Guide Three).


1. Understanding basic specifics of contemporary rural economies in Europe.

2. Understanding the variety of factors shaping necessity to diversify rural economies.

3. Ability to link different stakeholders of rural economy into socio-economic network.

4. Ability to analyse farm diversification strategies within the context of post-modern

society and globalized economy.

5. Understanding of the role of cultural and environmental heritage as important tools

for diversification of rural economies.

6. Ability to indicate external funds for diversification of farm incomes and

development of rural SME’s.


Basic bibliography:

Allen S., Wolkowitz C., 1987, Homeworking. Myths and Realities, London.

Cecora J., 1991, The Role of ‘Informal’ Activity in Household Economic Behaviour,

Berlin.

Cuddy M., 1992, Perspectives on Rural Development in Advanced Economies, Galway.

Nagengast C., 1991, Reluctant Socialists, Rural Enterpreneurs, Oxford.

Slee B., 1989, Alternative Farm Enterprises, Ipswitch.

Van Huylebroeck G., Durand G., 2003, Multifunctional Agriculture. A New Paradigm

for European Agriculture and Rural Development, Ashgate.


Champetier Y., In a word, LEADER Magazine, Spring 1999, No 20.

Damianakos S., The Ongoing Quest for a Model of Greek Agriculture, Sociologia

Ruralis 1997, No 2.

Kaleta A., Papageorgiu F., Brangenfeld U., Kattelus P., Dower M., 2005,

Diversification of Rural Economies and Suistainable Rural Development in the

Enlarged Europe, Athens.

78

Services for people in rural areas, LEADER magazine, Summer 1995, No 9.

Shucksmith M., Winter M. 1992 , Farm Diversification in Britain, Aberdeen.

Swain N., Transitions for Collective to Family Farming in post-socialistic Central

Europe: a Victory of Politics Over Sociology, Eastern European Countryside 1993, No

1.

Pevetz W., Einkommenskombination und Landespflege, G’STETTN 1993, No 23.

Web pages / links:

EURACADEMY - www.euracademy.org

ECOVAST – www.ecovast.org

http://www.euracademy.org/images/stories/doc/GUIDE3_FINAL.pdf

79


Module: Village Workshop


Name of the module: Village Workshop

Modality of education: E-classroom seminars, applied exercise, placement


Partner responsible: N.Copernicus University, MAICH, University Babes-

Bolyai, University of Rostock, University of Valencia,

Széchenyi Istvan University, University of Helsinki,

University of Porto


The educational profile of the Rural Animator aims at an interdisciplinary approach to

economic, ecological and social phenomena of rural areas in Europe. Basing on taught

approaches and good practice the Rural Animator is able to get into the depth of various

processes in villages and the countryside and to develop situation-adapted solutions.

The intensive survey of the Status Quo is a prerequisite for an interdisciplinary

understanding of rural areas. For this purpose, different inventory methods and, above

all, talking to local actors are available. By the diversity of the information gathered the

understanding of complex problems is growing in the course of time; which is a basic

condition for finding integrated solutions. The approach to the people of rural areas is a

lengthy process. Reliability and genuine interest build confidence which is necessary for

identifying the causes of certain complex problems. The affected people in rural areas

are to be recognized as the real experts - their ideas have to be implemented for shaping

their future.

The module “Village workshop” has the objective to confront the students with the life

and work in rural areas. In close consultation with a supervisor the student selects a

village, a community or a small region which he will focus on in the period of two

semesters. His chosen modules in semesters 2 and 3 provide questions and

methodological advice for finding the answers. The activities range from inventories

80

documented on plans to interviews with local actors. Discussions with the local

government, representatives of associations, different generations, business people and

other multipliers are feasible and desirable.

The village placement consists of 11 different parts which are judged separately.

However, in their entirety they will provide a comprehensive picture of the object of

investigation. The village internship has to be attended during the 2nd

and 3rd

Semester.

The work in the village is supervised and discussed in online seminars. The internship

during the semester will end with an online presentation in front of the class. The one-

year workshop can be performed independently or within professional activity.

In consultation with the supervisors the knowledge and experience gathered in the

village workshop can be deepened. One possibility is to continue the use of the

collected data in an optional module. Particularly for the master thesis the village

workshop provides a broad knowledge and data base which creates excellent conditions

for an interdisciplinary approach.

The central objectives of the village workshop are:

• Selection of a study object and collection of relevant data by using selected methods

• Communication with local stakeholders

• Documentation of survey results in reports, maps and statistics

Figure 3: Conceptual map of Village placement

81


The village placement includes two semesters. The awarded 15 credits for this

placement include a workload of 450 hours (30 Hours/1 credit)

ACTIVITY HOURS

Core course 1- placement 38

Core course 2-placement 38

Core course 3- placement 38

Module 1-placement 38








Presentation Semester 2 16

Presentation Semester 3 16


IV. QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED DURING THE VILLAGE WORKSHOP

Core course 1 - Theory of rural development

1. How to define rural areas using different theoretical frameworks? Why do social

sciences put growing attention to rural areas and their problems?

2. What does rural development mean from the humanistic and positivistic perspective

of the theory of social change?

3. What is the nature of the European rural social change on the turn of XX and XXI

centuries, regarding both its holistic and sectoral aspects?

Core course 2 – Methods of rural areas research

1. What is the structure of the process of empirical social research, with attention to its

specifics?

2. What are the most common and useful procedures, methods, techniques and tools of

rural social research?

82

3. How to elaborate and analyse empirical data using both quantitative and qualitative

methods?

Core course 3 – Rural animation

1. What is the structure and what are basic phases of the process of rural animation?

2. How to animate local communities using five-stage “community development

model”?

Module 1 – Sustainable Agriculture

1. Identify and register differences between the different farming production systems

used and products. Which criteria would you use to classify these systems?

2. Create a plan of work to register and analyze indicators of sustainability between

two of these farming systems

3. Interview groups within the rural community and identify the manner these are

(directly or indirectly) involved in rural production. Ask their opinions about rural

production current issues (e.g. food safety, subsidies, environment, climate change).

4. Interview a farmer group and extract answers about farming practices and agro-

biodiversity trying to correlate these concepts.

5. Interview governmental servants and certification body workers assessing the

impact of CAP to the sustainability.

Module 2 – Human and social capital welfare

1. Who are the local human and social capital holders? Identify them.

2. Which are the most important social problems of the community? Identify and rank

them?

3. Who can take part in finding solutions?

4. Identification of social groups exposed to social exclusion.

5. Find solutions for reduce social exclusion; find those economic agents which can

mobilize financial and other solutions.

Module 3 – Innovation and development in Rural areas

1. Identify and describe the main actors of the local innovation environment in your

placement/village (innovative individuals, active development communities, firms

etc.).

• What elements of the innovation environments are present in your

placement/village?

• What programmes and policies are supporting innovative action in your

placement/village?

• Create a concise delineation of these actors and elements.

83

2. Identify and describe certain innovation process in your placement/village.

• What type of innovation is the one in question (e.g. social innovation,

technological, radical etc.)?

• What is the role of the local elements supporting this innovation process? Create

a concise delineation of the process.

Module 4 – Culture for local development

1. Which is the relevance of the cultural resources of the village/town in terms of

• the current development strategy

• the potential development strategy

• the attraction of tourism/visitors

• the generation of local identity

2. Compile information of between 5 and 10 cultural resources in a standardised way

(ie. card) in a way that allows you to make an analysis of their current situation and

use, and their potential for future uses.

3. Develop and comment a SWOT analysis of cultural resources in the village. Present

this synthesis to a group of local stakeholders (decide and justify the best method for

doing this) and get their views (agreement/disagreement).

4. Elaborate a simple action plan to incorporate cultural resources in the development

strategy including overall goal, main actions (for each action describe who, why,

when, where, how, at which costs, which priority, etc.)

Module 5 – Sustainable rural tourism

1. Who are the local human and social capital holders? Identify them.

2. Which are the most important social problems of the community? Identify and rank

them?

3. Who can take part in finding solutions?

4. Identification of social groups exposed to social exclusion.

5. Find solutions for reduce social exclusion; find those economic agents which can

mobilize financial and other solutions.

Module 6 – Environmental planning and management

1. Determine and describe the appearance of the village. Document your findings by

using graphic, text and photographs in an explanatory report.

2. Describe building use and condition of the building

3. Describe and access the ecology of the village

4. Detect and document the infrastructure facilities of the village

84

5. Develop and comment a SWOT analysis of building and ecological resources in the

village. Present and discuss this synthesis to local actors and document their

opinion.

Module 7 – Education and life long learning for rural development

1. Describe formal and non-formal education skills of the main actors of local

development in your placement and discuss the relevance of these skills. Discuss

what can be the role of LLL in your placement?

2. Develop an on-line presentation of education skills and education needs in your

placement and make available this presentation to EMRA students (use one of the e-

LLL tools proposed).

3. Propose an action plan for the best use of LLL for development in your placement

(define goals, degree course, accreditation system, methodology and evaluation).

Module 8 – Diversification of rural economies

1. Why farmers and other representatives of rural population seek for additional

incomes?

2. Is this phenomenon influenced and shaped by the process of globalisation of the

world socio-economic system and, if so, how?

3. How the Common Agricultural Policy and EU Structural Funds can facilitate

diversification of rural economies?

4. What are the most important fields and means of diversification of income of rural

inhabitants?

V. - SKILLS TO BE ACQUIRED

1. Critical analysis and planning methods

2. Ability to visualize ideas in plans

3. Ability to compare different effects of strategic decisions

4. Ability to link and interpret interdisciplinary knowledge

5. Flexibility and creativity


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