Rural household in emerging societies

All the papers presented in this book, with one exception, that by Paul Richards, were first discussed at a workshop held at the School of African and Asian Studies, University of Sussex, in September 1989. Underlying the broad title of the workshop was the thesis that there is a two-way relationship between technology and tech nological change on the one hand, and other elements of rural change-demographic, economic, social, cultural and political - on the other. The focus throughout our discussions was upon change, the experiences of rural households as social and economic actors in the constantly altering circumstances of rural life.

The book argues for greater caution in predicting the advent of any apparently unambiguous phenomenon called 'rural develop ment'. It also suggests various changes in approach both to analysis and to research and extension, while through case-studies of par ticular communities it assesses the wide-ranging impacts of past experiences of technical change on rural households.