Integrated rural development - The concept and its operation
Abstract
Our paper explores, on a theoretical level, the reason for frequent failures of rural development policies and identifies some potential improvements in rural policy making in Europe. Our approach to des/integration concerns actors, resources, institutions, knowledge, the fundamental logic of development, and the interplay between two distinct levels of rural development: the level of policies, or central intervention; and the level of local aspirations aimed at improving everyday rural life. Along these lines, two characteristic systems of rural development – the central bureaucratic and the local heuristic – can be clearly identified. Ideally, these should work in co-operation, complementing each other, forming an integrated development system, where rural policy serves to (i) channel resources, establish strategic aims and development models in a top-down mode, and (ii) convey information and mediate social, economic, political interests in a bottom-up mode. However, lack of integration and divergence of interest can lead to dysfunction, conflict and dissipation within the system. We argue that rural development policies tend to fail because the central bureaucratic system imposes top-down control and objectives throughout the development process, thus failing to sufficiently promote the reconfiguration of local resources, which is better achieved through bottom-up processes and the local heuristic system. In other words, the tendency to disjunction between the two basic socio-political systems of rural development is the main reason for the failure of rural development policy. The paper offers analytical models of integrated and non-integrated rural development systems and illustrates the argument through some examples taken from the community initiatives and the pre-accession policies of the European Union. The study is in two halves. The first half elaborates the concept of ‘integrated rural development’. based on international literature. The second part offers a few new conceptions, as a contribution to the ‘new rural development theory’ and simple models of integrated and non-integrated development.Download Info
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Paper provided by Institute of Economics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences in its series IEHAS Discussion Papers with number 0506.Length: 54 pages
Date of creation: 2005
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:has:discpr:0506
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Related research
Keywords: Rural development; local development; rural policy; European Union; LEADER Programme; centre-periphery; local governance;Find related papers by JEL classification:
- O2 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy
- N5 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries
- P5 - Economic Systems - - Comparative Economic Systems
- Q0 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General
- R0 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General
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Citations
Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- L. J. Fredericks, 2012. "Exploring the Spatial Dimensions of Rural Development Models in Malaysia 1957-2007," Institutions and Economies (formerly known as International Journal of Institutions and Economies), Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya, vol. 4(1), pages 47-62, April.
- Margarian, Anne, 2010. "Methodische Ansätze zur Quantifizierung der Arbeitsplatzeffekte von Maßnahmen zur ländlichen Entwicklung," Arbeitsberichte aus der vTI-Agrarökonomie 10/2010, Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut (vTI) - Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries.
- Dobay, Krisztina Melinda, 2011. "The Role Of Knowledge-Based Networks In The Sustainable Development Of The Rural Space," Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Institute of Agricultural Economics, vol. 8(2), pages 213-220.
- Margarian, Anne, 2010. "Methodische Ansätze zur Quantifizierung der Arbeitsplatzeffekte von Maßnahmen zur ländlichen Entwicklung," Reports 102642, Johann Heinrich von Thuenen-Institut (vTI), Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries Institute of Farm Economics, Institute of Market Analysis and Agricultural Trade Policy, .
- Vermeire, Bert & Gellynck, Xavier & De Steur, Hans & Viaene, Jacques, 2008. "Networks in Rural Economy: Valorising Endogenous and Exogenous Drivers of Innovation," 110th Seminar, February 18-22, 2008, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria 49846, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
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