Barlett Agricultural Decision Making

Anthropological Contributions to Rural Development
1. Auflage 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4832-6841-5
Verlag: Elsevier Science & Techn.
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 395 Seiten, Web PDF

Agricultural Decision Making: Anthropological Contributions to Rural Development presents the impact of farmers' choices in agricultural production. This book discusses how individual decisions determine household profits and well-being, capital requirements, land use, and the adoption of technology. Organized into three parts encompassing 14 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the theoretical and methodological questions concerning the use of formal models in evaluating the alternatives open to farmers. This text then explores the patterns of agricultural choices within one rural community. Other chapters consider the implications of decision-making research for agricultural development policy and explore the decision-making context of aid programs. This book discusses as well the impacts of nonagricultural alternatives on agricultural decisions. The final chapter deals with various policy and development programs for agricultural development. This book is a valuable resource for economic anthropologists, historians, economists, agricultural economists, rural sociologists, psychologists, farmers, and research workers.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Barlett, Peggy F.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Front Cover;1
2;Agricultural Decision Making: Anthropological Contributions to Rural Development;4
3;Copyright Page;5
4;Table of Contents;6
5;List of Contributors;12
6;Prefac;14
7;Chapter 1. Introduction: Development Issues and Economic Anthropology;18
7.1;Anthropology and the World Food Crisis;18
7.2;Overview of the Volume;19
7.3;Some Issues ond ï New Role for Agriculture;20
7.4;The Historicol Perspective on Intensificotion and Development;22
7.5;Economic Anthropology ond Reseorch Perspectives;24
7.6;Issues in Agricultural Decision Research;26
7.7;References;31
8;PART I: THEORETICAL ISSUES AND METHODOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES;34
8.1;Chapter 2. The Limits of Formalism in Agricultural Decision Research;36
8.1.1;Predicting Observed Outcomes from Formol Models in Economic Anthropology;38
8.1.2;The Irreducible Need for Ethnography: Political Considerations;54
8.1.3;Acknowledgement;58
8.1.4;References;58
8.1.5;Chapter 3. A Theory of Real-Life Choice: Applications to Agricultural Decisions;62
8.1.6;Introduction;62
8.1.7;Outline of the Theory;63
8.1.8;Aspects;64
8.1.9;Decision Trees;79
8.1.10;Conclusion;98
8.1.11;Acknowledgements;99
8.1.12;References;99
8.2;Chapter 4. The Statistical Behavior Approach: The Choice between Wage Labor and Cash Cropping in Rural Belize;104
8.2.1;Studying Economic Choice;105
8.2.2;Economic Conditions in Rural Belize;108
8.2.3;Research Sites;111
8.2.4;The Costs of Living in the Two Villages;112
8.2.5;The Choice between Woge Lobor ond Cosh Cropping;113
8.2.6;Statistical Analysis;116
8.2.7;Ethnographic Interpretation;121
8.2.8;Practical Implications;123
8.2.9;Advantages and Limitations of Statistical Analysis;124
8.2.10;Appendix: Statistical Methods;127
8.2.11;Acknowledgments;128
8.2.12;References;129
8.3;Chapter 5. The Attentive–Preattentive Distinction in Agricultural Decision Making;132
8.3.1;Definition of Preottentive Processes and Some Agricultural Examples;134
8.3.2;Stage 1 and "Ethnoagronomy";136
8.3.3;Preotfentive Assumptions Made by Formers and Agronomists; Resulting Difficulties in Communication and Innovation;141
8.3.4;Evaluation of New Agricultural Technology;146
8.3.5;Acknowledgements;151
8.3.6;References;151
8.4;Chapter 6. Cost–Benefit Analysis: A Test of Alternative Methodologies;154
8.4.1;Research Goals;155
8.4.2;The Fomily Cycle ond Agricultural Decisions;162
8.4.3;Possible Distortions in the Traditional Economic Calculations;167
8.4.4;Returns to Labor—Bigger Families;170
8.4.5;Qualitative Costs and Benefits;171
8.4.6;Acknowledgments;175
8.4.7;References;176
8.5;Chapter 7. Risk and Uncertainty in Agricultural Decision Making;178
8.5.1;Normative Economics: Decision Making without Distinguishing Risk and Uncertainty;180
8.5.2;Decision Making under Uncertainty: Predicting Behavior;183
8.5.3;Data and Tests;185
8.5.4;Discussion;190
8.5.5;Acknowledgments;192
8.5.6;References;192
8.6;Chapter 8. Forecasts, Decisions, and the Farmer's Response to Uncertain Environments;194
8.6.1;The Processing of Information;197
8.6.2;The Formulation of Expectations;204
8.6.3;Acknowledgments;216
8.6.4;References;217
8.7;Chapter 9. Management Style: A Concept and a Method for the Analysis of Family-Operated Agricultural Enterprise;220
8.7.1;Introduction;220
8.7.2;The Concept of Management Style;225
8.7.3;The Folk Categories of Management Style;227
8.7.4;Criteria for Management Style and the Making of a Scale;233
8.7.5;Social Causes and Correlates of Management Style: A Summary;246
8.7.6;References;252
9;PART II: PATTERNS OF AGRICULTURAL DECISIONS;256
9.1;Chapter 10. Agricultural Business Choices in a Mexican Village;258
9.1.1;Cuonojo ond its History of Business Complexity;259
9.1.2;The Business Opportunity Mop of Cuonojo;261
9.1.3;Returns on Investments in Cuonajo's Businesses;266
9.1.4;Business Entry Decisions;272
9.1.5;Agricultural Business Combinotions;276
9.1.6;Choices of Agricultural Businesses;279
9.1.7;Summary;280
9.1.8;References;281
9.2;Chapter 11. Agrarian Reform and Economic Development: When Is a Landlorda Client and a Sharecropper His Patron?;282
9.2.1;Introduction;282
9.2.2;Land and Land Use;289
9.2.3;The Traditional Sharecropping System;291
9.2.4;Foctor Shores by Economic Anolysis;293
9.2.5;Acknowledgments;303
9.2.6;References;303
9.3;Chapter 12. Stratification and Decision Making in the Use of New Agricultural Technology;306
9.3.1;Model 1—The Homogeneity Model;307
9.3.2;Model 2—The Linear Model;309
9.3.3;Model 3—The Middle-Closs Conservatism Model;310
9.3.4;Model 4—The Modified Middle-Closs Conservatism Model;310
9.3.5;Historical ond Ethnographic Background;311
9.3.6;Wealth Homogeneity or Heterogeneity?;313
9.3.7;Wealth and Adoption of New Technology—Chemical Fertilizer;317
9.3.8;Economics of Corn Production;322
9.3.9;The Economies of Pradera Production;327
9.3.10;Wealth and Pradera Adoption in 1977;329
9.3.11;Summary and Conclusions;331
9.3.12;Acknowledgment;332
9.3.13;References;333
10;PART III: IAGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY AND PROGRAMS;336
10.1;Chapter 13. Decision Making and Policymaking in Rural Development;338
10.1.1;Do Attitudes Make a Difference?;340
10.1.2;Poor Formers Profit When They Con;344
10.1.3;Rurol Poverty as Sociol Process;347
10.1.4;Policy Implicotions;350
10.1.5;References;350
10.2;Chapter 14. Agricultural Decision Making in Foreign Assistance: An Anthropological Analysis;354
10.2.1;The Ideological Setting;358
10.2.2;The Organizational Setting;360
10.2.3;The Decision-Making Process;368
10.2.4;The Chollenge of the New Directions Congressional Mandate;373
10.2.5;References;382
11;Subject Index;388
12;STUDIES IN ANTHROPOLOGY;396