TY - JOUR

T1 - Not All About Farming: Understanding Aspirations Can Challenge Assumptions About Rural Development

AU - Mausch, Kai

AU - Harris, Dave

AU - Dilley, Luke

AU - Crossland, Mary

AU - Pagella, Tim

AU - Yim, Jules

AU - Jones, Emma

PY - 2021/8/1

Y1 - 2021/8/1

N2 - Rural development is a political topic in which debate has been more focussed on externally identified needs than on demands or aspirations of the rural population and polarised between the attractions of urban income earning opportunities and the importance of rural farming communities for national food provision. The heterogeneity of local aspirations and their implications for development have barely been considered. We explore the aspirations of residents of three contrasting regions in Kenya that vary in their agricultural and off-farm potential. We argue that opportunities are a major framing influence on aspirations but there is important, and routinely overlooked, diversity within the communities which could inform future options for effective development. We outline how development initiatives could be redesigned to align more closely with aspirations. However, aspirations are a complex concept and, while our approach offered novel insights, these would be enriched when combined with household survey data

AB - Rural development is a political topic in which debate has been more focussed on externally identified needs than on demands or aspirations of the rural population and polarised between the attractions of urban income earning opportunities and the importance of rural farming communities for national food provision. The heterogeneity of local aspirations and their implications for development have barely been considered. We explore the aspirations of residents of three contrasting regions in Kenya that vary in their agricultural and off-farm potential. We argue that opportunities are a major framing influence on aspirations but there is important, and routinely overlooked, diversity within the communities which could inform future options for effective development. We outline how development initiatives could be redesigned to align more closely with aspirations. However, aspirations are a complex concept and, while our approach offered novel insights, these would be enriched when combined with household survey data

KW - Livelihoods

KW - Kenya

KW - Project design

KW - Diversity

KW - Farming

KW - Off-farm employment

KW - Incomes

KW - SenseMaker&#174

KW - Moyens de subsistance

KW - conception de projet

KW - diversit&#233

KW - agriculture

KW - emploi non agricole

KW - revenus

U2 - 10.1057/s41287-021-00398-w

DO - 10.1057/s41287-021-00398-w

M3 - Article

VL - 33

SP - 861

EP - 884

JO - Journal of Development Research

JF - Journal of Development Research

SN - 0957-8811

IS - 4

ER -