1 Building Rural Capacity in the New Economy Bill Reimer with the NRE 2 Team Tom Beckley David Bruce Omer Chouinard Ivan Emke Greg Halseth Bruno Jean Patrice LeBlanc Diane Martz Steve Plante Doug Ramsey Ellen Wall Derek Wilkinson Anna Woodrow

2 Outline What are CRRF and the NRE? What are CRRF and the NRE? Research Design Research Design Theoretical Framework Theoretical Framework  Capacity, social capital, social cohesion Measurement Measurement Key Findings Key Findings Challenges Challenges Strategies Strategies Emerging Issues Emerging Issues

3 What is CRRF? Researchers, Policy-Makers, Business- People, Activists, Rural People Researchers, Policy-Makers, Business- People, Activists, Rural People Established in 1987 Established in 1987 Research and Education Research and Education Spring Workshops, Fall Conferences Spring Workshops, Fall Conferences Not-For-Profit Not-For-Profit Improve Quality of Life for all Rural Canadians Improve Quality of Life for all Rural Canadians

4 Why establish the NRE? Lack of appropriate information Lack of appropriate information Lack of comparisons Lack of comparisons Lack of communication and collaboration Lack of communication and collaboration

5 The NRE Project Established in 1997 Established in researchers from all across Canada researchers from all across Canada Rural Observatory – 32 rural sites Rural Observatory – 32 rural sites 2 sites in Japan 2 sites in Japan Data collection and analysis Data collection and analysis Workshops and conferences Workshops and conferences Researchers, Policy-makers, Rural People Researchers, Policy-makers, Rural People International collaboration International collaboration

6 NRE Sample Frame Dimensions exposure to global economies exposure to global economies stability of the local economy stability of the local economy adjacency to metro regions adjacency to metro regions social and institutional capacity social and institutional capacity leading or lagging status leading or lagging status

7 The NRE Sample Frame Low CapacityHigh Capacity LagLead LagLead Distant Adjac. Distant Adjac. Distant Adjac. Distant Adjac. Local Exposed Stable Fluctu- ating Stable Fluctu- ating Global Exposed

8 NRE…The Rural Observatory …an International Network

Census CSDs 1991 Census CSDs 1996 Census CSDs 2001 Census CSDs Common- Boundary Census CSDs Profile 1998 Profile 2000 Profile 2003 Field Site Profile Series Capacity Interview s 1999 Capacity Interview s 2000 Capacity Interview s 2001 Capacity Interviews Field Site Taxfiler Series HH Survey 2001 Household Survey 2001 Municipal Finances CSD Trajectories

10 NRE Project to the site to the household linking the world both ways

11 Linkages create challenges Constant boundary CSDs

12 How can rural Canada (re)vitalize? Identify the conditions that have contributed to devitalization Identify the conditions that have contributed to devitalization Organize assets and resources to do the things considered important Organize assets and resources to do the things considered important This ability to organize is: Capacity Capacity transforms assets into valued outcomes

13 ASSETS Economic Capital Human Skills and Abilities Social Capital Natural Resources OUTCOMES Economic wealth Social and political inclusion Social Cohesion Environmental security Social and self- worth Health Personal security Capacity Model RELATIONS & CHOICES Market Bureaucratic Associative Communal outcomes can become new assets and liabilities

14 Context Matters exposure to global economies stability of the local economy adjacency to metro regions social and institutional capacity ASSETS Economic Capital Human Skills and Abilities Social Capital Natural Resources PROCESSES Market Bureaucratic Associative Communal OUTCOMES Economic wealth Social and political inclusion Social Cohesion Environmental security Social and self- worth Health Personal Security outcomes can become new assets and liabilities CAPACITY MODEL

15 Market Associative Communal Bureaucratic High Capacity = Agility among systems Capacity is embedded in Social Relations

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17 Social Capital One type of asset or resource (stock) One type of asset or resource (stock) Social assets potentially useful for outcomes Social assets potentially useful for outcomes Based in four types of social relations and action Based in four types of social relations and action relationships, networks, and associated norms that can facilitate collective action

18 How is social capital to be measured? Social capital is about social relations Social capital is about social relations Reflected in institutions, organizations, groups, networks (AVAILABLE social capital) Reflected in institutions, organizations, groups, networks (AVAILABLE social capital) Reflected in the USE of these groups and networks Reflected in the USE of these groups and networks Rooted in 4 types of social relations Rooted in 4 types of social relations

19 Measuring AVAILABLE Social Capital Market relations: Enterprises, Financial institutions (formal and informal), commercial services Market relations: Enterprises, Financial institutions (formal and informal), commercial services Bureaucratic relations: Schools, Gov’t organizations, corporations Bureaucratic relations: Schools, Gov’t organizations, corporations Associative relations: Voluntary associations Associative relations: Voluntary associations Communal relations: Family networks, Daycares, Senior citizens’ centres, Religious organizations, Community-integration events Communal relations: Family networks, Daycares, Senior citizens’ centres, Religious organizations, Community-integration events

20 Measuring USE of Social Capital Market-based: Employment, M-Internet, market services, employment organizations, market support Market-based: Employment, M-Internet, market services, employment organizations, market support Bureaucratic-based: B-Internet, bureaucratic services, actions re. bureaucracies, bureaucratic support Bureaucratic-based: B-Internet, bureaucratic services, actions re. bureaucracies, bureaucratic support Associative-based: A-Internet, associative services, associative-based groups, associative actions, associative support Associative-based: A-Internet, associative services, associative-based groups, associative actions, associative support Communal-based: C-Internet, sharing goods, sharing services, family support Communal-based: C-Internet, sharing goods, sharing services, family support

21 AVAILABLE Social Capital is not always USED AVAILABILITY of Social Capital (Site-level) USE of SoKp (HH-level) MarketBureau.Assoc.Comm.Total Market Bureaucratic Associative Communal * Total (r) (N=1849) Unless otherwise indicated p<.01; * p<.05 Availability is measured at the site level (Source: NRE Site Profiles 2000) Use is measured at the household level (Source: NRE HH Survey 2001) Focusing on one type will distort results and policies

22 Correlations are all positive for types of social capital used Bureau.Assoc.Comm’nl Market Bureau Assoc..29 No substitutions Policy: Weak safety net But: Complementary Policy: Local strength in one can be used to build capacity in others (r) 1995 HHs – sums of logged items p<.01 Source: NRE HH Survey 2001

23 Context Matters for Capacity HH Income by Associative Social Capital and Global Exposure The use of social capital increases HH incomes …but not if exposure to the global economy is low Public expenditure on associative social capital will have higher impact in globally exposed sites NRE HH Survey 2001 (N=1698) Adj. R 2 =.04

24 Income Interactions Low income High income

25 Global Exposure Interactions Low Exposure Global Exposure High Exposure

26 Perception vs. Behaviour-based Indicators of Social Cohesion MarketBureauAssoc.ComnlTotal Community Cohesion Psychol. Cohesion Attract- iveness Neighbour- liness (r) All correlations significant at.01 level (2-tailed) Source: NRE HH survey 2001: 1991 respondents Return

27 Challenges of NRE-Style Research Finances: long term and multiple sites Finances: long term and multiple sites Multiple disciplines Multiple disciplines Research, Citizen, Policy collaboration Research, Citizen, Policy collaboration Institutional Obstacles Institutional Obstacles  Academics and participation-based research  Small universities and careers Hierarchal analysis Hierarchal analysis

28 Strategies CRRF (inclusive) and NRE (inclusive) CRRF (inclusive) and NRE (inclusive) Field site day, workshops, conferences Field site day, workshops, conferences Junior and Senior division of labour Junior and Senior division of labour Integrate students and prepare for turnover Integrate students and prepare for turnover Integrate policy-makers in multiple ways Integrate policy-makers in multiple ways Multiple forms of knowledge mobilization Multiple forms of knowledge mobilization

29 Emerging Issues Rural-Urban relations Rural-Urban relations  Changing functions: carbon sequestration, pollution processing, natural amenties  Common interests: food, water, environment Immigration and rural revitalization Immigration and rural revitalization New forms of governance New forms of governance  Challenges of private, public, civic sector relations  Accountability and representation

30 Building Rural Capacity in the New Economy The New Rural Economy Project /03/10