Viewed mainly as the growth of manufacturing sector as opposed to agriculture and the increased use of inanimate sources of power in the production of goods and services, rural industrialization offers the greatest scope for absorbing the existing and growing labour force outside the field of agriculture. However, rural industrial scene continues to be characterised by the concentration of labour force in agriculture, predominance of traditional crafts, low levels of technology, hereditary mode of production, poor productivity and returns and low labour efficiency and utilisation. Besides glorification of traditional crafts and self-employment, caste-industry nexus, and above all policy bias in favour of agriculture as against industry and large and medium capital-intensive industries as against small village and cottage industries also worked as strong impediments to the development of rural crafts. Drawing from the nationwide experiences, this book examines the problems of the growth and modernisation of rural industries from socio-economic perspectives and probes into the organisational and technology system underlying their production structure with all its implications an ramifications. The reversal of the policy favouring large modern industry sector and the spread of tiny small industries throughout the country with full package of organisational, technical, financial and marketing support in adequate measure have been strongly advocated. In addition, the integration of the development of rural industries with the overall programme of industrialisation was emphasized.

This book investigates the relationships between rural poverty, risk, and development. Building upon the author's work in the area, it summarises the contributions of recent theoretical and empirical work to our understanding of how risk affects rural poverty levels in developing countries. In particular the book examines what we do and do not know about risk coping strategies among today's poor rural societies. Ways in which these strategies may be re-examined and improved by governments and international organisations are proposed.

By addressing themes such as social and economic change, government policy and gender relations, this volume tackles the thematic complexities of sustainability. It attempts to understand how small rural communities have survived in the past, what factors shaped them, and how these factors will impact on their future survival.

Women Self-Help Groups Are Increasingly Being Used As Tool For Various Developmental Interventions. Credit And Its Delivery Through Self-Help Groups Have Also Been Taken As A Means For Empowerment Of Rural Women.This Integrated Approach, Whereby, Credit Is Only An Entry Point, And An Instrument To Operationalise Other Aspects Of Group Dynamics And Management, Also Caters To The Need For Social Intermediation Of These Groups. A Self-Help Group Is Conceived As A Sustainable People S Institution That Provides The Poor Rural Women With Space And Support Necessary For Them To Take Effective Steps Towards Achieving Greater Control Of Their Lives.It Is With This Perspective That This Book Has Been Attempted.This Work Seeks To Elucidate And Simplify The Approach To Women S Empowerment Through Credit-Based Self-Help Groups, By Both Providing The Theoretical Perspective As Well As Practical Guidance And Tips To Operationalise The Same. This Book Is Meant Primarily As A First Level Reader For Middle Level Functionaries In The Development Sector.

Latino high school students in rural communities talk about dropping out of school.