Collaborative, Comparative, Comprehensive Research in Rural Canada: observations and implications

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Collaborative, Comparative, Comprehensive Research in Rural

Canada: observations and implications



Bill Reimer and Ray BollmanBill Reimer and Ray Bollman

with the NREwith the NRE22 Team [email protected]@vax2.concordia.ca

2005/07/122005/07/12

Tom Beckley

David Bruce

Omer Chouinard

Ivan Emke

Greg Halseth

Bruno Jean

Patrice LeBlanc

Dianne Looker

Diane Martz

Solange Nadeau

John Parkins

Steve Plante

Doug Ramsey

Richard Stedman

Ellen Wall

Derek Wilkinson

Anna Woodrow

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Observations - 1Observations - 1

• Rural Canada is diverseRural Canada is diverse

• Primary industries are shedding labourPrimary industries are shedding labour

• Manufacturing and services competitiveManufacturing and services competitive

• Social capital is criticalSocial capital is critical

• Environment more importantEnvironment more important

• Knowledge-intensive employment growingKnowledge-intensive employment growing

• Communication and transportation price fallingCommunication and transportation price falling

3

Observations - 2Observations - 2

•Youth leaving, families returningYouth leaving, families returning

• Industry has concentratedIndustry has concentrated

•Government services more centralizedGovernment services more centralized

•Rural aging fastestRural aging fastest

•Rural perceived as safeRural perceived as safe

• Immigration strongImmigration strong

•Rural and urban Canada are interdependentRural and urban Canada are interdependent

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Rural Canada is diverseRural Canada is diverse

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A Preliminary Typology of CanadaWestern Canada

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A Preliminary Typology of CanadaEastern Canada

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The NRE Sample FrameThe NRE Sample FrameLow CapacityHigh Capacity

LagLeadLagLead

Distant

Adjac.

Distant

Adjac.

Distant

Adjac.

Distant

Adjac.

Local Exposed

Stable

Fluctu-ating

Stable

56169915

45710012

1351612

9454

3018165

198264

4412413251

154627175Fluctu-ating

Global Exposed

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NRE…The Rural ObservatoryNRE…The Rural Observatory

…an International Network

…an International Network

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Global exposure means low population growth

Global exposure means low population growth

-5

0

5

10

15

20

low medium high

Exposure to the Global Economy

%popchg

1986-911991-961996-01

Constant boundary CSDs

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Policy Implications - 1Policy Implications - 1

•Manage tradeoffs: commodity Manage tradeoffs: commodity economies and community vitalityeconomies and community vitality

•Regional collaboration strategicRegional collaboration strategic

•Local adaptation to policies criticalLocal adaptation to policies critical

•Local learning and power criticalLocal learning and power critical

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Social capital is criticalSocial capital is critical

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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

Common FocusCommon Focus

RELATIONS & CHOICES

Market

Bureaucratic

Associative

Communal

outcomes can become outcomes can become new assets and new assets and

liabilitiesliabilities

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Market

Associative Commun

al

R ob s onE con om ic

Jon esS oc ia l

P o ls onP o lit ica l

S m ithP res id en t

Bureaucratic

High Capacity = Agility with all systems

The Type of Social Relation MattersThe Type of Social Relation Matters

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Social capital is changingSocial capital is changing

•From Associative and Communal to From Associative and Communal to Market and BureaucraticMarket and Bureaucratic

•From local to regionalFrom local to regional•These changes stress local voluntary These changes stress local voluntary

groupsgroups•Market and associative support Market and associative support

economic performanceeconomic performance•Stresses and impacts vary by contextStresses and impacts vary by context

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Context Matters for CapacityContext Matters for Capacity

Index of Associative Social Capital

highlow

Est

imat

ed M

argi

nal M

eans

60000

50000

40000

Exposure

Local

Global

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. R2 = .04

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•Available social capital is not Available social capital is not always usedalways used

•Social capital is not always positiveSocial capital is not always positive•Social capital norms can undermine Social capital norms can undermine

alliancesalliances•Context affects social capital Context affects social capital

impactsimpacts

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Rural and Urban are InterdependentRural and Urban are Interdependent

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• Trade and commerceTrade and commerce Goods, Finance, Services, People, InformationGoods, Finance, Services, People, Information

• Functional integrationFunctional integration Carbon sequestration, water protection, recreationCarbon sequestration, water protection, recreation

• Institutional integrationInstitutional integration Health, education, social economy, NGOs, familyHealth, education, social economy, NGOs, family

• Common environmentsCommon environments Water, air, climateWater, air, climate

• Common identitiesCommon identities Local, regional, national, internationalLocal, regional, national, international

Rural and Urban InterdependenceRural and Urban Interdependence

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•Rural largely on their ownRural largely on their own

•Look to urban interestsLook to urban interests

•Strategic interdependenceStrategic interdependence Food, water, environmentFood, water, environment

•Develop common forumsDevelop common forums

•Research interdependenceResearch interdependence

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ConclusionsConclusions

•Social dynamics require depth of analysisSocial dynamics require depth of analysis

•Contextual conditions require comparisonContextual conditions require comparison

•Distance and complexity require Distance and complexity require collaborationcollaboration

•Marginalization requires initiativeMarginalization requires initiative

•Collaborative, comparative, comprehensive Collaborative, comparative, comprehensive research produces useful resultsresearch produces useful results

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The New Rural Economy ProjectThe New Rural Economy Projecthttp://nre.concordia.cahttp://nre.concordia.ca

http://www.crrf.cahttp://www.crrf.ca2005/07/122005/07/12

[email protected]@vax2.concordia.ca

http://nre.concordia.ca/

http://www.crrf.ca/

Documents

Collaborative, Comparative, Comprehensive Research in Rural Canada: observations and implications