Rural Sociology and Human Development in Agribusiness

Rural Sociology and Human Development in Agribusiness aims to develop Learners' understanding of rural societies, social structures and human development issues affecting agricultural communities. Learners examine culture, socialisation, social differences, rural institutions, social change, population dynamics, gender, health and human development in agriculture. On completion, Learners will be able to analyse social factors influencing agribusiness and apply sociological and human development perspectives to support inclusive rural development. This unit forms part of the ICM Level 5 Diploma in Agribusiness Management Professional Qualification.

Culture and Basic Socialisation

• Meaning of culture and socialisation
• Social fabric of rural culture: community bonds, mutual assistance, trust, reciprocity, social capital
• Social structures, norms, values and roles
• Deviant behaviour and social control: deviance, social control, labelling theory, restorative justice
• Indigenous knowledge systems in agriculture: traditional crop varieties, livestock breeds, soil and water conservation, pest management, weather prediction, relevance to agribusiness

Social Differences and Community Organisation

• Groups and group dynamics: primary groups, secondary groups, reference groups, group cohesion, groupthink
• Social stratification, class, gender and ethnicity: caste, class, gender stratification, ethnic stratification, intersectionality, social mobility
• Community organisation and collective action: community-based organisations, farmer field schools, watershed committees, self-help groups, collective action for natural resource management
• Power relations and social inclusion: power, empowerment, marginalisation, exclusion, social inclusion strategies
• Social capital and rural networks: bonding social capital, bridging social capital, linking social capital, network analysis
• Inter-generational change in farming: youth out-migration from agriculture, ageing farmer population, succession planning, barriers to youth entry, policy support

Rural Social Institutions

• Family and household systems: nuclear family, extended family, household composition, gender division of labour, inter-generational transfer of farming knowledge, land inheritance patterns
• Education and agricultural knowledge: formal education, non-formal education, informal education, knowledge gaps
• Health systems and rural wellbeing: access to healthcare, health-seeking behaviour, traditional medicine, health insurance
• Workplace and labour institutions: labour laws enforcement, trade unions in agriculture, employer associations, informal labour arrangements
• Politics, governance and local leadership: local government, traditional authorities, leadership styles, accountability
• Social licence to operate in agribusiness: definition, community relations, trust, land use conflicts, withdrawal of social licence

Causes and Processes of Social Change

• Theories of social change: evolutionary theory, conflict theory, functionalist theory, cyclical theory, modernisation theory, dependency theory, world-systems theory
• Types of social change: planned, unplanned, gradual and rapid
• Technology, markets and rural transformation: green revolution, digital revolution, market integration, commercialisation
• Urbanisation, migration and changing rural livelihoods: rural-urban migration, remittances, circular migration, pluriactivity, livelihood diversification
• Resistance to change and community adaptation: cultural barriers, structural barriers, psychological barriers, adaptation strategies

Population Dynamics and Human Development

• Demography and rural population change: fertility rates, mortality rates, life expectancy, age structure, dependency ratio, population pyramids for agricultural communities
• Gender in agriculture and agribusiness: gender division of labour, gender gap in access to resources, women's empowerment, gender-responsive agricultural programming
• Health issues affecting agricultural labour productivity: communicable diseases (HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, COVID-19 and pandemic preparedness), non-communicable diseases (diabetes, hypertension, mental health, farmer stress and suicide), occupational injuries (machinery accidents, chemical exposure, falls, confined spaces, animal handling), nutrition and food safety (undernutrition and stunting, aflatoxin, pesticide poisoning)
• Land tenure systems and implications for agribusiness investment: land ownership, land rental, land registration and titling, land reform, land grabs, implications for agribusiness investment, risk, due diligence, free prior and informed consent (FPIC), responsible investment frameworks
• Human development, livelihoods and wellbeing: Human Development Index, sustainable livelihoods framework, wellbeing
• Inclusive rural development and sustainable agribusiness practice: social licence to operate, community engagement, avoiding land use conflicts, corporate social responsibility in agriculture