DR.K.

KAVITHA MAHESWARI
PG AND RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK
SHRIMATI INDIRA GANDHI COLLEGE
TIRUCHIRAPALLI-2
Subject code: P16SW32A
Semester: III
Contents
 Rural community: Meaning, Characteristics, traits
 Social work in rural community development
 Rural reconstruction
 Earlier experiments in rural community development
 Functions of rural development administration
 Constraints to rural development
Rural community
 A rural community is a geographically secluded
community, which has a low population density. It
lives in a land that is typically devoted to agriculture.
 It is one of the three primary life’s of communities
defined by educational experts, the other two are sub –
urban and urban. Rural community is one that is
typically conservative, with a local economy centered
on farming.
Characteristics of rural community

 A rural area is outside of the city or town.

 Usually there is very low population
 Illiteracy is most common in adults in areas of
poverties and rural settlement.
 Illiteracy in rural areas cane be two or three times
higher than urban areas.
Traits of rural community
 Social homogeneity:
The rural community is largely homogenous. The rural
social life is simple and smooth going. Unity and
uniformity in social life are largely visible. Similarly in the
ways of thinking, behaving, dressing, action and living.

 Dominance of primacy relations:

The rural communities are characterized by the primary
relations. There exist face to face relations among people.
The rural communities are relatively small in size. The
members frequently meat and maintain regular contacts.
Traits of rural community
 Informal social control:
social control is that of social behaviors of people is relatively
simple and less problematic. Formal means of social conduct
such as law legislation, police, court etc are not resorted to in
normal situations to maintain the social order.

 Occupations:
The rural community is marked by a predominant type of
occupations that is agriculture. It is associated in the different
crafts like potters, basket – making, spinning, weaving,
carpentry, brick – making, washing clothes, barbering, building
houses, toy making and oil grinding.
Traits of rural community
Importoance of family:
Rural community is built around the institutions of family.

Role of neighbourhood:
Neighbors share the joys and sorrows together.

Faith in religion.
Conservation and dogmatism:

Rural people’s social attitudes and behavior patterns are

dictated by traditions.
Social work in rural development
 Rural development is one of the fields of social work.
Development of the rural areas has been one of the
major concerns of the five year plans in India. An
increase in the productive potential of the rural
economy is an essential condition for finding effective
solutions to the problems of rural poverty.
Role of social work in rural development

Through Social Work:

 Dissemination of knowledge about various developmental
programmes including benefits, eligibility – procedures etc.
 Can prevent malpractices.
 Can persuade and pressurize the Govt. to take up measures
instrumental for development.
 Can prevent rural poor from exploitation.
 Can help in the implementation of laws.
 Can promote the value of self-employment, provision of training,
resource mobilization and marketing etc.
 Create awareness on new tools, equipment methods, techniques
and ways of using them for their economic development.
 Changing the attitudes and beliefs of rural people.
Rural social structure
 The rural community is marked by several features.
They are,
 Community Consciousness.
 Role of Neighborhood.
 Faith in Religion.
 Simplicity
 Joint Family
 It also includes Peace, Security, Cooperation and
Intelligence.
Gandhian approach to rural
development
 Mahatma Gandhi is not only a politician but an economic,
social and religious reformer too. He felt that Swaraaj or
Self Government was to mean anything for the villagers
life. He promoted Khaddar to make each village have
sufficient cloth. In 1934, All India Village Industries
Association for the revival and encouragement of various
dead and dying industries, besides the Central one of hand
spinning and for promoting the reconstruction and re
organization of village life. Through this the village
industries like hand- pounded rice, hand ground flour,
soap making, bee keeping, tanning and leather work and
paper making. The All India Village Industries Association
also aimed at training village welfare workers and
established a training school at Wardha.
Gandhian approach to rural
development
 All India Village Industries Association had a Central
Khadhi Vidhyalaya at Sevagram where training is imparted
for the various Diploma Examination. In 1941 was
established the Go-Seva Sangh to bring about an all round
improvement in the condition of the Cow and in during the
public to patronize Cow’s milk and milk products,
encourage scientific breading and reorganizing the
working of Goshalas. Wardha scheme of education with
basic craft skill development as the centre and social
reformers worked on removal of untouchability. For the
uplift of the harijans he organized the harijan Seva Sangh
iin 1932 which was useful for the upliftment of Harijans.
Contribution made by Shri
Rabindranath Tagore
 Tagores’ approach to the problem was quite different
form Gandhji. For the Poet, the problem of rural
reconstruction required not only the removal of
poverty but also the adding of joy to the life the
villagers.
Contribution made by Shri
Rabindranath Tagore
He preferred the beautiful village over the prosperous village.
Hence he established Sriniketan, the Institute of Rural
Reconstruction in 1921, along with Vishwa – Bharat at Bolpur.

The objects of the institute were:

 To assist the villagers in solving their problems.
 To take their problems to the class room for study and then their
solutions to the village.
 To develop their resources and credit.
 To teach them better methods of growing crops and vegetables
and of keeping live stock.
 To encourage them to learn and practice arts and crafts and to
bring home to them the benefits of associated life, mutual aid
and common endeavor.
contributions of C.Subramanian
C.Subramanian is as Indian Politician, freedom fighter who
served as the State and Central Minister and Government
of State. He strived to achieve self sufficiency in food
production India. He is best known as the architect of
India’s modern agricultural development policy. As
minister for food and agriculture he played a decisive role
in the introduction of high yielding varieties of seeds and
more intensive application of fertilizers which paved the
way for increased yield contributed a lot for attainment of
self-sufficiency in food grains in the country. He is
commonly known as the “Father of the Green
Revolution”
Srinikethan project

Started in the year 1921 by Rabindanath Tagore.

Aim:
To create interest among people to participate in their own
developments and also helped the people to develop their own
resources.
To help to develop leaders from the community to guide
the people in developmental process.

Based 4 major principles:

 Self interest
 Self respect
 self – reliance
 Joy in work
Srinikethan project
 Through the institution of rural reconstruction the
following areas were concentrated.
 They had 4 major developments:
 Developments for agriculture
 Development for Village Welfare
 Development for Industries
 Development for Education
Each has its own programme of work.
Srinikethan project
 Development of agriculture: activities are mainly the demonstrating the
methods of family, introduce crops other than lie. Orientation was the overall
development of village.
 Development of village welfare: all round development of village, progress of
the village, it introduced the system of village level workers, is the first
participation method, village level worker who participated fully in the life of
the village. It makes the value identity, areas of concerns and reported to
development.
The development in turn study, analyze and experiment and ultimately came
up in the appropriate solution. They have medical team who went around the
village to meet the requirements of the village. They also had training team to
develop and educate the youth for leadership of the villagers.
Demonstration team, they showed new methods of farming and handling of
agriculture equipments and also to guide farmers in new methods in farming
practices. Scout activities were organized, credit unions, cooperatives and
paddy stores were also concentrated.
Srinikethan project
 Development of industries: they established technical
training centres – helps self employed activities to
meet the local requirements and offered vocational
training to youth.
 Development of education: Open air system of
education was introduced by the development
authorities with the emphasis on dignity of labor.
Marthandom project
 Marthandom project: Spencer Hatch – 1921

 Purpose: to provide assistance and advice to villagers to enable them to

help themselves.
His assumption was village people can use their own local community
resource, he considers this to their prerequisite for community
development.

 Objectives:
Development of rural community using locally available resources.
Eliciting people’s participation and enabling them to make their own
decisions and plan of action.
Promoting self help and giving priority to the poorest of the poor.
Covering the anti community irrespective or religion and caste.
Giving a spiritual (religious) base for rural development.
Marthandom project
Principles:
 Raising funds from at the local level from the community.
 Demonstrating improved system of farming, animal
husbandry, bee-keeping poultries, cattery breading.
 Raring, cottage industries by which income is generated
also egg matures facilities, and bee-keeping through
societies or cooperatives.
 Education primary education and health education.
 Organizing leadership training for courses for villagers.
Marthandom project
 Demerits: Agriculture did not considered by this
project. People thought the Foreign contribution is
high so they did not provide internal resources.

 Merits: Marketing, incomgeneration, local funds were

raised for all welfare activities which ensure peoples
participation
Baroda Project
RAJA SIR T. MADHAVAROV
 He was the minister, state of Baroda. The Diwan of Baroda V.T. Krishnamacharya started
rural reconstruction continued with the help of Spencer Hatch.
 This was followed by Madhava Rao’s work.

Objectives:
 Change the outlook of the agriculturalists
 To develop the desire of higher standard of living.
 Develop village leadership.
 To impart adult education.
 Initial to villagers were covered the extended to 35 villagers.

Activities:
 Bee-keeping, cottage crafts, ------kitchen garden, distribution of improved variety of
seeds, economic development programme, improved water supply and sanitation, village
roads.
Sevagram Project
 Initiated by Mahatma Gandhi
 3 principles:
 Self support
 Self governing
 Self reliance
 He makes sure that every individuals need was met rather than
community and people live with harmony and cooperation.
Insists political autonomy, economy self sufficiency, removal of
social inequality in terms of caste, class gender etc.
 Based on these he introduced chakra spinning wheels. Thei
project was 1936 started.
Sevagram
Objectives:
 Sevagram Near “Wardha”
 Service to the less privilege fellowmen.
 Regenerating village resource for meeting the village needs.
 Promoting village industries.
 Developing all aspects of human life.
 Training of one volunteer in village in the areas of ----- health education and
sanitation. These people were trained many more volunteers also the others
programmes were improved agriculture activities, new activities of agriculture
raising the statues of underprivileged. Their main aim of this project is self
help in terms of finance mainly.

Drawback
His approach is very difficult task for the people to follow. He insisted on
devotion to work.
Nilokheri Project
Started as a refuge rehabilitation project in 1943 – 1948 fully
pertained when he came from West Palestine.

Objectives:
 As it evident – rehabilitation of refugees and displaced.
 To attain self sufficiency by utilizing the labour and talents
of refugees.
 To meet the basic needs of population.
 To provide vocation training cum production centre were
started to attain above agriculture.
Mazdur mazil housed population 5000 (latency ) with free
housing and school facilities, maintaining, recreational facilities,
technical institution for training people in agriculture, animal
husbandry and local crafts, co-operation service section for
ensuring supply and --- based upon the success of the project
adoption of agriculture industrial economy for development for
the nearby rural areas decentralization is administered earlier,
the township, the plan was jungle but transformed to living
areas.

 Limitation:
There was no cooperating spirit among the managerial and
technical staff.
Firka Development Scheme
 Firka: group of villages communities of 5-20 started in the
year 1943, in the primary madas to the main aim to permit
khadhi and village industries. To provide basic facilities,
like rural education, improved roads, health
communication, sanitation, medical care, etc.
 It covered 50 firkas included minimum of 250 villages. The
cm was the chairman of the project, assisted by the
provincial board which is assisted by people belongs to
agriculture, irrigation, heads, cooperatives, industries.
District collector exchange for district with the help of
district welfare board.
Firka Development Scheme
Objectives:
 Building of infrastructure facilities.
 Facilitation of people’ participation.

Limitations:
 Not able to bring about cooperation or coordination b/w
officials and non officials.
 Not much was done in raising the economic development
of the people.
 Implementation of machines lack professional and
technical skills.
Etawah project

Launched by Uttar Pradesh Govt. in October 1948 under

the guidance of Albert Mayer. New experimental rural
planning as well as development. He formed a team of
specialists.

4 Specialists first among them the

 Town and Village Planner
 Agriculture
 ---- Specialist agriculture engineers
 Rural Industrial specialists.
 It is done to inorder to give integrated objectives to project.
Etawah project
Objectives:

 To find out how quickly the methods developed could be reproduced elsewhere.
 To develop self reliance and local, district and state level.
 To increase agriculture production and to improve public health and adult, literacy.
 To update technologies of tools with which the people have to work and.
 To develop good relationship with the people.
 To achieve these objectives various programmes were needed.
 Supply improved variety of seeds, chemical fertilizers, green manure and irrigation, plant
protection measures, agriculture development, soil conservation, animal husbandry
(disease center) provision of cooperative societies, production marketing, better
sanitation and health services (MCH), improvement of roads and water supply, drainage
and other public utilitiy services, improvement of housing, broad based social education
programmes by means of adult literacy classes and training camps. These were the
programmes related to fulfill the objectives.
Etawah project
Limitation:
 The principle of self helps and mutual cooperation was not attain by the experiments initiated by
Govt.

Principles:
 Leadership should be helpful to sustain the programme.
 Principle of adoptability in the use of teaching methods.
 It depends on various target groups based on the level of understanding.
 Principle of trained specialist. Rural Extension work should be a specialized field specialists should be
necessary give knowledge about the aspects of the field.
 Principle of satisfaction for work and the public, needs and interests of the people should be satisfied.
 Principle of whole family approach. Creating a feeling of community life. All the members of the
family shouldbe concentrated by the Extension education work.
 Principles of evaluation measure the level of development evaluating the Extension education
programme at all levels.
 Principle of applied Science and democracy, practical application of Extension education programme,
ideas, research, it should have the participation of all the people. Democracy is the methodology to
implement the approaches and technology of EE program, application should be equal to all.
Functions of rural development
administration
 Planning
 Identification and selection of beneficiaries
 Allocation of funds
 Identification and selection of appropriate projects.
 Formulation of the project.
 Project Implementation
 Project monitoring and supervision
 Project evaluation
Constraints to rural development

 Lack of Awareness.
 Poverty.
 Illiteracy.
 Unemployment.
 Gender Inequity.
 Poor Administrative Machinery of the locally influential
persons.
 Attitude and beliefs.
 Traditional and Conservative attitudes and practices.
 Improper or lack of welfare, development and legal
enforcement.
 Poor Participation.
Questions
1. Elucidate the meaning, characteristics and traits of
rural community.
2. Examine the role of social work in rural community
development.
3. Give a detailed note on rural reconstruction.
4. Discuss about earlier experiments in rural community
development.
5. Enumerate the functions of rural development
administration.
6. Analyze the constraints to rural development.
Thank you