Experiences of Resilience: Investigating the Coping Strategies of Rural Households with Natural and Human Crises: A case study of Rural Tourism Destinations, North Khorasan Province

Document Type : Thesis Article

Authors

1 Department of Geography and Rural Planning, Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran

2 Department of Geography, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Sayyed Jamaleddin Asadabadi University, Asadabad, Iran.

10.22059/jrur.2024.369767.1897

Abstract

A B S T R A C T
This study shows the importance of enlarging the consideration of informal policies affecting economic dynamics which play a key role and currently unknown role in the resilience of rural areas, arguing that bottom-up governance approaches enjoy higher community acceptance than top-down approaches. The study was conducted using the conventional content analysis method. 40 rural residents were selected using the purposive sampling method for face-to-face and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Findings showed that 1) agrobiodiversity and its related pluri-activities is a major challenge for the formal strategies such as tourism; 2) social organization involves formal (societal) level engagements, will be able to guarantee a sustainable rural livelihood, resulting in natural resources regardless of policies; Where similar resilient strategies are developed in the form of independent management through regional commonalities by local food sales by marketing channel use than conventional agriculture producers and resulting balancing innovation with the preservation of cultural and natural heritage's authenticity. This study indicates that dictated resilience policies can provide resistance from local residents, where the most attention should be paid to independent local paths that refer to different agricultural aspects together in one place
Extended Abstract
Introduction
According to the type of global experience being taken of the expansion of entrepreneurial and alternative employment such as tourism, the government is trying to improve the resilience and capacity building of rural areas to cope with natural and economic hazards. However, previous research has shown that bottom-up governance approaches enjoy higher community acceptance than top-down approaches. this study shows the importance of enlarging the consideration of informal policies affecting economic dynamics. which play a key role and currently unknown role in resilience in rural tourism destinations, North Khorasan province, which are influenced by formal resilience strategies.
 
Methodology
The study was conducted using the conventional content analysis method. 40 rural residents were selected using the purposive sampling method for face-to-face and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Most interviews are typically 30 minutes in length. Qualitative data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis based on the protocol outlined by Douglas (2002) and Granheim and Lundman (2004). In order to grasp the content from all the data, the recorded material was listened to and then the transcribed interviews were thoroughly read. Thereafter, the text was divided into meaning units. This means that the text was divided according to shifts in the meaning that were found through the analysis, based upon the aim of the study. The meaning units were then condensed, i.e., shortened but still preserving the core. In the next step, the meaning units were labelled with a code, which grasped the included meaning. Thereafter, the codes were compared and grouped into subcategories and categories by analyzing differences and similarities between them. MAXQDA10 software was used to code, classify, and organize the interviews in 5 steps.
Results and Discussion
Findings showed that 1) agrobiodiversity and its related pluri-activities is a major challenge for the formal strategies such as tourism; 2) social organization involves formal (societal) level engagements, will be able to guarantee a sustainable rural livelihood, resulting in natural resources regardless of policies; Where similar resilient strategies are developed in the form of independent management through regional commonalities by local food sales by marketing channel use than conventional agriculture producers and resulting balancing innovation with the preservation of cultural and natural heritage's authenticity.
To build resilience, households have undertaken mixed strategy which involves running a farm- housework system and traditionally involves a broad range of crop, livestock, aquaculture, fruit crops and homemade being grown and raised, with the advantage of spreading the risk of any one crop failing in a given year. A mixed farm-work house system is a confirmation of their survival and agency in shaping the contemporary differentiated economy landscape: this involves raising livestock, agricultural and household products alongside a diffusion of new practices that includes the cultivation of local and organic products such as fruits and vegetables for direct marketing, which is known as agrobiodiversity. This is considered as an example of re-grounding processes under the multifunctionality framework and therefore referring to activities which incorporate new or different resources into the farm and non-farm.
Regional similar strategic actions to build resilience unfolded through an enlarged notion of embeddedness applied in this study also has clear analytical implications. It has been shown to be successful in allowing one to understand the common regional agenda by economic, cultural and natural similarities and mutual connections that result in the capacity of local communities against natural and human hazards. Due to cultural similarities, they in a common process try to introduce the quality of local products as a geographical indication. However, this study reveals the relationships among the diverse types of economic activities that coexist in a specific territory. Furthermore, this study shows the importance of enlarging the consideration of informal policies affecting economic dynamics, i.e. including elements such as rural economic diversification, both within agriculture and into non-agricultural activities, which at the moment are being deeply modified and might be playing a key and currently unknown role in the resilience of rural areas, even beyond formal resilience policies.
 
Conclusion
This study indicates that dictated resilience policies can provide resistance from local residents, where the most attention should be paid to independent local paths that refer to different agricultural aspects together in one place. Success can only be achieved through crystallizes the shared values of people through regional resilience strategies. In fact, studying regional social networks and sharing learning about the diversity of crops and a relationship with local markets and preserving natural resources allows the empowerment of local communities to cope with crises. It serves a clearly in the process of resilient policy making, attention to regional cooperation strengthens independent responses.
 
Funding
There is no funding support.
 
Authors’ Contribution
First author: preparation and preparation of samples, data collection, calculations, analysis and interpretation of information and results, drafting of the article.
The second author will design the research, supervise the research, check and control the results, and correct, revise, and finalize the article.
Third author: participation in research design, research supervision, study and revision of the article.
 
Conflict of Interest
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
  
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.

Keywords

Main Subjects

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Journal of Rural Research
Volume 16, Issue 1
April 2025
Pages 179-192

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History

  • Receive Date: 26 November 2024
  • Revise Date: 05 March 2025
  • Accept Date: 29 March 2025

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