Research Reports
Current Situation of Rural Social Cohesion and Policy Improvement Measures (Year 1 of 2)
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AuthorPark, Daeshik
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Publication Date2017.10.30
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Original
Background of Research
The composition of the population in rural areas has been diversifying due to multi-cultural families, people returning from urban areas, and aging rural residents. Furthermore, rural residents are experiencing economic polarization. These changes of population composition and polarization exacerbate social conflicts and create disputes among groups and generations. Therefore, this research aimed to explore the current situation of social cohesion in rural areas and suggest policy tasks to improve social cohesion in rural areas.
Method of Research
This research employed a survey among rural residents including people who have returned to rural areas and multi-cultural families, focus group interviews, analysis of national data, overseas field survey, and investigation of existing data. The survey was conducted among 810 residents in rural areas. Three focus group interviews in which rural community representatives such as a chair of a rural women’s association, a director of a welfare agency and a leader of the community participated were conducted. National data sets have been analyzed to describe the current situation of cohesion in rural areas and to compare the social cohesion level between rural and urban areas. A research team visited Kochi in Japan, to investigate exemplary cases of rural social cohesion and the related policies.
Descriptive statistics including t-test and chi-square test were conducted to elucidate the current situation of rural social cohesion. Finally, multiple regression analysis was employed to identify the influential factors in the level of perceived social cohesion.
Research Results and Implications
Rural social cohesion has been investigated through four aspects: economic, sociocultural, political, and general aspects. As for the economic aspect, rural residents perceived increased polarization in income due to lack of jobs and insufficient opportunities to increase income. Women, multi-cultural families, low income residents were groups who were experiencing high economic exclusion in rural areas.
In terms of the sociocultural aspect, rural residents evaluated that there were serious conflicts in rural areas between the rich and the poor, between residents and people who returned to rural areas, and between the young and the old as well as the ideological conflicts. Compared to urban counterparts, rural residents showed low participation in culture and leisure activities because of lack of related services and programs.
As to the political aspect, more than half of respondents evaluated negatively the government’s efforts to solve social conflicts. As to the general aspect, rural residents responded positively to the question about the current level of rural social cohesion and the prospects of future rural social cohesion. However, multi-cultural families and people who have returned to rural areas perceived the level of social cohesion to be lower compared to rural residents.
This research also identified the influential factors that improve perceived social cohesion in rural areas. As the theory suggested, social inclusion indicators (economic exclusion, social conflicts, community inclusion) and social capital indicators (trust/network, social communication) significantly impacted the perceived social cohesion controlling socio-economic factors. Multi-cultural families and people who have returned to rural areas perceived the social cohesion level to be lower compared to rural residents controlling for socio-economic factors, which is consistent with descriptive statistics.
Reviewing current policies for rural social cohesion, we identified that social cohesion policies did not reflect the feature of rural areas. Therefore, we suggested several policies to improve rural social cohesion. First, we suggested developing policies to support small and medium size farmers, developing a basic format to support social farming, creating rural jobs for older adults, and minimizing the blind-spots of the National Basic Livelihood Security Act in rural areas. Second, we recommend improving rural social security councils, initiating the certification system of barrier-free community, supporting social contribution activities of rural residents, improving accessibility to services for adolescents and multi-cultural families, and supporting programs that help rural residents and people who return to rural areas live in harmony. Finally, we suggested constructing local governance to deal with social conflicts and improving political parties’ candidate nomination system in the local autonomy governments.
Researchers: Park Daeshik, An Sok, Lim Jieun
Research period: 2017. 1. ～ 2017. 12.
E-mail address: pds8382@krei.re.kr
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