Folk Knowledge and the Role of Women in Sustainable Rural Development
Sahar ghaffari
1
(
PhD Student in Sociology, Rural Social Development Orientation, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran.
)
mehrdad Navabakhsh
2
(
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
)
Faizollah Noroozi
3
(
Faculty Member and Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
)
Keywords: Sustainable Development, Women, Rural Areas, Development, Folk Knowledge.,
Abstract :
Can folk knowledge and women in rural communities act as catalysts, significantly contributing to achieving sustainable development, or conversely, delay this process? The present study, as a "short report article," aims to examine and elucidate the role of women and folk knowledge in sustainable rural development by investigating the economic conditions, employment, and agricultural products of 30 villages in South Khorasan Province. Utilizing Durkheim's theory of the division of labor—with a distinctive perspective contrasting the principles of modernization theory in explaining developmental barriers—this study adopts a qualitative approach. Data collection is document-based, employing content analysis as the primary technique. The findings from studies in these villages reveal a meaningful relationship between folk knowledge and sustainable rural development, as well as the significant role of women. Durkheim’s theoretical classification of societies illustrates the progression of communities rather than the backwardness of primitive societies as an obstacle to any form of development.
