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Explore the evolution of rural research in Canada, from historical insights to current challenges and emerging opportunities. Learn about sectoral research, crisis management, and community transformation within the rural landscape. Discover the importance of collaboration, knowledge mobilization, and building research capacity for sustainable rural development.
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Rural Research in Canada:a personal view Bill Reimer reimer@vax2.concordia.ca 2005/10/12
Rural Research in Canada • A retrospective view • Current issues and opportunities • The institutional context of rural research • Building rural research for the future
Pre ARRG/CRRF (1987) • Sectoral research (Institutes, Gov’t, Universities) • Improve efficiency • Expand markets • Examples for political economy • Crises and policies • Stabilization (markets, sectors, incomes) • Labour market adjustment • Service provision and access • Regional inequities • Academic • Historical economic and political • Community transformation
ARRG/CRRF Emergence • Research and policies in ‘silos’ • Little collaboration • Limited comparison • Few comprehensive rural studies
CRRF • Conferences and Workshop Themes (selected) • Sustainable Rural Communities (1989) • Restructuring (1990) • Stimulating Rural Economies for the 2000s (1991) • Development Strategies: Evaluating Partnerships, Jobs, and Communities (1993) • NAFTA and the New Rural Economy (1996) • Rural Revitalization (1997) • Publications: • Rural and Small Town Canada (1992), Partnerships (1994), Rural Institutions (1997), Rural Employment (1997)
NRE Research Contributions • Network of researchers • Common focus (Rural Observatory) • Structured Comparisons • Collaboration with citizens and policy-makers • Integrated databases • Research insights: Structures and dynamics of social relations (services, communications, environment, governance)
Expansion of Rural Research • Health • Community development • Community economic development • Community networks and action • Environment • Aboriginal Peoples Universities, Colleges, Government, NGOs, Private
Current Rural Research Issues • Community capacities • Value-added to natural resources • Service delivery • Governance • Rural-urban relations • Knowledge Mobilization
Challenges to Rural Research • Competing demands • ‘Rural’ crosscuts many fields • Little institutional recognition for participatory research • Low institutional tolerance for innovation, risk, failure • Crisis and policy fads make poor research • Limited resources
Building Research Capacity • Bottom-up • Diversification • Critical mass • Co-operation • Communications • Continuous human capital building • Integrate programs • Use social sciences and humanities • Long term vision • Recognition and Celebrations
Rural Research in Canada:a personal view The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation nre.concordia.ca www.crrf.ca 2005/10/12