Browsing by Subject "Rural areas"

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    The dynamics of household formation and composition in the rural Eastern Cape.
    (2008) Neves, David; Du Toit, Andries
    Focusing on a specific impoverished region of rural Eastern Cape, this paper examines the dynamics of household formation and composition within postapartheid migratory networks. While the fluidity, contingency and spatially extended nature of African households is generally understood, the paper focuses on the social relationships that both buttress and flow from these qualities. In conceptualising the notion of the household, the paper also suggests the rubric of the ‘household’ can be a powerful, cultural narrative for constituting practices of domesticity. Five detailed case studies are presented and the dynamics of household-making explicated in terms of three distinct levels of analysis. The first is the overarching macro-structural context which includes kinship practices, cultural mores, rural governance and the changing political economy of South Africa’s former homelands. The paper argues that the altered material base of rural livelihoods in the last two decades has seen traditional patterns of male circular migration and trajectories of household formation eclipsed by large numbers of economically marginalised workseekers who precariously churn between both urban-rural and within rural areas. These changes have undercut the prospects for traditional forms of household formation and reconfigured the nature of the contemporary conjugal contract.
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    Sexual behaviour of men and women within age-disparate partnerships in South Africa: implications for young women's HIV risk
    (Public Library of Science, 2016) Maughan-Brown, Brendan; Evans, Meredith; George, Gavin
    BACKGROUND: Age-disparate partnerships are hypothesized to increase HIV-risk for young women. However, the evidence base remains mixed. Most studies have focused only on unprotected sex among women in the partnership. Consequently, little is known about other risky behaviours, such as transactional sex, alcohol use, and concurrency, as well as the behaviours of the men who partner with young women. We therefore examined differences in various sexual behaviours of both young women and their male partners by partnership age difference. METHODS: We used nationally representative data from South Africa (2012) on partnerships reported by 16-24 year old black African women (n = 818) and by black African men in partnerships with 16-24 year old women (n = 985). We compared sexual behaviours in age-disparate partnerships and age-similar partnerships, using multiple logistic regression to control for potential confounders and to assess rural/urban differences. RESULTS: Young women in age-disparate partnerships were more likely to report unprotected sex than young women in similar-aged partnerships (aOR:1.51; p = 0.014; 95%CI:1.09-2.11). Men in partnerships with young women were more likely to report unprotected sex (aOR:1.92; p<0.01; 95%CI:1.31-2.81), transactional sex (aOR:2.73; p<0.01; 95%CI:1.64-4.56), drinking alcohol before sex (aOR:1.60; p = 0.062; 95%CI:0.98-2.61), and concurrency (aOR:1.39; p = 0.097; 95%CI:0.94-2.07) when their partners were five or more years younger. The association between age-disparate partnerships and transactional sex (aOR:4.14; p<0.01; 95%CI: 2.03-8.46) and alcohol use (aOR:2.24; p<0.013; 95%CI:1.20-4.19) was only found in urban areas. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide evidence that young women's age-disparate partnerships involve greater sexual risk, particularly through the risky behaviours of their male partners, with the risk amplified for young women in urban areas.
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    The user acceptance of an agricultural e-commerce platform for women in underserved rural areas
    (2025) Mahure, Hlobisile; Chigona, Wallace; Telukdarie, Arnesh
    Problem Statement: Agricultural e-commerce technologies have the potential to empower farmers in rural areas. These platforms can help agriculturalists by enhancing market access, reducing reliance on intermediaries, increasing sales, providing access to modern technologies, and ultimately leading to genuine economic independence. Despite their potential benefits, current e-commerce platforms remain underutilized by rural farmers, particularly women. The acceptance of these solutions is often hindered by a myriad of factors such as lack of relevance to users' needs, language barriers, infrastructure issues, digital illiteracy, economic barriers, and socio-cultural constraints. This highlights the need for further research to investigate user acceptance of agricultural e-commerce among women. Understanding user acceptance can help identify obstacles and develop strategies for digital inclusion, which is an area that remains understudied in rural settings. Existing literature often falls short of addressing the specific needs and challenges of female farmers in rural areas, overlooking factors such as language, design, and preferences that resonate with this demographic, thus leaving these women underserved. Purpose of the study: The primary aim of this study was to assess the user acceptance of an agriculture e-commerce platform designed to support female farmers in underserved rural areas. Research Methodology: The research utilized a convergent parallel mixed-method approach, involving both qualitative and quantitative methods. The study area chosen was Jeppes Reef, a small rural community renowned for its agricultural activities. Thirty participants were selected using snowball sampling, convenience sampling, simple random sampling, and purposive sampling. A structured Survey was administered to twenty female farmers between the ages of 18 and 65. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five female farmers and five specialists to assess the user acceptance of the platform. The questions of the data collection instruments were based on technology acceptance constructs of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward using, and behavioral intention to continue using the platform. Findings: The agricultural e-commerce was well received, with most participants acknowledging its value (Perceived Usefulness) and expressing the intent (Behavioral intention) to use the platform after their suggested improvements were implemented. Furthermore, most participants found the application easy to use (Perceived Ease of Use) and had a positive attitude toward using (Attitude Toward Using) the platform. However, the research identified underlying technical and external factors that hindered widespread user acceptance. These included issues such as accessibility for individuals with disabilities, a difficult user experience for the elderly, and the lack of inclusion of other South African local languages on the platform. External factors such as internet connectivity challenges, limited access to smart devices, digital illiteracy, and expensive data were also found to impede user interaction and engagement with the application. Benefits of the study: This research provides important insights for software developers, governments, policymakers, and organizations interested in establishing agricultural e-commerce platforms for women in rural areas. It offers a detailed guide for designing and developing applications tailored to the needs of the intended users and gaining wider user acceptance. Furthermore, the research contributes to the current body of knowledge on the Technology Acceptance Model, offering detailed guidance on its application in various contexts, including gender-based and rural-specific contexts, to measure user acceptance. Overall, the research offers comprehensive guidelines for creating an all-encompassing agricultural e-commerce platform designed to empower women in underserved rural areas.