On Becoming: MSc Thesis on Undocumented Migrants in the Netherlands

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Joost Jongerden

On Becoming: An Ethnographic Account on the Importance of Social Relationships for Undocumented Migrants in the Netherlands

This ethnographic and descriptive account argues for the importance of personal relationships for the ‘integration’ of undocumented migrants in the Netherlands from the perspective of those who ‘live it’. Following three personal stories we can see that social networks are crucial as they provide access to necessary resources and enable undocumented migrants to practically arrange their existence. But in addition, because these interactions are built on personal connections and allow for intimacy they enable a deeper sense of belonging. This indicates that, although undocumented migrants are formally excluded from any state services, they may in fact participate economically and socially due to their personal social network. As such, they enable a different perspective on the meaning and methods of integration. Because in a domain highly controlled by the state these three personal stories show that integration may also be seen as a trajectory of becoming; as a constant social process based on affective and personal relationships that take place in the social domain. Integration as such should not be seen as a procedural process as only described by the state but instead as an affective process in which people assemble socially. This enables a reconceptualization of integration and a re-envisioning of the role of the state in social life.

On Becoming is a MSc thesis written by Vera Ribbens and supervised by Alberto Arce (SDC) and Joost Jongerden (RSO). The thesis can be accessed by following this link: http://edepot.wur.nl/356124

Student Exchange with Kyoto University

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Joost Jongerden

The Kyoto University (KU), Japan and Wageningen University (WU) have agreed to a BSc and MSC Student Mobility Agreement. Under the agreement, it is possible for students of both universities to follow courses at the partner university. For students at WU any academic credit earned at the KU will be transferred back to WU, and vice versa. For students in Wageningen, the agreement gives the great opportunity to follow courses in comparative development studies, Asian studies, and transcultural studies in one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Japan. Founded in 1897, Kyoto University belongs to the world’s top universities. Students at Kyoto University have the opportunity to follow courses at Wageningen University, a top university in the life sciences and development studies.

Students who are interested in studying at KU can contact Joost Jongerden for more info (joost.jongerden@wur.nl, Leeuwenborch room 3027).

Interreg project Rural Alliances: final report

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Ina Horlings

The Interreg project Rural Alliances brought together 12 partners from North West Europe to tackle the challenges of demographic change in rural areas. These challenges included: young people leaving rural towns and villages; the elderly becoming increasingly isolated & in need of social and medical care; shops, post offices, pubs, public toilets and telephone boxes closing; and increasingly difficult environments for setting up and running sustainable businesses.

The project tackled these challenges by actively bringing rural communities and businesses together, capitalising on their two distinct attributes: rural businesses with their “make it happen” attitudes, with the values of rural communities of loyalty, pride and self-esteem to create over 76 Rural Alliances. Together they have reshaped their areas to make them friendly, buzzing and vibrant, creating a more stable future for all their residents.

Ina Horlings from the Rural Sociology Group was a member of the Policy and Advisory Panel of Rural Alliances. The project developed handbooks on rural governance and financial engineering, inspiring videos, a skils plotting exercise, and various fact sheets and policy papers, all available on the website. For communities who want to know how vibrant their community is, a new tool was developed to measure rural vibrancy.The final report can be downloaded here.

International Masters in Rural Development: Field Visit to Soc Trang Province, Vietnam

Posted on August 11, 2015 by FoodGovernance

Food Governance

As I explained last week, I am representing the Rural Sociology Group in a case study summer programme organized by Can Tho University’s Mekong Delta Development Research Institute.

Meeting with district representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

On Friday, August 7^th, the Case Study group visited two areas in the Soc Trang province of Vietnam. The first stop was a visit to a district office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Here, students and staff were able to ask officials questions related to their selected research topics and interests. One policy initiative we learnt about was a plan to increase the number of dairy cows in rural areas as a poverty reduction strategy. This programme stems from the national Agricultural Restructuring Plan where key crops and animals were identified, dairy cows being one of them.

Pigs for bio gas and food

From…

View original post 308 more words

Mekon Delta Case Study: Agricultural transformation in developing countries under contexts of urbanization and climate change

Posted on August 6, 2015 by FoodGovernance

Welcome to Can Tho University

For the month of August the Mekong Delta Development Research Institute (MDI) is hosting a summer school case study on Agricultural transformation in developing countries under contexts of urbanization and climate change- the case of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta, for the International Master of Science in Rural Development (IMRD) programme from Ghent University. Wageningen’s Rural Sociology Group is involved in the IMRD programme and as a result, I was able to come and participate in a supportive capacity for the first two weeks.

Case Study Participants at Can Tho University

About the Mekong Delta Development Research Institute (MDI)

MDI is an interdisciplinary organization of Can Tho University (Can Tho, Vietnam). It was established in 2005 from the Mekong Delta Farming Systems Research and Development Institute. MDI has the mission to “improve life quality of rural people and ensure socio-economic and environmental sustainability of the Mekong Delta through collaborative education, research and development activities”. It also has four research programmes: