Category Archives: Rural Development

New course: Sociology of Food Provisioning and Place-based Development

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The MSc course “Understanding Rural Development: Theories, Practices and Methodologies” (course code RSO-31806) has been revised and renamed into “Sociology of Food Provisioning and Place-based Development”. The course is mandatory for Master students within the track Sociology of Rural Development of the Master International Development Studies, specializing in rural sociology and a free choice course for Master students of other programmes and tracks. If you are interested in topics such as alternative food geographies, food citizenship, food democracy, urban food provisioning, sustainable place shaping, and regional branding, it may be worth participating in this course. Students who do not have a BSc degree in International Development Studies or related field of expertise may not have the assumed prerequisite knowledge to successfully participate and are therefore requested to contact the course coordinator, Han Wiskerke (han.wiskerke@wur.nl), to see if and how this gap can be addressed.

For more information about the contents, schedule, learning outcomes and educational activities, please click on this link or contact the course coordinator for more information or the latest version of the course guide.

Master thesis by Lise Alix nominated for International Science shop price!

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During the International event of Science Shops in Europe, The Inspiration days 2012, an award will be given to the author of the best Science Shop report. The Wageningen Science Shop nominated 3 projects from Wageningen University. Lise Alix, completed the Master International Development Studies at Wageningen University with a thesis research on an allotment park in Ede at Rural Sociology commissioned by the Science Shop of Wageningen University. Lise Alix is one of the nominees. Her thesis is in Dutch and called “Zo tuinieren zij dus“ (That is how they garden), but has an English Summary. The thesis was examined as excellent. The research by Lise was part of a larger project on ‘Tuinenpark Koekelt’ (allotmentpark De Koekelt), see the project site for more information. The final Science Shop report “Welkom op Tuinenpark De Koekelt” is largely based on the nominated thesis. Below a clip of the allotmentpark ‘De Koekelt’:

Continue reading →

New regional Network Participand will use international knowledge

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Participand is an initiative of COS Gelderland and OIKOS to organise (inter)national students, migrants, organisaties and companies in a network  on international sustainable development. The network wants to give support, stimulate interaction and exhange knowledge between people to enhance better projects and products. The Science Shop in Wageningen has published a report about the need and possibilities for such a network. This report is based on research of the master students Robin Bukenya and Franziska Nath, supervised by Communication Studies and Rural Sociology. An ACT group has made suggestions how to organize this network. Continue reading →

Students invited for the course ‘A Global sense of place’

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For whom?
We invite all master students interested in sustainable development, spatial development, community building, place-based policy, rural socio-logy and anthropology for this course.

What?
This course gives an overview of place-based approaches in development. A relational place-based approach is key to the understanding of interrelated rural and urban transformation processes and sustainable development. Places are considered as contingent but in time and space differentiated outcomes of three interrelated, unbounded, transformative processes: political-economic, ecological and social-cultural.
We will have discussions about:
• Sense of place
• Places as sites of negotiation and power struggles
• The constitution of identities, subjectivities and difference.
• Politics of place.

Why should you follow this course?
• Interesting international guest lectures (if enough students attend the course)
• Inter-disciplinary approach
• Urban and rural cases
• Interactive discussions in small groups

Some practical information:
Course code: RSO 55306; ECTS: 6, When: Period 2;
Lectures and Workshops on: Monday-, Tuesday-, Thursday- mornings.
Interested? For more information on the course see the detailed Course outline RSO-55306 (2012-2013) final

Food4all – about right to food, sustainable family farming and agro-ecology

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With Food4all Otherwise and Boerengroep offer a critical perspective to food security and sustainable farming next to the yearly Food4you festival. Food4all starts on Thursday 11 October with a lecture on Land grabs and the right to food, next an expert panel on Feeding the world on Friday 12 October, a regional farmers market on Saturday and it ends with the Dutch premiere of the film ‘Crops in the Future’ on Tuesday 16 October. Food4all is organized in colaboration with ILEIA and SOS Faim (Belgium).

Celebrate food and farming in Wageningen, the Netherlands! Food4all is a festival that takes you on a journey through sustainable family farming, agro-ecology and the right to food. The Food4All festival is a critical supplement to the “Food4you festival”. The festival seeks to provide a critical perspective on global food security, and give voice sustainable alternatives.

Look at http://grassrootsscience.nl/ for the programme.