The paper explores the use of grounded theory as a theoretical tap root to bridge the contrasting... more The paper explores the use of grounded theory as a theoretical tap root to bridge the contrasting goals of ethnographic enquiry embedded in a participatory context. Grounded theory was uniquely applied to a limited investigation within an open ended and emergent experiment with an organised group of Zulu speaking traditional farmers of KwaZulu-Natal. These farmers purposefully requested assistance in commercialising traditional homestead farming in an attempt to retain their culture and take advantage of economic opportunity. The methodological approach constructed a theoretical model for the emergent solutions which accounted for the complexity of social agronomy, the rational responses made by farmers in dealing with uncertainties precipitated by change, the open ended process of emerging ideas and practice, the co-construction of knowledge and meaning through facilitated learning experiences, and the relationships and tensions between values and beliefs and technical practice for commercial production. In traditional African culture, it is the complex network and maintenance of relationships that create social cohesion and define an African way of life. In the search for an African solution to economic development in a post-colonial agronomy, we have to consider the importance of relationships, not only as part of maintaining internal relationships, but also in dealing with the uncertainties generated by linkages external to the farming system. In the process of establishing networks, which would enable farming to continue as a ‘way of life’ and contribute to sustainable development amongst resource poor farmers, we also have to create the capacity to co-operate in a way that allows for the possibility of social and economic change. Research that is able to make explicit the indigenous wisdom and solutions to this process is in a position to inform agrarian policy and services for supporting preferred livelihoods in rural areas. The empirical research referred to in this paper, is based on an experiment with an organised group of Zulu speaking traditional farmers of KwaZulu-Natal who refer to themselves as the Ezemvelo Farmers Association (EFO). Commercialising subsistence farming practice is a strategy they have practiced since 2002 in an attempt to preserve their rural way of life alongside opportunities for economic development. The methodology discussed in this paper aimed to construct a theory for how participants determined change from subsistence farming to commercial farming activities in a conscious and meaningful way. Grounded Theory was used as the theoretical taproot for the methodological approach. This process was designed to abstract a conceptual model for a journey that linked researchers, farmers and their market in a co-created reality of commercialising traditional subsistence agriculture. Grounded Theory was adapted for use within the confines of a limited investigation to interpret a loosely connected learning experience unfolding in a process that allowed for emerging ideas, practice and participant learning. Grounded theory
South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, 2012
A fundamental question being addressed by agricultural extension in South Africa is the role of a... more A fundamental question being addressed by agricultural extension in South Africa is the role of agricultural extension within rural development. Scientists are being challenged to reconsider that their role in technology development is through innovation and a complex process involving a reorganization of social relationships not just technical practice. In this context, technology shifts from something to be applied to something leveraged for networking and organizing. To ensure the future, the idea of sustainability as a dynamic process rather than an endpoint offers a route for understanding and engagement between research, policy and personal spheres. For both research and extension agendas; in considering traditional agriculture in the context of economic development we have to create the capacity to cooperate in a way that opens up the possibility of social change; a way of interacting that preserves and creates new forms of social cohesion. Including the non-material contributions of local wisdom being partnered by science allows for a new phase of leadership in developing rural economies. Agricultural extension supported by participatory research and development, is critically positioned for taking on this leadership role. The reflections in this paper are drawn from the author's PhD research (2006-2010) relying on Grounded Theory as a theoretical tap-root for interpreting decision making processes in the commercialisation of homestead agriculture with farmers from the Ezemvelo Farmers Association, Umbumbulu, KwaZulu-Natal.
vii 2.7.3 Beyond subsistence 2.7.4 Characteristics of farmers 2.8 Marketing system 2.8.1 SANPAD P... more vii 2.7.3 Beyond subsistence 2.7.4 Characteristics of farmers 2.8 Marketing system 2.8.1 SANPAD Participatory Project within the history of the EFO 2.8.2 Role of the EFO 2.8.3 Potential access to markets 2.8.4 Formal market relationship 2.9 Summary 3. METHODOLOGY AS THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 3.1 A biased and situated context 3.2 A context that demands methodological flexibility 3.2.1 Building concepts around an emergent agenda 3.2.2 Drawing concepts from emic issues 3.3 Responding to the context through Constructivist Grounded Theory Ethnography 3.4 Constructing a theory 3.5 Grounded Theory as analysis for constructing a theory 4. GROUNDED THEORY AS THE PROCESS OF THE RESEARCH 4.1 Handling data: techniques for coding, comparing and sorting 4.1.1 Acquiring data 4.1.2 Building concepts through constant comparison 4.2 Researcher learning as the underlying theme of theoretical sensitivity 4.3 Benchmarking the process of deeper learning 4.3.1 Learning process 1: Understanding the Grounded Theory as process 4.3.2 Learning process 2: Understanding the Context 4.4 Summary 5. SENSITISING CONCEPTS 5.1 Sensitising in order to 'suspend' preconceived ideas 5.2 Development 5.3 Sustainability 5.4 Cultural Integrity viii 6. RESULTS OF INQUIRY: SEEING PATTERNS, SYNTHESISING CONCEPTS, SENSING RELATIONSHIPS 6.1 Envisioning a future; informed decision-making 6.1.1 Individual and collective wisdom 6.1.2 Incrementally integrating accessible opportunities based on values 6.1.3 Learning for livelihood sustainability 6.2 Being together in the world; tapping into social cohesion and stimulating agricultural activity 6.2.1 Tapping into factors which contribute to social cohesion (Table 6.6) 6.2.2 Tapping into the factors which stimulate activity for commercial agriculture 6.2.3 Systemic integrity: the core concept 7 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS 7.1 Building capacity for development 7.2 Leveraging for sustainability: tapping into social cohesion and stimulating agricultural activity 7.3 The future of agrarian change: alternatives for 'what we are becoming' 7.3.1 Argument for an alternative trajectory. 7.4 Critique of the Research Process 7.4.1 The use of sensitizing concepts in a GT 7.4.2 Critique on literature used to develop the categories. 8 A 'POST FIELD WORK' RETURN TO THE LITERATURE 8.1 History of agrarian change 8.1.1 The backdrop of globalisation 8.1.2 Intellectual roots for the paradigms of agrarian change 8.1.3 The roots of development 8.1.4 The Livelihoods approach in development 8.1.5 What happened to the Peasants? 8.1.6 The concept of community 8.2 Agrarian Priorities 8.2.1 The South African Context of 'agrarian transformation' 8.2.2 Current Agricultural Policy in South Africa ix 8.3 Development and Research in Agriculture 8.3.1 Social capital as the currency of sustainability 8.3.2 Identity "place in the world" 8.3.3 The contributions of the livelihoods approach to research and development 9. RELEVANCE AND RECOMMENDATIONS 9.1 Meanings and implications of the research 9.2 Relevance of the research to literature 9.3 Relevance of methodology 9.4 Recommendations and conclusion 9.4.1 Recommendations for decision makers in rural development 9.4.2 Recommendations for further research 9.
This study represents original work by the author who hereby declares that the research in this d... more This study represents original work by the author who hereby declares that the research in this dissertation is of her own investigation and has not otherwise been submitted in any form for any degree or diploma to any University. Where use was made of the work of others, this has been duly acknowledged in the text.
A fundamental question being addressed by agricultural extension in South Africa is the role of a... more A fundamental question being addressed by agricultural extension in South Africa is the role of agricultural extension within rural development. Scientists are being challenged to re-consider that their role in technology development is through innovation and a complex process involving a reorganization of social relationships not just technical practice. In this context, technology shifts from something to be applied to something leveraged for networking and organizing. To ensure the future, the idea of sustainability as a dynamic process rather than an endpoint offers a route for understanding and engagement between research, policy and personal spheres. For both research and extension agendas; in considering traditional agriculture in the context of economic development we have to create the capacity to co-operate in a way that opens up the possibility of social change; a way of interacting that preserves and creates new forms of social cohesion. Including the non-material contri...
In this paper, a participatory experience is used to tell the story of Grounded Theory developmen... more In this paper, a participatory experience is used to tell the story of Grounded Theory development embedded in participatory activities that also occurred in two phases. The observe and participate phase focused on the emerging design and creation of a data set during and extended engagement with stakeholders. In the "constructive" phase, space within which to theorize required distance from the emotions of participation as well as access to face-to--face discussion within an academic discourse. The paper tells the narrative of the research produced as a whole, and then focuses on the use of Grounded Theory as the taproot for building theory as a purposeful companion to action research. Discussion supports GT as a valid method for trans-disciplinary theory building in action research and highlights learning within the participatory experience. The process supports the strengths of action research in facing system challenges as well as identifying attitudes and processes th...
The central theme for this article arises from conversation on how agricultural scientists can mo... more The central theme for this article arises from conversation on how agricultural scientists can move from technology transfer to complementing development. Researchers may be willing to embrace developmental concerns while lacking enabling skills and perspectives. Agricultural researchers often choose agendas based on cost, efficiency and appropriate controlled input use. This is problematic for small-scale commercial agriculture in traditionally managed rural situations because it does not include the issues of authority, power and complexity found in situated contexts. This article describes researcher learning arising from participatory farmer–researcher activity that determined a mutually beneficial research agenda. The participatory nature of the research was determined by how relationships were developed and managed. Researchers came to understand that attitude, environment and relevant issues, not specific tools, achieved participation.
The central theme for this article arises from conversation on how agricultural scientists can mo... more The central theme for this article arises from conversation on how agricultural scientists can move from technology transfer to complementing development. Researchers may be willing to embrace developmental concerns while lacking enabling skills and perspectives. Agricultural researchers often choose agendas based on cost, efficiency and appropriate controlled input use. This is problematic for small-scale commercial agriculture in traditionally managed rural
The paper explores the use of grounded theory as a theoretical tap root to bridge the contrasting... more The paper explores the use of grounded theory as a theoretical tap root to bridge the contrasting goals of ethnographic enquiry embedded in a participatory context. Grounded theory was uniquely applied to a limited investigation within an open ended and emergent experiment with an organised group of Zulu speaking traditional farmers of KwaZulu-Natal. These farmers purposefully requested assistance in commercialising traditional homestead farming in an attempt to retain their culture and take advantage of economic opportunity. The methodological approach constructed a theoretical model for the emergent solutions which accounted for the complexity of social agronomy, the rational responses made by farmers in dealing with uncertainties precipitated by change, the open ended process of emerging ideas and practice, the co-construction of knowledge and meaning through facilitated learning experiences, and the relationships and tensions between values and beliefs and technical practice for commercial production. In traditional African culture, it is the complex network and maintenance of relationships that create social cohesion and define an African way of life. In the search for an African solution to economic development in a post-colonial agronomy, we have to consider the importance of relationships, not only as part of maintaining internal relationships, but also in dealing with the uncertainties generated by linkages external to the farming system. In the process of establishing networks, which would enable farming to continue as a ‘way of life’ and contribute to sustainable development amongst resource poor farmers, we also have to create the capacity to co-operate in a way that allows for the possibility of social and economic change. Research that is able to make explicit the indigenous wisdom and solutions to this process is in a position to inform agrarian policy and services for supporting preferred livelihoods in rural areas. The empirical research referred to in this paper, is based on an experiment with an organised group of Zulu speaking traditional farmers of KwaZulu-Natal who refer to themselves as the Ezemvelo Farmers Association (EFO). Commercialising subsistence farming practice is a strategy they have practiced since 2002 in an attempt to preserve their rural way of life alongside opportunities for economic development. The methodology discussed in this paper aimed to construct a theory for how participants determined change from subsistence farming to commercial farming activities in a conscious and meaningful way. Grounded Theory was used as the theoretical taproot for the methodological approach. This process was designed to abstract a conceptual model for a journey that linked researchers, farmers and their market in a co-created reality of commercialising traditional subsistence agriculture. Grounded Theory was adapted for use within the confines of a limited investigation to interpret a loosely connected learning experience unfolding in a process that allowed for emerging ideas, practice and participant learning. Grounded theory
South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, 2012
A fundamental question being addressed by agricultural extension in South Africa is the role of a... more A fundamental question being addressed by agricultural extension in South Africa is the role of agricultural extension within rural development. Scientists are being challenged to reconsider that their role in technology development is through innovation and a complex process involving a reorganization of social relationships not just technical practice. In this context, technology shifts from something to be applied to something leveraged for networking and organizing. To ensure the future, the idea of sustainability as a dynamic process rather than an endpoint offers a route for understanding and engagement between research, policy and personal spheres. For both research and extension agendas; in considering traditional agriculture in the context of economic development we have to create the capacity to cooperate in a way that opens up the possibility of social change; a way of interacting that preserves and creates new forms of social cohesion. Including the non-material contributions of local wisdom being partnered by science allows for a new phase of leadership in developing rural economies. Agricultural extension supported by participatory research and development, is critically positioned for taking on this leadership role. The reflections in this paper are drawn from the author's PhD research (2006-2010) relying on Grounded Theory as a theoretical tap-root for interpreting decision making processes in the commercialisation of homestead agriculture with farmers from the Ezemvelo Farmers Association, Umbumbulu, KwaZulu-Natal.
vii 2.7.3 Beyond subsistence 2.7.4 Characteristics of farmers 2.8 Marketing system 2.8.1 SANPAD P... more vii 2.7.3 Beyond subsistence 2.7.4 Characteristics of farmers 2.8 Marketing system 2.8.1 SANPAD Participatory Project within the history of the EFO 2.8.2 Role of the EFO 2.8.3 Potential access to markets 2.8.4 Formal market relationship 2.9 Summary 3. METHODOLOGY AS THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 3.1 A biased and situated context 3.2 A context that demands methodological flexibility 3.2.1 Building concepts around an emergent agenda 3.2.2 Drawing concepts from emic issues 3.3 Responding to the context through Constructivist Grounded Theory Ethnography 3.4 Constructing a theory 3.5 Grounded Theory as analysis for constructing a theory 4. GROUNDED THEORY AS THE PROCESS OF THE RESEARCH 4.1 Handling data: techniques for coding, comparing and sorting 4.1.1 Acquiring data 4.1.2 Building concepts through constant comparison 4.2 Researcher learning as the underlying theme of theoretical sensitivity 4.3 Benchmarking the process of deeper learning 4.3.1 Learning process 1: Understanding the Grounded Theory as process 4.3.2 Learning process 2: Understanding the Context 4.4 Summary 5. SENSITISING CONCEPTS 5.1 Sensitising in order to 'suspend' preconceived ideas 5.2 Development 5.3 Sustainability 5.4 Cultural Integrity viii 6. RESULTS OF INQUIRY: SEEING PATTERNS, SYNTHESISING CONCEPTS, SENSING RELATIONSHIPS 6.1 Envisioning a future; informed decision-making 6.1.1 Individual and collective wisdom 6.1.2 Incrementally integrating accessible opportunities based on values 6.1.3 Learning for livelihood sustainability 6.2 Being together in the world; tapping into social cohesion and stimulating agricultural activity 6.2.1 Tapping into factors which contribute to social cohesion (Table 6.6) 6.2.2 Tapping into the factors which stimulate activity for commercial agriculture 6.2.3 Systemic integrity: the core concept 7 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS 7.1 Building capacity for development 7.2 Leveraging for sustainability: tapping into social cohesion and stimulating agricultural activity 7.3 The future of agrarian change: alternatives for 'what we are becoming' 7.3.1 Argument for an alternative trajectory. 7.4 Critique of the Research Process 7.4.1 The use of sensitizing concepts in a GT 7.4.2 Critique on literature used to develop the categories. 8 A 'POST FIELD WORK' RETURN TO THE LITERATURE 8.1 History of agrarian change 8.1.1 The backdrop of globalisation 8.1.2 Intellectual roots for the paradigms of agrarian change 8.1.3 The roots of development 8.1.4 The Livelihoods approach in development 8.1.5 What happened to the Peasants? 8.1.6 The concept of community 8.2 Agrarian Priorities 8.2.1 The South African Context of 'agrarian transformation' 8.2.2 Current Agricultural Policy in South Africa ix 8.3 Development and Research in Agriculture 8.3.1 Social capital as the currency of sustainability 8.3.2 Identity "place in the world" 8.3.3 The contributions of the livelihoods approach to research and development 9. RELEVANCE AND RECOMMENDATIONS 9.1 Meanings and implications of the research 9.2 Relevance of the research to literature 9.3 Relevance of methodology 9.4 Recommendations and conclusion 9.4.1 Recommendations for decision makers in rural development 9.4.2 Recommendations for further research 9.
This study represents original work by the author who hereby declares that the research in this d... more This study represents original work by the author who hereby declares that the research in this dissertation is of her own investigation and has not otherwise been submitted in any form for any degree or diploma to any University. Where use was made of the work of others, this has been duly acknowledged in the text.
A fundamental question being addressed by agricultural extension in South Africa is the role of a... more A fundamental question being addressed by agricultural extension in South Africa is the role of agricultural extension within rural development. Scientists are being challenged to re-consider that their role in technology development is through innovation and a complex process involving a reorganization of social relationships not just technical practice. In this context, technology shifts from something to be applied to something leveraged for networking and organizing. To ensure the future, the idea of sustainability as a dynamic process rather than an endpoint offers a route for understanding and engagement between research, policy and personal spheres. For both research and extension agendas; in considering traditional agriculture in the context of economic development we have to create the capacity to co-operate in a way that opens up the possibility of social change; a way of interacting that preserves and creates new forms of social cohesion. Including the non-material contri...
In this paper, a participatory experience is used to tell the story of Grounded Theory developmen... more In this paper, a participatory experience is used to tell the story of Grounded Theory development embedded in participatory activities that also occurred in two phases. The observe and participate phase focused on the emerging design and creation of a data set during and extended engagement with stakeholders. In the "constructive" phase, space within which to theorize required distance from the emotions of participation as well as access to face-to--face discussion within an academic discourse. The paper tells the narrative of the research produced as a whole, and then focuses on the use of Grounded Theory as the taproot for building theory as a purposeful companion to action research. Discussion supports GT as a valid method for trans-disciplinary theory building in action research and highlights learning within the participatory experience. The process supports the strengths of action research in facing system challenges as well as identifying attitudes and processes th...
The central theme for this article arises from conversation on how agricultural scientists can mo... more The central theme for this article arises from conversation on how agricultural scientists can move from technology transfer to complementing development. Researchers may be willing to embrace developmental concerns while lacking enabling skills and perspectives. Agricultural researchers often choose agendas based on cost, efficiency and appropriate controlled input use. This is problematic for small-scale commercial agriculture in traditionally managed rural situations because it does not include the issues of authority, power and complexity found in situated contexts. This article describes researcher learning arising from participatory farmer–researcher activity that determined a mutually beneficial research agenda. The participatory nature of the research was determined by how relationships were developed and managed. Researchers came to understand that attitude, environment and relevant issues, not specific tools, achieved participation.
The central theme for this article arises from conversation on how agricultural scientists can mo... more The central theme for this article arises from conversation on how agricultural scientists can move from technology transfer to complementing development. Researchers may be willing to embrace developmental concerns while lacking enabling skills and perspectives. Agricultural researchers often choose agendas based on cost, efficiency and appropriate controlled input use. This is problematic for small-scale commercial agriculture in traditionally managed rural
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