Despite considerable effort to understand and represent decision making by farmers, there has been little attempt to integrate socio‐economic, psychological and farming variables within a comprehensive framework. This paper attempts to do this in the context of two types of farming behaviour ‐ business and environmental ‐for a sample of over 200 Scottish farmers. Using variables covering their attitudes, objectives and behaviours relevant to many aspects of farming, we proposed mediating variables models of business‐oriented and environmentally‐oriented farming behaviours. Structural equation modelling was used to test the adequacy of the proposed models. The results of the study emphasise the importance of psychological factors in the decision making of farmers.
Many health researchers have reported higher mortality and morbidity rates for men than for women. Various writers have argued that such differences reflect men's delay in seeking help when required and that reluctance to seek help reflects prevailing constructions of hegemonic masculinity. The authors report findings from an interview study of 12 older men's understandings of health and ill health. In describing health, participants constructed identities consistent with prevailing notions of hegemonic masculinity. When discussing ill health, they aligned themselves with less powerful identities that were inconsistent with the "ideal" hegemonic masculinity. Participants used a "time will tell" discursive formulation to negotiate transitions between hegemonic and subordinate identities. Delay in seeking help, accordingly, can be viewed as reflecting transitions in identity rather than hegemonic masculinity itself. These constructions are consistent with those found in other contexts and act to disadvantage men both in health terms and in identity terms.
Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ) are employed as compulsory instruments to meet standards on EU water quality. Farmers operating in NVZs face a number of restrictions on agricultural activity and a greater requirement for record keeping in relation to timing and quantities of nitrogen inputs used. This paper presents results of a survey into the attitudes and values of farmers within the designated Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) in Scotland. A typology based on perceptions towards water quality management was developed using factor and cluster analysis techniques. Three types were identified as 'resistors', 'apathists' and 'multifunctionalists'. The 'resistors' and the 'multifunctionalists' had similar approaches to land use management, but then diverged in terms of their perceptions towards the environment, water management and the NVZ regulations in particular. The apathists were indifferent towards the aims of the regulation and to water quality management in general. This was also evidenced by their lack of uptake of voluntary measures for improving water quality. The lack of engagement from the 'apathists', which represent around a third of the responses to the survey, is particularly problematic for policy makers. There is a need for greater targeting of information to this farmer type emphasising favourable perceptions which encourage water quality management behaviours.Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, voluntary farmer behaviour, cluster analysis, diffuse water pollution,
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