Gendered agricultural and rural restructuring: a case study of Northern Ireland

Abstract

G ender relations is a very broad term, and what it means has resulted in considerable debate. As initially introduced to sociology, the concept draws attention to the socially constructed aspects of difference between men and women that are separate from biological differences (Oakley, 1972). Thus it draws attention to the cultural ideals and stereotypes of men and women, and to what are frequently considered appropriate gender roles that reflect cultural traditions rather than biological difference.The study of farm women has long established that gender divisions in farming have cultural rather than biological foundations (Brandth, 1995;Haugen, 1998;Overbeek et al., 1998;Shortall, 1992;van der Burg, 1994;Whatmore, 1994). Similarly research on women's position in rural development initiatives has focused on cultural and traditional factors, rather than biological differences between men and women to account for differences in rates of participation (Clark, 1997;Little and Austin, 1996).This article focuses on two specific gender related changes that are linked to agricultural and rural restructuring, at least partly motivated by the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The first relates to the increase in part-time farming and women's increasing off-farm work, linked to falling farm incomes and reduced subsidies. The second relates to women's participation in rural development policy and practice. The reason for this focus is that both part-time farming and rural development initiatives can be seen as potentially enhancing gender equality. Off-farm income potentially provides women with financial independence, and places them in a position where they expect and receive more equitable sharing of household decision making power (Rogers and DeBoer, 2001). With specific regard to farm women, it has been argued that off-farm work enables women to challenge male domination and assert their independence within the farm business (O'Hara, 1998). Similarly, rural development initiatives are seen as a participatory form of development. They are understood as offering a new form of governance that is more inclusive, more representative, and more transparent. They are seen as providing scope to include women in political structures in a way that has not previously been achieved (Cornwall, 2000). It is possible then that the reform of the CAP will motivate changed social structures (part-time farming; increased rural development initiatives) that will address gender inequalities. However, it is argued in this article that ideological and cultural barriers exist, such that agricultural and rural restructuring unfold in a gendered fashion, which support the status quo. It 161 Gendered agricultural and rural restructuring is argued that within agriculture, the primacy given to this occupation within the household leads to an ideology where it continues to be seen as the main activity of the household even when it is subsidised by off-farm work. Agriculture is imbued with a strong gender ideology that will not easily ...

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