International Journal of Agricultural Management & Developement (IJAMAD) Available online on: www.ijamad.com Factors Affecting Rural Facilitators’ Role: Iran Farideh Azimi1 and Mohammad Bagher Kamali2* Received: 25 December 2010, his study aimed to examine key factors affecting rural Revised: 4 February 2011, Tfemale facilitators’ role in participatory rural development Accepted: 6 February 2011 in Tehran Province. Since the researchers intended to have a better insight into the facilitators’ role and employ inquiry as a learning forum for bringing about changes for all participants, they preferred to use a case study based upon an appreciative inquiry method. The study divided the factors affecting the facilitators’ role into two main categories: driving factors and preventing factors. The former are: two-way communication, election of rural eligible facilitators, participation, sense of responsibility, and the latter are: cultural and tribal fanaticism, lack of permanent female extension workers and frequent Abstract management changes. Appreciative inquiry as a positive mode of action research could facilitate the process of education and communication for all stakeholders. We suggested that there should be a shift from the extension as a knowledge transfer to facilitation as people’s own knowledge creation. This study showed that appreciative inquiry could facilitate the process of Keywords: change and gender-awareness. This research method could Rural female facilitators, Facilitation, Rural develop- also facilitate mutual communication between the rural facilitators ment, Appreciative inquiry, and extension workers. Iran International Journal of Agricultural Management & Developement, 1(1): 7-14, Winter, 2011. Winter, Agricultural Management & Developement, 1(1): 7-14, International Journal of 7 1 Faculty member Agri and RD Planning, Economics Research Institute. 2 Department of Extension, Tehran Province, MJA * Corresponding email: [email protected] Factors Affecting/Farideh Azimi et al. INTRODUCTION process of learning and change for all of the Women should participate on a par with men participants including the researchers themselves. in social, economic and political activities in It is also believed that facilitating popular rural development and should play a crucial role participation at grassroots level is not separated in satisfying their own concrete needs. Development from facilitating participation within the MJA can not be achieved without women's authentic and among its development workers. Facilitation participation. They should have more control on of authentic grassroots participation in a relatively their own destiny. Women's participation and non participatory organization demands patience learning is not only an empowering process for and perseverance. To foster local participation, women but also a capacitating process for the it is essential to bring about some changes in the whole family and society. Gender sensitive MJA as well (Kamali, 2006). Another crucial approaches often focus on women and ignore objective of the inquiry is to examine how men. Whereas, in order to materializing such a appreciative inquiry can facilitate horizontal crucial objective i.e. bringing about authentic communication between extension workers and transformation, both groups should be equally RFFS. In addition, it was also planned to study addressed and involved (ALINE, 2010). This how employment of the appreciative inquiry could be the cornerstone for people's life could purvey a learning forum for all participants. improvement in all aspects. The rural female facilitators' project is one of Rural development in Iran the key rural women projects in the Bureau of The rural population of Iran is 22 million and rural women's office (BRWO) in the Ministry of facing a high rural immigration rate. Rural Jahad for agriculture (MJA). The project has development does not just mean agricultural been carried out by action research method by development. Neither, it is achieved by money Kamali and his colleagues since 2000. It has injection. Rather it demands to bring about some begun in a district, as a pilot, in Chaharmahal va structural changes. In such a way that people Bakhtiyari Province. Having done this pilot, it have a say and stay on their own feet without has gradually expanded into other provinces, crutches. To accomplish such an essential aim, including Tehran Province. In this project, rural it is necessary to focus on participatory and women themselves elect their own representatives liberating education for rural populace and as rural facilitators. The latter is changed and simultaneously for government extension agents. empowered through participatory communication In fact it is crucial to focus on "to be" rather and education. They consequently facilitate rural than "to have" more. As Freire asserts, this kind women's empowerment. The extension agents of education should be based on two-way of MJA are being simultaneously empowered discussion and communication. Education can through two way communication and participatory be either domesticating or emancipating. In the workshops (Kamali et al, forthcoming). former, education is nothing except "filling" or In this paper, the researchers aim to examine "transferring" knowledge as orthodox extension. the factors affecting the role of rural female Where as, in the latter it is dynamic process of facilitators in Tehran province as a case study. learning through two way communication and Since the researchers are involved in the project interaction. It is opposite of "banking education" themselves and are interested in learning and (Freire, 1972). Education in MJA is mainly one changing themselves and to empower the relevant way imparting of knowledge from MJA's colleagues and rural female facilitators, it was functionaries to the rural populace. It indeed International Journal of Agricultural Management & Developement, 1(1): 7-14, Winter, 2011. Winter, Agricultural Management & Developement, 1(1): 7-14, International Journal of decided to carry out the research by appreciative demands a dramatic transformation from 8 inquiry method. communiqué into authentic participatory education We believe that appreciative inquiry is a form and communication. of participatory action research. It is not to MJA has a major role in rural development collect information, rather the research is a activities in Iran. The MJA has often adopted a Factors Affecting/Farideh Azimi et al. paternalistic approach to development in which with thoughtful and creative subjects. They are it takes on the role of 'guardian' of the rural human beings. They are not 'objects' to be population. As a result, the rural community is counted and controlled, and from whom knowledge dependent on the MJA's development workers. is to be extracted. The prevalent attitude in These development workers have mainly carried orthodox inquiry is the isolation of research out their projects 'for' people with little community from education and action. One of the key participation. Even when participation is mentioned, characteristics, or better called claims, of dominant it mainly referred to people's contribution of social sciences seems to be the 'neutrality' of the physical labour and money, rather than their researcher; but the neutrality of the researcher is capacity to actively contribute to planning and only a myth. S/he, in one way or other, takes decision making. The MJA has therefore overlooked sides (Macdonald, in: Carmen, 1990). In this the significant potential contributions and indigenous inquiry, we have attempted to take side on the knowledge of the local community (Kamali, rural poor and neglected. 2003). Nonetheless, what is quite clear is the fact that To achieve people's participation and empow- ''the methodological premise that knowledge erment, it demands a change in the role of must be produced by detached observation has extension agents that is a change from 'extension' contributed to the creation and perpetuation of a into 'facilitation'. The extension officers should 'class' of intellectuals (experts, technocrats and facilitate the process of learning and change ...) distinct from the masses of direct producers, rather than to transfer the knowledge. Once the constituting a separation of mental from manual oppressed become conscious of their oppression labour, a class which has seen to be politically and the barriers to their own development, they active in controlling or influencing social power may wish to change the status – quo and the to promote their own privileges… in this sense animators may ease the way and help them to non- involvement is a myth – the social researcher do what people decided to do on their own. is involved consciously or unconsciously in his/ People can not be developed they can only her own bid for social power'' (Rahman, 1993). develop themselves (Nyerere, in: Kamali, 1998). Having said that, a people– centered development The process of "man's" empowerment should demands its own research approach. When the not be limited to men's liberation; women's development of human beings is concerned, emancipation must be included as well. Hegemony there is no room for separation of researchers is a very complex phenomenon. It does not only and the researched. Hall argues that 'the belief imply state and economic powers; male hegemonic that ordinary people have both an ability and power has relatively made rural women invisible right to interpret their problems and