Folk Knowledge and the Role of Women in Sustainable Rural Development
Subject Areas :
Sahar ghaffari
1
*
,
mehrdad Navabakhsh
2
,
Faizollah Noroozi
3
1 - PhD Student in Sociology, Rural Social Development Orientation, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran.
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
3 - Faculty Member and Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Keywords: Sustainable Development, Women, Rural Areas, Development, Folk Knowledge.,
Abstract :
Can folk knowledge and women in rural communities serve as catalysts, significantly contributing to achievement of sustainable development, or conversely, delay this process? The present study, as a "short report article," aims to examine and clarify the role of women and folk knowledge in sustainable rural development by investigating the economic conditions, employment, and agricultural products in 30 villages of South Khorasan Province. Drawing on Durkheim's theory of the division of labor—offering a distinctive perspective that contrasts with the principles of modernization theory in explaining developmental barriers—this study adopts a qualitative approach. Data were collected through document-based, using content analysis as the primary technique. Findings from studies conducted in these villages reveal a meaningful relationship between folk knowledge and sustainable rural development, as well as the significant role of women. Durkheim’s theoretical classification of societies demonstrates the progression of communities rather than the backwardness of primitive societies as an obstacle to any form of development.