Empowerment Indicators of Selected Farmers, Rural Women and Indigenous People in Region IV, Philippines

Date

4-2006

Abstract

The study endeavored to determine empowerment indicators from the meanings expressed by fanners. rural women. and indigenous people. The researcher tried to compare and contrast identified indicators with literature, analyze factors that shape the concept of empowerment and determine the taxonomy of empowerment indicators and their interrelationships.

The research was a naturalistic inquiry using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The researcher entered into the world of respondents to investigate the phenomenon in its naturally occurring context. The data came from the researcher's observation, in-depth interviews with respondents and key informants, secondary data, and survey. The study was conducted in two provinces of Region IV.

The study found out that the sea of concepts and meanings of empowerment of farmers. rural women, and indigenous people as expressed through their indicators could be categorized into knowledge, technological, economic. socio-political and psychological aspects. These types of empowerment were interrelated and led one to the other. A commonality of relationships in the categories was found starting from knowledge to proceed to psychological empowerment in the end.

The researched confirmed the existence of influencing factors beyond (exogenous) and within (endogenous) the control of respondents. When combined, these factors created interplay of activities which led to empowerment, visible through the respondents’ expressions of meaning and indicators of the phenomenon.

On a theoretical base, the concepts, meanings and indicators of empowerment of the three groups of respondents were influenced by a set of factors or symbols, where they interacted and created meanings (Symbolic Interactionism); behaved in relation to interpretations or constructs of acquired information (Constructivism); and shed light on the concept of empowerment through conscious experiences (Phenomenology). These in turn, guided the respondents when they created their own sets of empowerment.

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Master of Science in Extension Education

College

Graduate School (GS)

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 996 2006 A16 S65

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