Agrarian crossroads: rural aspirations and capitalist transformation

Abstract

Aspirations bring different versions of the future into the present. This introductory essay asks what we can learn by attending to the myriad ways in which rural subjects and collectivities articulate and institutionalise aspirations. We argue that aspirations are conditioned by constellations of power, which shape what can be done and what can be imagined. These visions of alternative futures can be either affirmative or transformative, but will always entail negotiations over the meaning of self and community. This conceptualisation cautions against policymaking based on individualised aspirations, and invites readers to inquire into how rural populations negotiate and embrace, accommodate or reject rural transformations. RÉSUMÉLes aspirations ramènent différentes versions du futur dans le présent. Cet essai d'introduction demande ce que nous pouvons apprendre en examinant les nombreuses façons dont les individus en milieu rural et les collectivités articulent et institutionnalisent les aspirations. Nous soutenons que les aspirations sont conditionnées par des constellations de pouvoir qui façonnent ce que l'on peut faire et imaginer. Ces visions de futurs différents peuvent être soit affirmatives ou transformatrices, mais elles entraîneront toujours des négociations sur le sens du soi et de la communauté. Cette conceptualisation met en garde contre l'élaboration de politiques fondées sur l'individualisation des aspirations. Elle invite les lecteurs à réfléchir aux façons dont les populations locales négocient puis embrassent ou rejettent les transformations rurales ou s'y accommodent.

Not All About Farming: Understanding Aspirations Can Challenge Assumptions About Rural Development

“…Where and how people grow up shapes the default opportunity space, defines options and thus affects aspirations. Any narratives around future aspirations are grounded in current realities and tend to represent a negotiated ground between individual, household and community drivers (Bennike et al 2020). In contexts where agriculture is (perceived to be) both viable and profitable it is more likely to remain the majority aspiration.…”

“…Yet, aspirations are not purely shaped by individual desires (Huijsmans et al 2020). Social pressures, norms and expectations also play a role in their formation and expression (Bennike et al 2020;Crossland et al 2021). For example, in many communities 'farming' is not only an income generation activity but is also perceived as a lifestyle.…”

“…Despite a growing recognition of the importance of considering aspirations in the recent literature, there is no consensus on how to assess, measure and interpret them. Bennike et al (2020), for example, highlight the need to analyse aspirations beyond the individualised view. They critique the implicit blaming of people's lack of aspirations by focussing on the factors that influence or hinder aspirational pursuit.…”

“…Those who want to move out of agriculture could do so, leaving others to benefit from agricultural intervention and so produce the food required to feed the population. It is the distinct recognition that it is not purely outside forces that push people out of agriculture or force them to remain but rather agricultural and non-agricultural aspirations need to be understood as desired shifts in livelihoods (Bennike et al 2020). We build on recent studies Verkaart et al 2018) that began to investigate aspirations and their implications for the design of support mechanisms and explored aspirations against potential entry points for agricultural development efforts.…”

Dependent convenience: Migration, agrarian change, and socioecological sustainability in Dakshinkali, Nepal

“…As succinctly argued by Bennike, Rasmussen, and Nielsen (2020, 41), “agrarian transformations and processes of capitalist restructuring of the countryside more broadly are not exclusively the outcome of the predatory maneuvering of external forces; they are also informed by rural aspirations for alternative futures and new possibilities that are internalized and reproduced locally.” But how are “structural” and “aspirational” factors mutually implicated to bring about agrarian transformation in Nepal? The notion of “convenience” can potentially enhance our understanding in this regard.…”