Cornelia Butler Flora | |
---|---|
Born | California, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Cornell University, University of California, Berkeley |
Occupation(s) | Sociologist, educator, author |
Known for | Community capitals framework, international research on community and rural development and social change. |
Title | Distinguished sociology professor emerita at Iowa State University and research professor at Kansas State University |
Part of a series on |
Sociology |
---|
![]() |
Cornelia Butler Flora is an American rural sociologist. [1] She is mostly known for her work on community capitals framework (CCF), [2] feminism in Latin America, social justice, social policy, women in development, rural development, sustainable agriculture, sustainable community, community development, and farmer welfare. She has worked globally across the United States, Latin America, and Africa. There are more than 247 publications (in four languages) to her name over the last five decades of her work. [3] Her widely famous book Rural Communities: Legacy + Change has seen 43 editions published between 1992 and 2019 in three languages. [3] She was appointed to the reputed National Agricultural Research, Education and Economics Advisory Board by the then U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in 2004. [4] She was also the president of the Rural Sociological Society (a highly prestigious scholarly society of rural sociologists) in 1988–1989. [5]
Flora serves as a distinguished emerita professor of sociology at Iowa State University [6] and research professor at Kansas State University. [7] She continues teaching Rural Development in Spanish at the University of Córdoba (Spain). She earned her doctorate in rural sociology (also called as Development Sociology) from Cornell University in 1970. [7] Her doctoral dissertation was on the growth of the Pentecostal Movement in the rural Cauca Valley of Colombia compared to other religious and social groups. [8] Her doctoral dissertation resulted in the form of a book called Pentecostalism in Colombia: Baptism by Fire and Spirit and published in 1976. [8] She also earned her Master of Science in Rural Sociology from Cornell University in 1966. [7] She earned her Bachelor of Arts with honors in Sociology from University of California, Berkeley in 1965. [7] She has taught and served in administrative positions in various universities of repute like Iowa State University from 1994 to till date (where she also directed the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development between 1994 and 2010), [9] Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) from 1989 to 1994 (where she was head of the Department of Sociology), and Kansas State University from 1971 to 1989 (where she was also the Director of the Population Research Laboratory till 1978). [7] She also serves on the external advisory board of the Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab [10] based at Kansas State University. She married Jan L. Flora in 1967. [8] They had met at Cornell University in 1965. [8] Jan L. Flora is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Iowa State University and Research Professor of Sociology at Kansas State University. [11] Both are parents to two daughters- Gabriela and Natasha [8] and three granddaughters.
The major contribution of Cornelia Flora to Rural Sociology is the Community Capitals Framework (CCF). [2] It was co-developed with her husband Jan L. Flora. CCF links seven types of capitals (resources) necessary for promoting long-term development and well-being of communities. [8] The seven types of community capitals are- natural, cultural, human, social, political, financial, and built- capital. The Floras consider that "growth focused only on financial capital generally increases inequality and environmental damage unless specific action is taken to protect ecosystem health and social inclusion. And, indeed, economic growth (alone) does not equal financial security for communities". [8] Hence, favoring one or two types of capitals over other types of capitals could result in skewed development and decreased resilience at the community level. The distinguishing feature of CCF is that it focuses on different types of assets within the community. It does not focus on (asset) deficits. Thus, it is a significant shift in thinking (from have-nots/weaknesses to haves/strengths) and in approach towards community development (the development process is community-led and community-managed with critical support from state and market). In the words of the Floras- "The Community Capitals Framework emerged dialectically from practice, although it has diverse theoretical roots. Its theoretical base is rich and heterodox, bringing together symbolic structuralism, social constructivism, participatory action research, and appreciative inquiry. By focusing on collective efficacy, the CCF was developed as a tool for people in the field, including community members, to assess what key local resources to mobilize and invest in for a more sustainable collective future". [8] CCF requires balanced investment in all seven capitals to achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability (also known as triple bottom line of development). [12]
Natural Capital consists of the natural resources (land, air, water, flora, fauna) and the environment around the community. Cultural Capital consists of non-materials components (values, beliefs, norms and symbols) and material components (books, paintings, artifacts, etc.) of culture associated with the community or a social group. Human Capital consists of an individual's capabilities and knowledge facilitated through access to education, skills, health, enterprise, and holistic well-being. Social Capital consists of ties and bonding one has within one's family and with community members. The ties and bonds are based on mutual trust and reciprocity. This capital connects one with community members through a sense of collective identity, working together and a sense of shared future. Political Capital is the power to turn norms and values into rules and regulations that are enforced. These then influence decisions, policies, and resource allocation for the community. Financial Capital consists of revenue, income, savings, credits and cash at individual, firm and community level. At the community level, it can be viewed as financial resources (through formal and institutional sources) available within the community for the community development activities/projects. Community financial capital can be assessed by changes in poverty and equality, in firm efficiency, diversity of firms, and increased assets of local people. [13] Built Capital consists of human-made infrastructure like roads, bridges, stations, parks, schools, hospitals, sewer system, business centers, etc. Built capital depends on the other capitals for access, use and maintenance.
She and Jan worked for Ford Foundation as Program Advisor for Agriculture and Rural Development in Latin America from 1978 to 1981. [8] During her Ford stint, she started women's programs in many countries (including those of Latin America, Central America, and Caribbean nations) and integrated women thematic components into all program areas running under Ford Foundation. [8] She has been an active promoter of entrepreneurial social infrastructure (community-based entrepreneurship). [14] [15] She has written extensively for non-academics (policy makers and implementers) and practitioners on community entrepreneurship [16] [8] and innovations in community development. [17] She has a long-standing association with Iowa Farmers Union. [18] [19]
She received the 2019 Richard P. Haynes Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award in Agriculture, Food and Human Values from the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society. The award honors her career for outstanding contributions towards higher education and human society through research, teaching, extension, public service and public policy. [20] She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She was an Endowed Chair in Sustainable Agricultural Systems at Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA), School of Agriculture, University of Minnesota from July 1999 to June 2000. [21] She received the Distinguished Rural Sociologist Award in 1998 [22] from the Rural Sociological Society. [23] She received Outstanding Alumni Award from Cornell University in 1994. [24] She has delivered invited talks on the CCF at various prestigious institutions. [25] The CCF has been widely covered in media and non-academic circles also over the years. For example- the recent podcast with Cornelia Flora on the seven community capitals by the popular platform Your Green Portal in March 2021, [26] Talk with Authors at Iowa State University Library- Cornelia Flora talking on the CCF (starting at 22:30 minutes of the video) in March 2021. [27] She has also served as Treasurer of Midwest Sociological Society [28] in 1984 and is its lifetime member. [29]
She has authored/co-authored/edited more than a dozen books on rural communities, community development, sustainable agriculture, and development issues in Latin America. [7]
Rural sociology is a field of sociology traditionally associated with the study of social structure and conflict in rural areas. It is an active academic field in much of the world, originating in the United States in the 1910s with close ties to the national Department of Agriculture and land-grant university colleges of agriculture.
Sociologists have identified a number of different types of rural communities, which have arisen as a result of changing economic trends within rural regions of industrial nations.
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically described as rural. Different countries have varying definitions of rural for statistical and administrative purposes.
Agroecology is an academic discipline that studies ecological processes applied to agricultural production systems. Bringing ecological principles to bear can suggest new management approaches in agroecosystems. The term can refer to a science, a movement, or an agricultural practice. Agroecologists study a variety of agroecosystems. The field of agroecology is not associated with any one particular method of farming, whether it be organic, regenerative, integrated, or industrial, intensive or extensive, although some use the name specifically for alternative agriculture.
Urban sociology is the sociological study of cities and urban life. One of the field’s oldest sub-disciplines, urban sociology studies and examines the social, historical, political, cultural, economic, and environmental forces that have shaped urban environments. Like most areas of sociology, urban sociologists use statistical analysis, observation, archival research, U.S. census data, social theory, interviews, and other methods to study a range of topics, including poverty, racial residential segregation, economic development, migration and demographic trends, gentrification, homelessness, blight and crime, urban decline, and neighborhood changes and revitalization. Urban sociological analysis provides critical insights that shape and guide urban planning and policy-making.
Environmental sociology is the study of interactions between societies and their natural environment. The field emphasizes the social factors that influence environmental resource management and cause environmental issues, the processes by which these environmental problems are socially constructed and define as social issues, and societal responses to these problems.
Urban studies or pre-urban planning education is based on the study of the urban development of cities and regions—it makes up the theory portion of the field of urban planning. This includes studying the history of city development from an architectural point of view, to the impact of urban design on community development efforts. Urban studies is a major field of study used by paraprofessional practitioners of urban planning, it helps with the understanding of human values, development, and the interactions they have with their physical environment.
Stein Rokkan was a Norwegian political scientist and sociologist. He was the first professor of sociology at the University of Bergen and a principal founder of the discipline of comparative politics. He founded the multidisciplinary Department of Sociology at the University of Bergen, which encompassed sociology, economics and political science and which had a key role in the postwar development of the social sciences in Norway.
Civic agriculture is the trend towards locally based agriculture and food production that is tightly linked to a community's social and economic development. It is also connected to the citizenship and environmentalism within a community. Civic agriculture is geared towards meeting consumer demands in addition to boosting the local economy in the process through jobs, farm to food production efforts, and community sustainability. The term was first coined by Thomas Lyson, professor of sociology at Cornell, to represent an alternative means of sustainability for rural agricultural communities in the era of industrialized agriculture. Civic agriculture is geared towards fostering a self sustainable local economy through an integral community structure in which the entire community is in some part responsible for their food production. Civic agriculture can provide a variety of benefits to a community such as cleaner water, fresher foods, and a better connection between farmers and the community. However, there are also critiques that are concerned with the way in which civic agriculture promotes community responsibility and possibly creates a false sense of citizenship. The intent of civic agricultural practices is to move away from the industrialized sector and into a localized community effort.
Don Earl Albrecht is director of the Western Rural Development Center, before which he was a faculty member in the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism Sciences at Texas A&M University for 27 years He received both his B.S. and his M.S. at Utah State University. In 1982 he received his Ph.D. in rural sociology at Iowa State University.
Rural economics is the study of rural economies. Rural economies include both agricultural and non-agricultural industries, so rural economics has broader concerns than agricultural economics which focus more on food systems. Rural development and finance attempt to solve larger challenges within rural economics. These economic issues are often connected to the migration from rural areas due to lack of economic activities and rural poverty. Some interventions have been very successful in some parts of the world, with rural electrification and rural tourism providing anchors for transforming economies in some rural areas. These challenges often create rural-urban income disparities.
In the People's Republic of China, the study of sociology has been developing steadily since its reestablishment in 1979. Chinese sociology has a strong focus on applied sociology, and has become an important source of information for Chinese policymakers.
Michael Bell is an American sociologist, author, and musician. He is currently Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Community and Environmental Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he is Chair of the Department of Community and Environmental Sociology. In addition, Bell served as Director of UW-Madison's Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS) from 2011 to 2019. Created in 1989, CIAS is a research center for sustainable agriculture programs that respond to the needs of farmers and citizens.
Agrarian socialism is a political ideology that promotes social ownership of agrarian and agricultural production as opposed to private ownership. Agrarian socialism involves equally distributing agricultural land among collectivized peasant villages. Many agrarian socialist movements have tended to be rural, locally focused, and traditional. Governments and political parties seeking agrarian socialist policies have existed throughout the world, in regions including Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, and Africa.
Norman Long is a British anthropologist. He conducted important fieldwork and made significant theoretical contributions through his application of insights from social anthropology in development studies. Anthropology was in the wake of decolonisation often seen as tainted by colonialism and not relevant in a development discourse. Long offered another perspective that can not be seen as bound by time and place. He advocated an actor-oriented perspective on development and thus formulated a critique on centralist biases in development theory.
Nancy A. Naples is an American sociologist, and currently Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Connecticut, where she is also director of graduate studies. She has contributed significantly to the study of community activism, poverty in the United States, inequality in rural communities, and methodology in women's studies and feminism.
Mildred Bertha Thurow Tate was an American rural sociologist, educator, and advocate for women's education. She was one of the first females to obtain a PhD in rural sociology from Cornell University and was appointed the first Dean of Women at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Fern "Bunny" Kaley Willits is an American rural sociologist and professor emerita at Pennsylvania State University known for research about rural women and youth. Willits has published over 70 academic papers and 14 books and she is recognised as a "distinguished rural sociologist" by the Rural Sociological Society.
Magdalena León is a Colombian feminist sociologist specializing in social research and women's studies. Trained with the founders of Colombian sociology, Orlando Fals Borda and Camilo Torres Restrepo, she transferred the rhetorical and discursive framework to the analysis of empirical reality using the survey, systematization, and data analysis to learn the reality on the ground, not only of Colombia but also from Latin America.
Gelia Tagumpay Castillo was a Filipino sociologist. She specialized in rural sociology and was a pioneer of the concept of participatory development. She was a university professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. Her 1977 book Beyond Manila examined rural development in the Philippines. She was named a National Scientist of the Philippines in 1999.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires |journal=
(help).