Self-Help Organizations in Chile

Deteriorating economic growth in Chile has resulted in drastic reductions in state aid.  As marginal populations, urban migrants, small holders and peasants have received progressively less support from the State, community-based "popular" organizations have worked to supply unmet basic needs.  This project will identify and examine Chilean self-help organizations.  Researchers will examine  how these organizations operate; the difficulties they encounter; how specific projects are implemented; and what benefits are provided to the population.

Post-Project Summary:

Researchers developed a methodology for studying popular organizations and analysing their problems, limitations, and potential. The methodology included a census and a survey of urban and rural self-help organizations; in‑depth case studies of the modus operandi and achievements of a sample of organizations; and an analysis of the social composition of such organizations based on a household survey of a sample of participating families. By the end of 1986, there were 1 383 active subsistence organizations in the capital region alone, with a membership of 50 000 and a beneficiary population of 200 000. Members were predominantly women, of the poorest classes with the least likelihood of having previous organizational experience. In addition to material benefits, the organizations provided the members with administrative and managerial experience within a democratic context. On the other hand, most were dependent to some extent on external private support and were not to be expected to take the place of public assistance, particularly in the areas of housing and health. The research results were disseminated at several seminars and workshops. Training. Information: Both the Programa de Economia del Trabajo and the Grupo de Investigaciones Agrarias benefited in terms of training and advice from their Canadian counterpart, the Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean.

 

Third Age (Argentina)

In Argentina, the population over the age of 65 will have reached 10 percent by the year 2000.  To date, studies of this group have been concerned primarily with health. This project will examine the  socioeconomic conditions of the Third Age (65+) population from the poorest social strata in metropolitan Buenos Aires, and evaluate the services provided to them. Researchers will determine their basic needs; evaluate services provided by public, semi-public and private agencies and institutions; describe legal provisions for their assistance and make policy recommendations for the  improvement of the existing social programs.

Post-Project Summary:

The researchers examined national and state legislation relating to senior citizens; analysed data from secondary sources on the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of low-income able-bodied seniors living in institutions and elsewhere; examined the various kinds and characteristics of institutions for the elderly; compared the norms governing such institutions with actual practices; and described life in institutions for the elderly. Most of the institutionalized seniors did not have immediate family to rely on and were there for economic reasons rather than because of physical or mental incapacity. Gaps in the legislation governing such institutions meant that quality of care depended on the good will and initiative of the directors. Most institutions lacked suitable activities for seniors. Project findings were disseminated through seminars.

 

Infant Morbidity Among the Urban Poor

Peru is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. The 1972 National Survey of Food and Consumption revealed that nearly 45 percent of children in that country suffered from malnutrition.  This project will examine attitudes and practices associated with diarrhoea, respiratory illness and malnutrition of children under age two among the urban poor in a shantytown called Pueblo  Joven  Villa El Salvador. The objective is to examine attitudes and  practices which influence the incidence and intensity of these illnesses and the nutritional condition of children.  Researchers will also identify household practices for treating and preventing these illnesses; and propose an appropriate methodology for monitoring respiratory illness and diarrhoeal disease in marginal urban areas.

Post-Project Summary:

Researchers surveyed 604 female agricultural labourers/small farmers working on 29 coffee and 27 cotton plantations. They also interviewed managers and union stewards on each farm and observed the working conditions. The survey findings confirmed the fact that women were taking over traditional male roles in all areas of coffee and cotton production except management. The majority of the workers were young (14-30 years), married with children, and poorly educated, with education being inversely related to age.  Forty-three per cent made less than minimum wage, with 85% concentrated at the lower end of the agricultural wage scale prescribed by law; only 2% reached the middle of the scale. Occupational conditions were described as risky for both sexes, mainly due to the inability to obtain imported protective gear. Union activity was characterized by a high rate of membership and a very low rate of participation. Most workers were unaware of the labour regulations in force.

        

Female Agricultural Labour in Nicaragua

Nicaragua is suffering the effects of a civil war and the consequences of international economic and political pressures.  As a result of this situation women and their children migrate large distances to coffee and cotton plantations in search of seasonal employment.  This project will examine the conditions under which women participate in paid, seasonal, agricultural activities; and their socioeconomic characteristics.  Researchers will also examine labour and welfare provisions designed to protect women.

Post-Project Summary:

Researchers surveyed 604 female agricultural labourers/small farmers working on 29 coffee and 27 cotton plantations. They also interviewed managers and union stewards on each farm and observed the working conditions. The survey findings confirmed the fact that women were taking over traditional male roles in all areas of coffee and cotton production except management. The majority of the workers were young (14-30 years), married with children, and poorly educated, with education being inversely related to age. Forty-three per cent made less than minimum wage, with 85% concentrated at the lower end of the agricultural wage scale prescribed by law; only 2% reached the middle of the scale. Occupational conditions were described as risky for both sexes, mainly due to the inability to obtain imported protective gear. Union activity was characterized by a high rate of membership and a very low rate of participation. Most workers were unaware of the labour regulations in force.

 

Agrarian Change and Demographics (Ecuador)

The hacienda system characterized the agrarian structure in the Inter-Andean Valley of Ecuador since colonial times.  In 1963, however, the Agrarian Reform Law initiated fundamental changes in the region by replacing the haciendas with agricultural cooperatives.  The purpose of this project is to analyse the demographic impact of this restructuring of rural society through case studies of six  agricultural cooperatives.  Researchers will collect data on fertility, mortality and migration for the period: 1966-1985. Researchers will also gather information on population distribution by type of family structure and analyse changes in family composition over the 19-year time span.

Post-Project Summary:

Researchers examined and compared socio-demographic data from 1968 and 1986 from two cooperatives with similar ecological situations but with different economic orientations. The first, Moyurco, tended to favour family holdings and a labour intensive mode of production at the expense of the cooperative. The second, La Chimba, provided families with machinery, credit, etc. to liberate them for work in the cooperative. Although the possibility of finding work was better at La Chimba, getting access to land was a serious problem for young couples in both cooperatives and a source of inter generational conflict. The project results were limited due to the departure of the project leader before project completion.

 

Urban Self-Employed Workers (Bolivia)

In Bolivia the expansion of a self-employed family sector has been  particularly rapid since 1975, but information on the number of people involved and their role in the national economy is scarce.  The purpose of this project is to study urban self-employed workers, their small-scale enterprises and their families' living conditions.  Researchers will determine income and employment levels of self-employed workers; describe how self-employment  activities are organized and their relationship to the formal employment sector; and identify those self-employment activities which could be promoted to expand employment and income.

Post-Project Summary:                

Researchers analysed the socio-demographic characteristics of self-employed workers, and identified the economic characteristics of their family enterprises. Three Bolivian research institutions coordinated efforts which included surveying about 3 800 households in the informal sector (IS) in Cochabamba, 2 100 in Santa Cruz, and selected households in La Paz. It was noted that the study identified the family's role in IS activities; analysed the interrelationship between urbanization, migration, and the organization of IS activities; and analysed the impact of macroeconomic changes upon the economic organization of the family.  Methodologies for gathering information on enterprise, labour force structure, and the family, were also developed. Researchers noted that the project produced a blueprint for a law on the regulation and promotion of IS activities that was introduced into Bolivian parliament for discussion and approval. Also, it helped strengthen the Centro de Estudios para el Desarrollo Laboral y Agrario (CEDLA), a Bolivian research centre. Training Information: It was noted that the project allowed for training activities for the Confederacion Sindical Unica de Trabajadores Artesanos de Bolivia.