FRASER, ALEXANDRA HAYNES; PHD
THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - MADISON, 1987
SOCIOLOGY, GENERAL (0626); ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (0768)
A multi-method research design consisting of in-depth interviews with program
officials and builders, field
level observation, and field surveys with randomly chosen acceptors has been
used to provide a unique
set of insights into the process of diffusion and acceptance of improved smokeless
wood-stoves in
Rajasthan, India. Over 450 village women were interviewed about their energy
use, use of their stove,
cooking practices as well as family characteristics. These women were improved
stove acceptors and
non-acceptors associated with three improved stove disseminating organizations
in Rajasthan, the Rural
Development Department of the Rajasthan state government, the Local Self Government
Institute and
the Social Work and Research Center. The improved stoves disseminated by these
three programs are
all largely subsidized by the Government of India. I have constructed a variable
named Levels of
Acceptance in order to aid in quantifying differences in stove condition and
frequency of stove use. The
traditional literature on dissemination of innovation has concluded that the
acceptor's personal
characteristics from caste and wealth through personal motivation are the decisive
factors in the adoption
of an innovation. I find, however, that programmatic variables, and the disseminating
program itself are
consistently the most highly correlated and important variables for attaining
a high Level of Acceptance. If
my experience in Rajasthan can be generalized, and improved smokeless wood-burning
stoves are ever
to be adopted in large numbers with a high Level of Acceptance, it is important
and encouraging to note
that disseminating program policies, rather than an acceptor's personal characteristics
are the most
important variables.
Social
Systems Simulation Group
P.O. Box 6904 San Diego, CA 92166-0904 Roland Werner, Principal Phone/FAX (619) 660-1603 |