Youngman, F.; Maruatona, T.(Taylor & Francis, http://www.informaworld.com, July NaN, 1998)
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Abstract:
This article addresses the question of whether extension workers can change their attitudes and
practices in order to promote participatory rural development by considering the case of Botswana. It discusses the emergent participatory extension paradigm which uses techniques such
as participatory rural appraisal (PRA). It describes the new community-based strategy for rural development in Botswana which includes the expectation that the extension services can be reorientated
to facilitate increased community participation. Evidence is presented from research in 1995-96 which evaluated a pilot project involving PRAs undertaken by extension workers in
four districts. The project sought to find out systematically whether PRA could enhance the
ability of the extension services to undertake participatory rural development. The findings suggest that extension workers can develop through training the attitudinal predisposition
necessary for adopting a more participatory approach to extension practice. However, there are
institutional and contextual constraints which present obstacles to implementing participatory
rural development. It is therefore not certain that the proposal to expand the use of PRA on a
national scale will lead to the anticipated reorientation of the extension services.