The “Greek Economic Crises” and Place of Family Farms and Rural Villages in Sustaining Greek Economy, Culture, and Society: A Multifunctional Perspective
Type of Presentation
Event
Location
Hall of Governors
Start Date
4-1-2016 4:00 PM
End Date
4-1-2016 6:00 PM
Abstract
Since 2008 Greece has received considerable international attention over the national economic crises. Largely overlooked in Greek national, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund discourse on “restructuring“ the Greek economy, culture, and society. The location for this ethnographic project is the four villages of Lerna located on the coastal Peloponnesus, one hundred and sixty miles south of Athens. Participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and field photographs documenting routine activities in village setting—churches, family operated shops, elementary schools, village festivals, farms, households—inform this research and Poster Session presentation. Interpretation of ethnographic data draws on the concept of multifunctionality (Brower 2004) to explore the role of farmers and the family farm in sustaining the Greek rural economy and way of life. This study argues that the family farm and village institution practices embody meaning, a sense of place, identity, and heritage shared by local people. The analysis argues that local knowledge and practices maintained by farm families and rural people contribute to the national economy, identity and heritage and are worthy of attention in national and international policy discourse and planning.
Presentation File
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The “Greek Economic Crises” and Place of Family Farms and Rural Villages in Sustaining Greek Economy, Culture, and Society: A Multifunctional Perspective
Hall of Governors
Since 2008 Greece has received considerable international attention over the national economic crises. Largely overlooked in Greek national, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund discourse on “restructuring“ the Greek economy, culture, and society. The location for this ethnographic project is the four villages of Lerna located on the coastal Peloponnesus, one hundred and sixty miles south of Athens. Participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and field photographs documenting routine activities in village setting—churches, family operated shops, elementary schools, village festivals, farms, households—inform this research and Poster Session presentation. Interpretation of ethnographic data draws on the concept of multifunctionality (Brower 2004) to explore the role of farmers and the family farm in sustaining the Greek rural economy and way of life. This study argues that the family farm and village institution practices embody meaning, a sense of place, identity, and heritage shared by local people. The analysis argues that local knowledge and practices maintained by farm families and rural people contribute to the national economy, identity and heritage and are worthy of attention in national and international policy discourse and planning.
Other Presentation Disciplines:
Dr. Frances Kostarelos is a Professor of Anthropology and Sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences.