Agriculture Reference
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in various biophysical and socioeconomic phenomena in the study sites. Seasonal
calendars were often drawn on the ground, with relative trends depicted using stones
and seeds, but in some cases pen and paper were used to draw simple line graphs
showing seasonal increases and decreases. Several variables, such as pests and dis-
eases, crop yields, and labor, were included in the calendar to enable an assessment
of relative annual patterns. Seasonal calendars were drawn by local participants
assembled in groups structured to include different ages, gender, and leadership per-
spectives as described by Kabutha et al. (1993). The facilitator asked participants to
mark out the year into seasons using their local language and to use preferred media
to mark out trends in selected biophysical and socioeconomic variables.
3.2.4.10
daily activity charts
Daily activity charts (Chambers, 1994; Rietbergen-McCracken and Narayan, 1998)
were created to show daily time use for the average individual in the community and
to show the types of routine activities, relative amounts of time spent on them, and
degrees of drudgery. Daily activity charts were made by focus groups categorized by
gender, age, employment, and marital status. Group presentations were done to elicit
intergroup perspectives. Comparisons of the daily activities of different groups were
made and discussed.
3.2.4.11
focus Group discussions
Focus group discussions (D'Arcy, 1990; Kumar, 1993; Cabanero-Verzosa et al.,
1993; Rietbergen-McCracken and Narayan, 1998) were used as a means of obtaining
in-depth information on a specific topic through a discussion. Focus group discus-
sions were designed as facilitated discussions on a specific topic by a small group of
people who shared common concerns. Participants discussed ideas, issues, insights,
and experiences among themselves, and each member was free to comment, criti-
cize, or elaborate on the views expressed by others. It was not expected that partici-
pants would have only one opinion or that they would agree on anything, but rather
that the similarity of their orientation toward the issue at hand would allow free
sharing of information and deeper insight into the issue under discussion. The goal
of the facilitator was to create a situation in which the participants were stimulated
to talk with each other on the chosen topic. The primary role of the facilitator was to
stimulate group discussion, to keep discussions within reasonable limits of the topic
at hand, and to prevent a few participants from dominating the discussions. Focus
groups were limited to between 8 and 12 participants. The small size of the group
was intended to facilitate the free flow of discussions. A session generally lasted
between 1 and 2 hours. Several sessions with different participants were held on a
specific topic.
3.2.4.12
Presentations and analysis
In group presentations, participants in group activities such as mapping or transect
walks made a presentation on their findings to the rest of the workshop participants.
The objectives were to review the outputs of the group activity for accuracy and
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