Investigating Competencies of Home Economics among Rural Women Carpet Weavers in Darian Township, Shiraz County

Home Economics activities provide a useful framework to reduce inconsistencies of livelihood in development geography. The term 'livelihood' describes the means – 'capabilities, assets (stores, resources, claims and access) and activities – required for living'. Rural women capabilities, assets and activities and the major aspects of family living are the most important means of providing opportunities for rural households to match with their ever changing communities. These assets and activities are known as the means of making a living or surviving and denote the abilities to maintain or build long-term well-being. Rural women as the half of human population in rural areas are the guardians of holding diversified portfolios for rural households and equipping them in the social change process. They play significant role in social and cultural realms along with economic roles in rural areas. Women economic roles indoor their house and applying scientific principles to domestic situations are called home science, domestic economic and later home economics. Home economical activities identify rural women' livelihood aspirations and the barriers that make livelihood creation difficult within the rural context. Home economic activities include all the products and services which produce a community that is healthier, wiser, freer, motivated, challenged and empowered. But the main question here is that what are the home economic competencies of rural women? Do the women in regions with different levels of development experience different home economics competencies? And which factors determine these competencies among rural women? This research aims to investigate the determinants of home economics competencies among rural women in Darian township, Shiraz county, Iran.
The study depends on primary data collected from rural women in rural regions of Darian township, Shiraz county, Iran. In this study, a survey was conducted using structural questionnaire. Questionnaire was designed to cover four basic household-based measures of home economics; life competencies and skills; life priorities; family support and home economics competencies. Demographic characteristics of respondents were also questioned. Face validity of questionnaires was confirmed by a panel of experts. The calculated Cronbach’s alpha for the different measures of the instrument were 0.69 to 0.94. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 22) and Super Decision software were used to treat and analyze the obtained data. Multi-stage random cluster sampling technique was used to select 200 rural women from developed and semi developed villages of Darian township.
Results revealed that, rural women in developed and semi developed rural areas weren’t significantly different regarding their life priorities (child development, family life, etc.). This may imply that rural women living in developed villages tend to experience similar competencies comaring to their counterparts in semi-developed villages. The results showed that while rural women in developed and semi developed villages were significantly different with respect to their family life competencies and skills, home management competencies and home employment activities; there was no significant difference in the mean scores of the other competencies achieved by women living in developed regions. It may be interpreted that most of the women in villages with different levels of development had similar home economics competencies (housing and home furnishing, foods and nutrition, clothing and textile, and child development competencies). However, the results shed light on the impact of development on family life skills, managerial skills and the necessity of earning money in home activities. The other important difference between the study areas was the level of family support. Results revealed that rural women in developed villages experience significantly more family supports in comparison to their counterparts in semi developed regions. The perception of support of family members (spouse, child and other household members) provided a facilitative environment to promote home economics competencies. Hierarchical regression results also indicated that life skills, perceptions of family supports, craft weaving experience and the level of rural development could predict 70 percent of variation in home economics competencies among rural women.
The researchers would like to propose possible suggestions to provide applied opportunities for women in semi developed regions. As indicated by the results, family members couldn’t provide necessary support for women to play their economical roles in their homes. Cultural support would be important to provide the supporting context for women in semi and under developed regions.