The Influence of Nomad Habitation on the Participation of Nomad Women in Family Income Case Study: Sistani Nomad Women

IntroductionIt is believed that the reason of the creation of nomads life is because of the adaptation with ecological conditions, but after the industrial revolution (1750) and the progress in technology also nomads life was influenced. Changing of Iranian nomad’s population is also a result of Reza Khan Kingdom and his compulsory habitation (Takhteh Ghapoo) according to his Modernization policy. After Islamic revolution, comprehensive development of Iran’s nomads regions was proposed with improvement aims in the commonwealth; but these projects did not succeed, because the expansion of inner capitalist and pseudo-capitalist systems made nomads society more and more to be fallen in, and this itself made nomads life to be changed. Unlike in the past, this time the tribes have been forced settlement rather severe tendency to have found accommodation. And in some cases, futher of the government's policy to spontaneously settled. Which causes have confused in the political and socio-economic structure of nomadic. This feedback corresponds more with our study case (Sistani nomads), that beside the above mentioned factors, recent droughts (second half of 1377 up to 1386) ruined pasturelands in summering place (south khorasan) and wintering place (sistan plain) of this region. Because of this, Sistani nomads life has been greatly been in danger of breakdown of environmental and humanly threats. Before of these changes, the situation of nomads especially nomad women was worsened and their role in family income was decreased. This paper studies the role of sistani nomads women before and after habitation based on the following hypothesis.
- The role of Sistani nomads women was weakened after habitation.
- There is a meaningful connection between the weakness of sistani nomads women role and family income.
- There is a meaningful relation between the these women participation in family income before and after habitation.
MethodologyOur statistical society includes 5 inhabited groups with 250 families in Zabol. Using kokran equation, we choose randomly wives of 141 house holder with sampling, and we questioned 124 women because of distance of groups and availability problems. We used a questionnaire in order to collect data. 2 questionnaires were designed, one of them for nomads women and we used 0/8 (goat & kid (yeanling)), 5(cow & calf) and 8 (camel & camel’s kid) coefficients regarding the kinds of livestock and to equalize and changing rank unites. In bestial products matter, we calculated a 100 days of milking period. To compare women’s function before and after habitation, we computed the price of livestock, bestial products and handy crafts with current prices (1389). Second questionnaire belongs to elders of nomad society. In the experience, we also utilized bigeminal comparison and Pierson cohesion.
Results and DiscussionThe study showed that 31/2 % of husbands are unemployed, and 17/6 % began to laboring. If we add 18/4 % of those who do non-productive works, about 67/2 % do laboring and works like this, in the other words they’re out of the production cycle; and only 32/8 % are in the production cycle (agriculture & ranching). In the other side, 97/6 % of nomad women are house holders and practically they have no role in economy in comparison with before of habitation. And only 2/4 % do dressmaking and broidery which regarding population is somehow natural. But before habitation, these activities were parallel with the main activity (bestial products, handy crafts &…). These facts show that nomad habitation in Sistan regarding its ecological peculiarities and its changing situation was not a good plan.
Comparing before and after habitation shows that, before habitation all of nomads have livestock; but after habitation 25/6 % have not any livestock. If 100 livestock with other activities can complete family income, before habitation only 33/6 % have 100 head livestock, but after habitation:First, 25/6 % has lost their livestock.
Second, 54/4 % have lesser than 100 livestock. In the other words, about 80 % have been deprived from livestock for income; although we see 33/6 % before habitation.
Before habitation 57/7 % of ranchers have 100-499 head livestock, but this number decreased to 8/8 % after habitation. And the share of ranchers with more than 500 head livestock decrease from 8 to 1/6 %. These numbers show tendency from a middle point to a lower point from livestock point of view and subsequently this affects economic situation and life quality in the studied nomads. We compared their activity before and after habitation using t-test, and the results approved our hypothesis.
ConclusionSistan region has located in dry zone of north hemisphere and there has been distance between water consumption and water making areas and because of this, the region has confronted with two important phenomena periodic flood and drought. The drought sometimes made Hirmand River to stop and hamoons became waterless and canebrakes were destroyed. In such conditions Sistani nomads are in danger and have 3 solutions:Quitting this profession and beginning another one Keeping up nomads life and doing another works Spontaneous habitation, these three solutions have been practiced in some tribes. But one of Government’s policies is guided habitation to improve nomad’s life. Family peculiarities of the statistical sample shows that, this policy was not successful; especially after habitation, the participation of Sistani nomad’s women has decreased and subsequently the family income reduced. This approach, not only created problems for nomads families, but also adaptation with environment was ignored and another studies also showed the same result, and government’s aim to make house with low price, financial aids, making new work opportunities for them has not been realized.