Problems in Relating Research to DevelopmentAuthor(s): Anthony YoungSource: Area, Vol. 6, No. 1 (1974), pp. 38-39Published by: The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20000807 .

Accessed: 12/06/2014 19:55

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

.

The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) is collaborating with JSTOR todigitize, preserve and extend access to Area.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 91.229.229.96 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 19:55:06 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

38 Nearshore sediment dynamics and sedimentation

Available evidence indicates that the rivers flowing into The Wash appear inadequate to supply the quantity of sediment necessary for the formation of a belt of sands and silty clays to form the so-called ' siltlands '. Studies of the mineralogy of the sand suggest a seaward source for much of the sediment-partly by reworking of the floor of The Wash and the adjacent North Sea floor and partly from the erosion of the coasts to the north, and possibly to the east.

J. R. Hails and A. P. Carr Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, Taunton

Problems in relating research to development

Report on a one-day discussion meeting held by the Developing Areas Study Group at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London on 19 September 1973.

The Group's meeting was attended by 50 people, including at least eight from develop ing countries. A noteworthy feature was that the presentations of the first four

papers were not only directed towards the theme but quite without chairmanly pressure averaged 17 minutes each, so leaving ample time for discussion.

P. Richards (Ibadan), presenting a paper written jointly with M. T. Daly and M. Filani entitled 'The Ibarapa regional planning profile', pleaded for microstudies

to complement regional and national plans. He had tramped around asking people things, trying to find out what people were doing, why they thought they were doing it, and what was their perception of their infrastructure. Whilst displaying sophisti cated local ecological understanding, many had very limited horizons when it came to markets and prices obtainable therein. But planners at the national level knew still less of their ways; some villages did not appear on any map. It was remarked in discussion, a trifle unkindly, that he had rediscovered regional geography. But having banished ignorance through data collection at the grass roots, how were the results to be applied at macro-level planning? The theme of involvement was taken up by J. A. Allan (SOAS) in presenting a joint paper with K. E. Rosing (Erasmus

University, Rotterdam) on 'Disparities in the recognition of indicators of agricultural development-a north-west Indian case'. He held that involvement with local planning issues was important, as also was communicating. Research results could be communi cated to six groups of people: politicians, administrators, planners, news media, farmers (i.e. the people being studied) and-it came last on the list-us, that is other academic researchers. A different manner of presentation was needed to each of the six groups. D. C. Funnell (Sussex) suggested that although it was unlikely that researchers could influence policy directly, they could build up a groundswell of opinion which might ultimately filter through into policy. Other speakers raised the finger-burning possibility of marginal involvement in local politics.

The next general issue discussed was the role of geographical models in relation to policy making. This was sparked off by papers from D. C. Funnell (Sussex) on 'The geographical analysis of small urban centres and contributions to development

problems' and of A. D. Goddard and F. I. Masser (Liverpool) on' The spatial structure of interregional migration in Uganda'. Funnell held that whatever the initial problem, at some point researchers are forced to consider the theoretical implications of their results, whilst Masser held that predictive modelling is necessary and can help to fill gaps in the original data. These views were fairly vigorously attacked. The problem that matters is the real world one, not the intellectual one, argued B. W. Hodder (SOAS); further, by trial and error it is only too easy to construct the model that will fit any set of data, stated R. Ng (SOAS). Kagenda Atwoki (Uganda/Sheffield) specifically criticized the models presented in the same two papers. The linkages of network maps

This content downloaded from 91.229.229.96 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 19:55:06 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Problems in relating research to development 39

are not necessarily indicators that goods, or ideas, are likely to diffuse; the condition of the road surface might be a better indicator. Goddard and Masser had shown that, besides the ubiquitous migration towards Kampala that on first inspection

masked other movements. birthplace census data showed that even at the coarse level of administrative districts there was considerable migration from one rural district to another. They had developed two models, gravity and gravity/comparative advantage, to explain the flows, but Kagenda doubted that the residuals from the

models were any more use than the mapped original data. The last two papers were of a less contentious nature. J. C. Crossley (Leicester)

and A. Moyes (OXFAM) outlined present and potential work of geographers in OXFAM. Specifically, experts in particular subjects and areas are called upon from time to time as consultants, to advise on applications for support; any member of the Group who would be willing to help in this way is invited to write to Mr Moyes.

The emphasis is on starting developments, not on finding out if they have succeeded; he agreed there was a need for evaluation of small programmes and monitoring of large ones, but OXFAM cannot itself finance such studies. Others spoke of the work of the World Development Movement and of Christian Aid, and a UNICEF observer was also present. Concluding on a lighter note, B. W. Langlands (Makerere), taking as a basis past work at Makerere, addressed himself to what should be the aims of a geography department in a developing country. The expertise available there could fre quently save the considerable costs of calling in overseas consultants. Makerere had not concerned itself exclusively with practical development problems but had con tributed to theory as well, which must have a moral in it somewhere. Langlands

made the physiological observation that his theoretical colleagues tended to be peaked, with a low a, whilst pragmatists like himself had lower mean but a greater spread. Onlookers indulged in mental curve-fitting and marvelled at the goodness of fit.

Anthony Young

Audio-visual materials for higher education

Geographers may find several interesting entries in the latest edition of the British Universities Film Council's catalogue entitled Audio- Visual Materials for Higher Education (1973), ?2-75 post-free from The Executive Officer, British Universities Film Council Ltd, Royalty House, 72 Dean Street, London W1V 5HB. The BUFC writes:

'Of the great volume of audio-visual material now available in this country, only a comparatively small proportion is suitable for university level work, and this derives from many different sources. The aim of this Catalogue is to make the teacher's task of finding such materials easier by bringing together information on as many as possible under one cover. Every item listed is either known to be in use or has been recommended by subject experts as being valuable for degree teaching or research.

All disciplines taught at this level are represented in the Catalogue. 'Previous editions of the Catalogue (1960 and 1968) were restricted to film. However,

the recent rapid growth of interest and activity in the field of educational technology in institutions of higher education generally has meant that demand for information on all kinds of audio-visual material, not only film, is greater than ever before. The Catalogue's new title, Audio- Visual Materials for Higher Education, thus reflects the broadened scope of the present edition.'

This content downloaded from 91.229.229.96 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 19:55:06 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions