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Geographies of Global Issues: Change and Threat pp 1–17Cite as

Changing Aspirations, Education, and Migration: Young People’s Declining Agroecological Knowledge in Rural Asia

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Part of the Geographies of Children and Young People book series (GCYP,volume 8)

Abstract

This chapter explores the interrelationships between economic change and environmental issues, by showing how aspiration, education, and migration are variously connected to a loss of agroecological knowledges for rural young people. It reviews a series of case studies from Vietnam, India, and China on the implications for rural youth of changed aspirations and ecological and economic stress. The economic and cultural pressures of globalization mean young people increasingly aspire for a life outside of agrarian- and natural resource-based livelihoods. A consequence of this change has been the migration of young people to urban centers and a drive for families to invest in education. This has far-reaching consequences for communities. Those who stay behind face an increased labor burden, and economic pressures can be aggravated when the promise of improved livelihoods outside is not realized. The chapter also points to the negative implications of these changed aspirations on the intergenerational transfer of agroecological knowledge. Thus, in relation to issues of environment and development, the chapter considers why this complex set of relationships between aspiration, education, and migration is important in the context of children and young people’s lives.

Keywords

  • Migration
  • Youth
  • Education
  • Agroecological knowledge
  • Labor

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Water Management Institute, Jhamsikhel 3, Lalitpur, GPO 8975 EPC 416, Kathmandu, Nepal

    Fraser Sugden

  2. School of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling, Colin Bell Building, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK

    Samantha Punch

Authors
  1. Fraser Sugden
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  2. Samantha Punch
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Correspondence to Fraser Sugden .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health, Sciences and Social Ca, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom

    Nicola Ansell

  2. Australian Centre for Cultural Environme, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia

    Natascha Klocker

  3. Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Tracey Skelton

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Sugden, F., Punch, S. (2015). Changing Aspirations, Education, and Migration: Young People’s Declining Agroecological Knowledge in Rural Asia. In: Ansell, N., Klocker, N., Skelton, T. (eds) Geographies of Global Issues: Change and Threat. Geographies of Children and Young People, vol 8. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-95-8_1-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-95-8_1-1

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