The family farm: Model for the future or relic of the past?

Rural gender research has been an embedded topic of rural research for over 40 years. The hegemonic discourse of the masculine prevails despite changing gender roles. Views on gender equality change between generations and leadership roles are different in a changing world where connections between urban and rural places increase. More recent research has turned to feminist theories to consider how the social construction of enterprise is inherently masculine. Understanding women’s enterprises requires a different analytical framework, which in particular needs to consider different gender motivations for undertaking entrepreneurial activities. Thuesen notes that country variance on equality, gender and governance is more significant than urban/rural differences. Charatsari and erni Isteni focus specifically on farming and gender identity. They provide an excellent critical overview of research in this area and identify a coherent programme of research that needs to be addressed in the future. Agricultural training courses, farming organizations and women’s organizations are all gendered spaces reinforcing identities.