Przegląd Geograficzny (2024) vol. 96, iss. 4
Selected conditioning and assessment of urban-rural knowledge transfer – results of empirical research
Przegląd Geograficzny (2024) vol. 96, iss. 4, pp. 427-446 | 
Full text
doi: https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2024.4.1
Abstract
The basic aim of the study has been to diagnose and evaluate the transfer of knowledge and information between the city and the countryside. Surveys and complementary in-depth interviews among newcomers from cities and permanent rural inhabitants were carried out in 18 villages in various regions of Poland. A total of 554 surveys were conducted, involving 333 permanent residents of given villages, and 224 newcomers. Additionally, 63 in-depth interviews were conducted, of which 30 involved local leaders and 33 newcomers. The three research questions for which answers were sought were: 1) what types of knowledge are transferred between urban and rural residents? 2) what are the main directions and intensities of knowledge transfer? and 3) what are the consequences of knowledge transfer?
Newcomers, usually with different life experiences, cultural patterns and competencies, can constitute rich sources of knowledge for villagers. At the same time, the latter, with their different knowledge and experience, and notably knowledge of local conditions and customs, can also represent a key source for those coming to the countryside. The two groups differ in terms of their formal competences (i.a. expressed in terms of level of education, knowledge of foreign languages, etc.), worldview or outlook (expressed in terms of religiosity, voting preferences, etc.), level of wealth, entrepreneurial attitude or ability to use higher-level services, and in fact a wide range of other characteristics. These differences create a kind of added value in the relationship between the two groups.
The research shows that the knowledge flowing in contacts between the two groups studied is of an extremely informative nature. Noting the basic types of knowledge transfer, it can be generalized that it is primarily knowledge of the know-what type that is involved, with that of the know-how type only appearing much more rarely. What is primarily at stake is thus basic information by which the groups of residents surveyed are in a position to secure their everyday needs. Issues revolve around the search for services, sale of products, and occasional work. Topics of conversation therefore revolve around: ways of spending free time, hobbies, helping neighbors, events and festivals, village life, the cultivation of plants, shopping, etc. Cases of the transfer of more-profound knowledge or more-specialized information primarily concern construction, food production and plant breeding.
The transfer of knowledge proves to be of rather low intensity, and takes place via sporadic meetings, mainly in such public places as streets, central squares and shops. This probably affects the type and quality of knowledge involved, and the exchange of information taking place. According to some of the villagers interviewed, the intensity of contacts with newcomers, and the potential benefits from acquired knowledge and skills, were far greater in the past. Modern media and the Internet, offering a wide spectrum of knowledge and information, exert a clear impact in reducing the need for mutual contacts between the two researched groups.
According to the vast majority of respondents, the flow of knowledge and information is bidirectional, albeit with slightly more of the permanent residents interviewed agreeing that information flows mainly from them to newcomers. The interviews show that permanent village residents are primarily a source of current and practical information regarding rural life as conceived of broadly, with their answering basic questions as to what, where, when and how much? However, in addition to informational knowledge, newcomers also provide that of an advisory and non-material nature. The consequences of the latter’s use are thus diverse. The knowledge and information provided by permanent village residents serve everyday life and meet current needs, while newcomers transfer insight on new ways of life and behavior, thereby shaping greater social activity in the countryside. Finally, it is worth emphasizing that newcomers rate the benefits of knowledge and information flowing to them slightly more highly than do permanent village inhabitants.
Keywords: knowledge, information, knowledge transfer, interpersonal relations, rural areas, Poland
[jbanski@twarda.pan.pl], Instytut Geografii i Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania im. S. Leszczyckiego PAN
Citation
APA: Bański, J. (2024). Wybrane uwarunkowania i ocena transferu wiedzy miasto-wieś – wyniki badań empirycznych. Przegląd Geograficzny, 96(4), 427-446. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2024.4.1
MLA: Bański, Jerzy. "Wybrane uwarunkowania i ocena transferu wiedzy miasto-wieś – wyniki badań empirycznych". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 96, no. 4, 2024, pp. 427-446. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2024.4.1
Chicago: Bański, Jerzy. "Wybrane uwarunkowania i ocena transferu wiedzy miasto-wieś – wyniki badań empirycznych". Przegląd Geograficzny 96, no. 4 (2024): 427-446. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2024.4.1
Harvard: Bański, J. 2024. "Wybrane uwarunkowania i ocena transferu wiedzy miasto-wieś – wyniki badań empirycznych". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 96, no. 4, pp. 427-446. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2024.4.1