Standard and equipment of homes in Rural areas. Report on a survey of Rural women

摘要

In 2002 the Institute of Rural and Agricultural Development of the Polish Academy of Science (IRWiR PAN) carried out a research project called "Rural women and the syndrome of family, professional and civic role in the process of European integration". One of the aspects of the conducted research was the evaluation of the standard of homes occupied by rural families, analysed from the point of view of the possessed infrastructure, equipment and durable goods. The results of this evaluation are presented in the article. Investigations covered 300 households situated in three communes representing different types of rural space (Grunwald in Warminsko-Mazurskie province, Siemiatycze in Podlaskie province, and Tarlow in Swietokrzyskie province). Despite the different development conditions the differences in the standard of lodgings existing in the three communes were smaller than the differences between the individual socio--vocational groups. The factor which had the greatest influence on the differences between the surveyed groups was the main source of family incomes and the level of education of women-respondents. The families where employment was the main source of income were clearly in the best situation, whereas the families that had to rely on unemployment allowances were in the least favourable situation. A similar disproportion in the standard of lodgings existed between groups of women representing different levels of education. The results of research point to the polarisation of households in respect of the possessed equipment and durable goods. One pole is formed by households insufficiently equipped with even the most elementary devices and durable goods, whereas the opposite pole is formed by households well equipped with all modern devices and durable goods.