Author: Ek Chanboreth
AIT Library Call Number: AIT Thesis no.RD-08-08
Year: 2008
Academic Program: Regional and Rural Development Planning (RRDP)
Type: Thesis (M.Sc.) – Asian Institute of Technology, 2008
Examination Committee: Soparth Pongquan (Chairperson); Gopal B. Thapa, Kyoko Kusakabe (Examination Committee Members)
Abstract: This research studied the contribution of the silk weaving household industry (SWHHI) to rural households in Takeo province of Cambodia. The SWHHI refers to an industry organized and operated by members of the households at home or within their villages for the manufacturing of silk products by using locally produced or imported raw materials. The main objectives of this research were (i) to assess the social benefits, focusing on the motivation, knowledge and social networks (ii) to assess the institutional benefits, including access to technical skills training, input, credit and participation in local groups (iii) to evaluate the economic benefits to rural households, focusing on employment and income (iv) to examine the contribution of the SWHHI to rural women, with a special reference to decision-making power, self-esteem and social position (v) to identify problems, prospects and needs of the SWHHI and (vi) to provide recommendations to improve the conditions of the SWHHI. This study was conducted on poor and non-poor households in two villages within Bati district located in Southwest Cambodia, employing both quantitative and qualitative approaches. A survey questionnaire was used as the prime method to collect quantitative data from a sample of 80 households. In addition, semi-structured interviews of key informants and focus group discussions were also conducted to collect primarily qualitative information. The results showed that the SWHHI provided social and institutional benefits to a limited extent, but generated substantial economic benefits to rural households. The poor and non¬poor households gained some social benefits, including increased motivation and strengthened social networks among local weavers both of the groups gained limited institutional benefits, except the skills training provided by an NGO (PASS). However, both of the groups obtained significant economic benefits from the SWHHI, particularly with regard to income. The income earned from the SWHHI was the highest com
Scholarship Donor(s): AIT Fellowship
Note: A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the re quirements for the degree of Master of Science in Regional and Rural Development Planning
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