THE ROLE OF SOCIAL DYNAMICS IN TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT -A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED SUCCESSFUL RURAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATIONS
The social components baseddevelopment of differentterritories constitutes a focal point for studies in geographical economics as well as regional sciences. The latter focuses on studying social and economic phenomena in their geographical dimensions. Human presence in a specific geographical space is not “neutral”, but rather a socio-economic asset with development implications. This paper aims to clarify the role of social dynamics through different social organization in economic development process. Through understanding the results of the continuous interaction between the components of the social space, the study comes to realize its importance within the development process related to the region’s socio-economic variables. When it comes to rural areas development, as regions with economic and human specificities, many social initiatives may emerge with the aim of working “collectively” to provide support for activities and allocate territories resources. By presenting three experiences of development associations, it became clear that community initiatives are necessary in rural areas in order to respond to local needs using resources from inside or outside the region. This also requires the establishment of a regional governance system to improve interaction between social and economic actors.
Keywords: Social Dynamics, Territorial Development, Development Associations, Rural Development, Territorial Governance