![The Journal of e-Science Letters [ISSN 3041-5454 (Online)]](https://scienceletters.researchfloor.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/logo.jpg){kind=logo}
Introduction Coughing is the rapid expulsion of air typically from the lungs in order to clear it of fluid, irritants, foreign particles and microbes (1; 2). In children, it could…
Introduction A number of distinctly allocreadid trematode worms, were found parasitic in the intestines of channa gachua (Ham.) a murrel obtained from a sub- shivalik freshwater lake Mansar in Jammu.…
INTRODUCTION Feminism, within the context of Islam, is a dynamic as well as evolving discourse. The intersection of gender and Islam has been a subject of scholarly inquiry since a…
1. INTRODUCTION Code-switching is a sociolinguistic phenomenon that has garnered substantial attention from scholars in the past two decades. It involves the integration of two or more languages in day-to-day …
The vast majority of India's poorest people live in neglected, underdeveloped villages with poor people.The difficulties of poor health, hunger, high mortality, ignorance, and illiteracy are acute in most rural…
Introduction Inflammation of the liver caused by hepatitis C virus is hepatitis C infection. Acute and chronic forms of hepatitis C, ranging from mild sickness to severe, long-term infections including…
Introduction Inthe1960s,Nigeria’sagriculturalsectorwasthemostimportantintermsofitscontributionstodomesticproduction,employmentandforeignexchangeearnings.Nigeriabeforethediscoveryofcrudeoilinthe1950’swastheworld’slargestproducerofoilpalm(Elaeisguineensis)apositionnowoccupiedbyMalaysia[1].Oilpalmproductionwasoneofthevitalareasofagriculturethatattractedtheforeignexchangeearningscontributing48percentofGDPbetween1980and1982andfallingto45percentbytheendofthe1990’s[2].However,thefigureofoilpalm’scontributiondeclinedtoabout40percentofGDPand2percentoftotalexportearningsbytheendofthe1970s.Thisdwindlingtrendintheoilpalmproductionisalwaysattributedtothediscoveryofcrudeoilandgovernmentsshiftofattentionfromtheagriculturalsectortocrudeoilexploration.Thisassertioncannotbe overlooked but drawsattentionto the fact that otherareasthatarepotentialfactorstoimprovethe dwindlingtrend, needstobeaddressed.Areassuchastheefficiencyoftheextensionservicedelivery,laginthedisseminationofinnovationsfromtheresearchstationstothefarmers,genderissuesinagricultureandproperfarmereducationnecessaryfortheadoptionofimprovedtechnologiesareimportanttobeaddressed.Thisreviewthereforedrawsattentiontogendersocio-economicattributesthatareimportanttobeconsideredintheadoptionprocessinagricultureespeciallyasitrelatestooilpalmproduction. Oilpalmproductionpassesthroughactivitiesthatrequiretheeffortsandcollaborationofbothmenandwomenformaximumoutput.Theroleofbothgenderscouldbeeithercomplimentaryorsupportivetoachievehighproductivity.Accordingto[3],genderisasociallyconstructedroledifferencesbetweenmenandwomenforthepurposeofallocatingpowers,duties,status,responsibilitiesandroleinanygivensocialcontext.Genderisaresultofsocializationintoamanorwomanrolewhichascribescertainbehavioursaccordingtosocio-culturalnormsforone’ssex[4].Accordingto[5],genderdealswiththesocialrelationshipbetweenmenandwomenandhowtheserelationshipsarenegotiatedintheproductionofgoodsandservices.ThesocialrelationshipbetweenmenandwomenwillplayoutandcomplementeachotherintheadoptionofimprovedoilpalmtechnologiessuchastheadoptionoftheTeneraoilpalmvarietywhichisahybridofthePisiferaandtheDuravarieties.Theconsiderationofgendersocio-economicattributesthereforebecomesimperative. 2.LiteratureReview Thissectionprovidesa reviewofrelatedliteratureongenderrelatedconcepts,genderinagricultureandsocioeconomicattributesofgenderandhowitinfluencestheadoptionofimprovedoilpalmproductiontechnologiesinNigeria 2.1TheConceptofGender Accordingto[6],theconceptofgenderincludestheexpectationsheldaboutthecharacteristics,aptitudesandlikelybehaviourofwomenandmen.Genderrolesandexpectationsarelearnedandcanchangeovertimeandvarywithinandbetweencultures.Systemsofsocialdifferentiationsuchaspoliticalstatus,class,ethnicity,physicalandmentaldisability,ageandmore,modifygenderroles[7].Theconceptofgenderisvitalbecause,appliedtosocialanalysis;itrevealshowwomen’ssubordinationormen’sdominationissociallyconstructed.Assuch,thesubordinationcanbechangedorendedUNESCO[6].Genderisnotbiologicallypredeterminednorisitfixedforever.Sexdescribesthebiologicaldifferencesbetweenmenandwomen,whichareuniversalanddeterminedatbirthandtechnicallydifferentfromgender. Gendersystemsareinstitutionalizedthrougheducationsystems,politicalandeconomicsystems,legislation,cultureandtraditions.Inutilizingagenderapproach,thefocusisnotonindividualwomenandmenbutonthesystemwhichdeterminesgenderrolesandresponsibilities,accesstoandcontroloverresources,anddecision-makingpotentials.Itisalsoimportanttoemphasizethattheconceptofgenderisnotinterchangeablewithwomen.Genderreferstobothwomenandmen,andtherelationsbetweenthem. 2.2TheConceptofAdoption Adoptionmeansthatapersondoessomethingdifferentlythanwhattheyhadpreviously(purchaseoruseanewproduct,acquireandperformanewbehavior,etc.)done.Thekeytoadoptionisthatthepersonmustperceivetheidea,behaviour,orproductasneworinnovative.Itisthroughthisthatdiffusionispossible[8].Adoptionofanewidea,behavior,orproduct(innovation)doesnothappensimultaneouslyinasocialsystem;ratheritisaprocesswherebysomepeoplearemoreapttoadopttheinnovationthanothers.Researchershavefoundthatpeoplewhoadoptaninnovationearlyhavedifferentcharacteristicsthanpeoplewhoadoptaninnovationlater.Whenpromotinganinnovationtoatargetpopulation,itisimportanttounderstandthecharacteristicsofthetargetpopulationthatwillhelporhinderadoptionoftheinnovation.Therearefiveestablishedadoptercategories,andwhilethemajorityofthegeneralpopulationtendstofallinthemiddlecategories,itisstillnecessarytounderstandthecharacteristicsofthetargetpopulation. 2.3GenderandTechnologyAdoption Inaddressingtheinfluenceofgenderintheadoptionofagriculturaltechnology,itispertinenttoconsiderthematerialfactorsthatcouldpossiblyinfluencegenderinmakingthedecisiontoadoptorrejectaninnovation.Genders’accesstopowerandauthority,andcontroloversuchfactorsmaydeterminetheextentofadoption.Suchmaterialfactorsasaccesstoland,creditfacility;accesstootherinputsasfertilizer,labourandextensioncontactarevitalintheadoptiondecision.Thefemininegender,mostoftenthannot,havelessaccesstothesematerialfactorscomparedtothemasculinegender.Accordingto[9],womeninNigeriaformanactiveandreservelabourforcebutrarelyownthemeansofproduction.Furthermore,[10]reportedthatmenandwomenmaizefarmersinGhanadonotenjoyequalaccesstolandandtoagriculturalextensionservices.Thissuggeststhatdisparityinthegenders’ownershipandaccesstotheseproductionresourcesmayrestrictadoptionofinnovationbythefemininegender. GenderrolesarecrucialforagriculturaldevelopmentandtheattainmentoftheMillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDGs).Thedefinitionofgenderusedinthisresearchistheeconomic,social,political,andculturalattributesandopportunitiesassociatedwithbeingmanorwoman.ThisreviewalsousesthedefinitionintheGlobalMonitoringReport2007ongender,whichmeansequalaccesstothe“opportunitiesthatallowpeopletopursuealifeoftheirownchoosingandtoavoidextremedeprivationsinoutcomes,”highlightinggenderequalityinrights,resources,andvoice[11].Genderissuesmustbeaddressedindevelopmentstudiesforvariousandobviousreasons.First,genderdimensioniscrucialforeconomicreasonsandfromtheefficiencypointofview.Thisisespeciallytrueintheagriculturesector,wheregenderinequalitiesinaccesstoandcontroloverresourcesarepersistent,underminingasustainableandinclusivedevelopmentofthesector.Second,equityordistributionalissuesarerelatedtogenderdifferencesinoutcomes. 3.GenderSocio-economicAttributesandAdoptionofImprovedOilPalmTechnologies Socio-economiccharacteristicsexplaintheattributes(age,sex,householdsize,education,literacy,income,farmsize,landownership,maritalstatus,farmingexperienceetc)ofthefarmerthathaveinfluenceontheactivitiesofthefarmersintheirlocalenvironment.Asidesex,allotherattributesofthefarmerareacquireddirectlyorindirectlyandaresubjecttochangeovertime.Socio-economiccharacteristicslikeeducation,income,farmsize,landownershipandmaritalstatuspositsanindividualinaruralcommunityasresponsible,respectable,influentialandhasthepotentialsofbringingpositivechange.Examiningthesocioeconomiccharacteristicsoffarmersinaresearchgivestheresearcheraclearprofileanda betterperspectiveofthefarmersthatshouldnotbeneglectedaspossibleinfluentialfactors.Theybringtotheforethebackground,affiliations,dispositionsandorientationsofthefarmerswhoarethemajorfocusofagriculturalresearch.Socio-economiccharacteristicsinagenderstudywillpointoutareasofdisparityingenderissuesthatneedspecificattention. Insomeculture,womenarenotallowedtoownsomeinputresourcesasagainsttheirmencounterparts.Accordingto[12],womeninArochukwuLocalGovernmentAreaofAbiaStatearenotallowedtoownoilpalmplantation.Thisthereforepreventsmostlywomeninthatareafromowninglandandotherresources.Thissinglesocialmisjudgmentleadstothelooseofvaluablecontributionsandbenefitsthatwouldhaveaccruedtothecommunityifbothmenandwomenaregivenequalfreedomtoexerciseandexploretheirpotentials. 3.1AgeandAdoption Ageisanimportantattributeofthefarmer.Agemeasuredbythenumberofyearsfrombirthafarmerhasspentalive,influencesthelevelofthoughtanddisposition.Anolderfarmerisexpectedtohavemoreexperienceinfarmingandthereforethepossibilityofacceptinginnovation.Theageofthefarmerwillalsodisposehimtoacquisitionofmaterialresources.Intheirreport,[13]revealedthatthemeanageofthefarmersinoilpalmproductioninNigeriawasabout45yearsandexplainedthatthismaybeattributedtothefactthatoilpalmproductionislandintensiveandonlyolderfarmersmayhaveacquiredthesizeoflandneededforitsproduction.Inseparatereports[14]and[15]confirmedthatNigerianfarmersarewithintheagebracketof40-60years.Thiscouldadverselyaffectthelevelofoutputbecauseoftheinactivenatureoftheelderly.Theyfurthernotedthatyoungfarmersareneededonfarmsbecauseagriculturalproductionisenergydemandingespeciallyoilpalmproduction.[16],assertedthattheabilityofafarmertotakeriskandbeinnovativedecreaseswithage.Thisimpliesthatyoungerfarmersbyvirtueoftheirstrengthandabilitywillhavehigherprospectforincreasedadoptionoftechnologyandenhancedproductivity. Accordingto[17],agricultureinAfricaisdominatedbyoldpeoplewhomheexplainedlackenthusiasmandstrengthwhichresultstothemengagingintraditionalsubsistencecultivationthatgivespoorreturns.…
Rice is the second most important cereal after maize and is increasingly a main part of the diet in many Ghanaian homes due to its relative convenience in preparation and…
Plant resources have remained an integral part of human society throughout history. After having met the primary needs such as food and shelter, men searched for a suitable remedy among…