SPATIAL DIFFERENTIATION OF SOCIOECONOMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL’S MOUNTAIN AREA

Abstract

Spatial differentiation of available resources and socioeconomic conditions of rural populations has been contributing to farming system variety which directly affect to the farming families. Farming families are distributed in different locations along the gradual line of rural mountain areas; therefore, their characteristics are also different. These characteristics can be described within spatial methodologies by linking all the related data and information into spatial aspects. It would be a great challenge to describe more informative economic conditions as research in linking spatial setting on economic situation of the farmers is often disregarded in social sciences. Methodological problems in regional assessment of mountain farming system sustainability arise due to representative household surveys, which are bound to a certain scale in which they serve as models for a case. In a micro level survey, conditions of farm families are evaluated in detail only in limited number of surveyed households or villages and valid only for certain cases. But in a broader context, regionalization has become necessary to cover all related issues and problems for the whole study area. Therefore, this paper is purposed to overcome these issues through a spatial gradient analysis concept by looking at from two perspectives, i.e. socioeconomic conditions and road infrastructure development by conducting research in Dieng Plateau, Central Java. The result shows that socioeconomic conditions and road infrastructure development are differed one another following the concept and hence, further decision on development planning can be purposed. Keywords: Socioeconomic, Road infrastructure, Mountain area, Dieng plateau