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The present study under the title "An analysis of the characteristics of
women's group and their role in rural development" was undertaken to assess
the group characteristics of wornens group which were conducive for rural
development and also to find out means to improve these group characteristics.
20 women's group were selected based on their proportion from 12 NES blocks
of Thiruvananthapuram district Among these 20 groups 10 groups selected
were effective groups comprising 98 members and 10 were non effective groups
comprising 102 members selected based on a performance appraisal by the
DRDA officials. Thus the total sample comprised of 200 women selected from
the women's groups started under the DWCRA (Development of Women and
Children in Rural Areas) programme of DRDA. Data was collected using an
interview schedule and suitable stasticial technique was employed in the analysis
of data.
The group characteristics found conducive for rural development are
;
interdependence of members, group interaction, group decision making, group
leadership, group co-operation, group cohesiveness, participation in group
activities, interpersonal liking, group goal achievement, need satisfaction,
interpersonal communication, group competition, interpersonal trust and group
motivation.

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The results of the correlation anulysis indicate thut interdependence of
members is positively and significantly correlated with social participation,
information source utilisation, DRDAl Block visit andtraining and negatively
and significantly correlated with age, educational status of family and period of
group work in the effective groups. In the noneffccuvc groups the variables
land holding, social participation, extension participation, infoi n.ation source
utilisation and period of group work showed a negative signi ficunt correlation
with interdependence of members while training showed a positive correlation.
There is a negative significant correlation shown between the vuriablcs
age, educational status of family, trade union participation, extension
participation, annual income, period of group work and cosmopoliteness with
group interaction, while social 'participation and training showed a positive
correlation to group interaction in effective groups. In the noneffective groups
annual income showed a negative significant correlation with group interaction.
The group characteristic group decision making in the effective group
showed a positive and significant correlation with extension participation,
information source utilisation, cosmopoliteness, DRDA visit, land holding and
training while a negative significant correlation was shown with the variable
educational status of family. In the noneffective groups the variables
educational status of family, annual income, trade union participation. DRDA
visit and training showed a positive and significant correlation with group
decision making while a negative and significant correlation was shown with
period of group work and cosmopoliteness.

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In the effective groups the variables information source utilisation,
DRDA visit and training showed a positive and significant correlation with
group leadership while the variable educational status of family showed a
negative significant correlation, In the nonctfecuvc groups the variables
educational status of respondent, information source utilisation, and DRDA
visit showed a positive significant correlation while the' variable annual income
and period of group work showed a negative significant correlation with the
group characteristic, group leadership,
In effective groups the variables educational status of respondent, land
holding, social participation, extension participation, information source
utilisation, cosmopoliteness, DRDA visit and training showed a positive
correlation with group co-operation while the variable, period of group work
showed a negative significant correlation, In the noneffective groups the
, .,
variable social participation, period of group work and trui ni IIg showed u
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negative significant correlation with group co-operation.
The variables educational status of family, annual income and period
of group work showed a negative significant correlation while the variables
extension participation, information source utilisation, cosmopo/iteness, and
training showed a positive significant correlation with group cohesiveness in
the effective groups. In the noneffective groups the variables age and
cducuuonul status of fumily, showed u positive sil,l.lIificnnt corrchuiuu while
the variables period of group work and cosrnopoliteness showed a negative
significant correlation with the group characteristic, group cohesiveness.

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In the effective groups the variables age and period of group work
showed a negative significant correlation with participation in group activities
while the variables educational status of respondent, extension participation,
information source utilisation, DRDA visit and training showed a positive
significant correlation. In the noneffective groups the variable educational
status of respondent showed a positive significant correlation while the
variables social participation, and extension participation showed a negative
significant correlation with participation in group activities.
In effective groups the group characteristic namely interpersonal liking
is seen to be positively and significantly correlated with social participation,
while it is negatively and significantly correlated with the personal and
socio-psychological variables namely educational status of family, land holding,"
annual income, trade union participation, extension participation, information
source utilisation, period of group work, cosmopoliteness and DRDA visit In
noneffective groups the variable age is positively and significantly correlated
" "'
with interpersonal liking- while the variables period of group work and
training are negatively and significantly correlated.
The group characteristic namely group goal achievement is shown to
have a positive and significant correlation with extension participation,
information source utilisation, period of group work, cosmopoIiteness and
training and a negative and significant correlation with educational status of
family, annual income and social participation in the effective groups. In
the non effective groups the variables, social participation, trade union


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participation and land holding showed a positive and significant correlation
with group goals achievement while the variables period of group work and
cosmopoliteness 'showed a negative and significant correlation with group
goals achievement.
In effective groups the variables land holding, extension participation,
information source utilisation, period of group work, cosmopoliteness, DRDA
visit and training showed a positive and significant correlation with need
satisfaction while the variables educational status of family and annual
income showed a negative significant correlation. It is seen that in the
noneffective group the variable educational status of family, trade union
participation, information source utilisation and DRDA visit showed a
positive and significant relationship with need satisfaction while the variables
period of group work and cosmopoliteness showed a negative and significant
relationship with need satisfaction.
The group characteristic, interpersonal communication showed a positive
and significant correlation with educational status of respondent, land holding
and training in the effective groups. In the noneffective groups, the variable
educational status of respondent showed a positive significant correlation and
the varia~le period of ,group work showed a negative and significant correlation
with the gr~)Up characteristic interpersonal communication.
The variables age and land holding showed a negative and significant
correlation while extension participation, cosmopoliteness and DRDA visit

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showed a positive and significant correlation with group competition III the
effective groups. In the noneffective groups the variables educational status of
respondent and' information source utilisation showed a positve and
significant correlation while the variable period of group work showed a
negative and significant correlation with group competition.
The group characteristic interpersonal trust showed a positive and
significant correlation with so.cial participation and a negative and significant
correlation with educational status of family, annual income, trade union
participation, extension participation, information source utilisation and
period of group work in the effective groups. In the noneffective groups land
holding, social participation, extension participation, information source
utilisation and period of group work showed a negative and significant
correlation with interpersonal trust while the variable annual income showed
a positive and significant correlation with interpersonal trust.
The group characteristic, group motivation showed a positive and
significant correlation with information source utilisation and DRDA visit in
the effective groups. In the noneffective groups, group motivation is positively
and significantly correlated with educational status. of respondent and negatively
and significantly correlated with: period of group work.
With regards to the constraints experienced by the women's group
comparative high cost of raw materials, low economic status of members,
improper repayment of loans, non availability of adequate raw materials, lack


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of local demand for the products produced, lack of interest of officials at
block / district level, lack of follow up activities by department, inadequacy of
revolving fund, wrong selection of members, lack of team spirit, drop out of
members due to marriage and other reasons, lack of homogeniety among,
members, lack of effective leadership, lack of initiative and interest at desired
level among members, fear to avail loans, lack of co-operation among members,
lack of quality consciousness among members about products, lack of co-
operation and lack of group cohesiveness were identified as the major constraints
for effecti ve group action.