Cornelia Butler Flora is an American rural sociologist.Rural Sociology
She is mostly known for her work on community capitals framework (CCF),.

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

in Latin America,

social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...

social policy Social policy is a plan or action of government or institutional agencies which aim to improve or reform society. Some professionals and universities consider social policy a subset of public policy, while other practitioners characterize soci ...

women in development Women in development is an approach of development projects that emerged in the 1960s, calling for treatment of women's issues in development projects. It is the integration of women into the global economies by improving their status and assisting ...

rural development Rural development is the process of improving the quality life and economic well-being of people living in rural areas, often relatively isolated and sparsely populated areas. Rural development has traditionally centered on the exploitation of l ...

sustainable agriculture Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. It can be based on an understanding of ecosystem ser ...

, sustainable community,

community development The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." It is a broad concept, applied to the practices of civic leaders, activists ...

, and farmer welfare. She has worked globally across the United States, Latin America, and Africa. There are more than 247 publications (in four languages) to her name over the last five decades of her work.WorldCat Identities- Cornelia Butler Flora
Her widely famous book ''Rural Communities: Legacy + Change'' has seen 43 editions published between 1992 and 2019 in three languages. She was appointed to the reputed National Agricultural Research, Education and Economics Advisory Board by the then U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in 2004.Notice of Appointment of Members to the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board
She was also the president of the

Rural Sociological Society The Rural Sociological Society (RSS) is a professional social science association that promotes the generation, application, and dissemination of sociological knowledge. The RSS seeks to enhance the quality of rural life, communities, and the envir ...

(a highly prestigious scholarly society of rural sociologists) in 1988–1989.Rural Sociological Society- Past Presidents

Biography

Flora serves as a distinguished emerita professor of sociology at

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...

Iowa State University Directory
and research professor at

Kansas State University Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...

.CV of Cornelia Butler Flora
She continues teaching Rural Development in Spanish at the

University of Córdoba (Spain) The University of Córdoba (Spanish: ''Universidad de Córdoba'', UCO), is a university in Córdoba, in Andalusia, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , nationa ...

. She earned her doctorate in rural sociology (also called as Development Sociology) from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

in 1970. Her doctoral dissertation was on the growth of the Pentecostal Movement in the rural Cauca Valley of Colombia compared to other religious and social groups. Her doctoral dissertation resulted in the form of a book called ''Pentecostalism in Colombia: Baptism by Fire and Spirit'' and published in 1976. She also earned her Master of Science in Rural Sociology from

in 1966. She earned her Bachelor of Arts with honors in Sociology from

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

in 1965. She has taught and served in administrative positions in various universities of repute like

from 1994 to till date (where she also directed the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development between 1994 and 2010),Iowa State University Plaza of Heroines

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...

(formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) from 1989 to 1994 (where she was head of the Department of Sociology), and

from 1971 to 1989 (where she was also the Director of the Population Research Laboratory till 1978). She also serves on the external advisory board of the Sustainable Intensification Innovation LabFeed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification- External Advisory Board
based at

. She married Jan L. Flora in 1967. They had met at

in 1965. Jan L. Flora is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at

and Research Professor of Sociology at

.LinkedIn of Jan Flora
Both are parents to two daughters- Gabriela and Natasha and three granddaughters.

Contribution to rural sociology

The major contribution of Cornelia Flora to Rural Sociology is the Community Capitals Framework (CCF). It was co-developed with her husband Jan L. Flora. CCF links seven types of capitals (resources) necessary for promoting long-term development and well-being of communities. The seven types of community capitals are- natural, cultural, human, social, political, financial, and built- capital. The Floras consider that "growth focused only on financial capital generally increases inequality and environmental damage unless specific action is taken to protect ecosystem health and social inclusion. And, indeed, economic growth (alone) does not equal financial security for communities". Hence, favoring one or two types of capitals over other types of capitals could result in skewed development and decreased resilience at the community level. The distinguishing feature of CCF is that it focuses on different types of assets within the community. It does not focus on (asset) deficits. Thus, it is a significant shift in thinking (from have-nots/weaknesses to haves/strengths) and in approach towards community development (the development process is community-led and community-managed with critical support from state and market). In the words of the Floras- "The Community Capitals Framework emerged dialectically from practice, although it has diverse theoretical roots. Its theoretical base is rich and heterodox, bringing together symbolic structuralism, social constructivism, participatory action research, and appreciative inquiry. By focusing on collective efficacy, the CCF was developed as a tool for people in the field, including community members, to assess what key local resources to mobilize and invest in for a more sustainable collective future". CCF requires balanced investment in all seven capitals to achieve economic, social and

environmental sustainability Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...

(also known as triple bottom line of development).Triple Bottom Line, 2009
Natural Capital consists of the natural resources (land, air, water, flora, fauna) and the environment around the community. Cultural Capital consists of non-materials components (values, beliefs, norms and symbols) and material components (books, paintings, artifacts, etc.) of culture associated with the community or a social group. Human Capital consists of an individual's capabilities and knowledge facilitated through access to education, skills, health, enterprise, and holistic well-being. Social Capital consists of ties and bonding one has within one's family and with community members. The ties and bonds are based on mutual trust and reciprocity. This capital connects one with community members through a sense of collective identity, working together and a sense of shared future. Political Capital is the power to turn norms and values into rules and regulations that are enforced. These then influence decisions, policies, and resource allocation for the community. Financial Capital consists of revenue, income, savings, credits and cash at individual, firm and community level. At the community level, it can be viewed as financial resources (through formal and institutional sources) available within the community for the community development activities/projects. Community financial capital can be assessed by changes in poverty and equality, in firm efficiency, diversity of firms, and increased assets of local people. Built Capital consists of human-made infrastructure like roads, bridges, stations, parks, schools, hospitals, sewer system, business centers, etc. Built capital depends on the other capitals for access, use and maintenance.

Contribution outside academia

She and Jan worked for

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...

as Program Advisor for Agriculture and Rural Development in Latin America from 1978 to 1981. During her Ford stint, she started women's programs in many countries (including those of Latin America, Central America, and Caribbean nations) and integrated women thematic components into all program areas running under Ford Foundation. She has been an active promoter of entrepreneurial social infrastructure (community-based entrepreneurship).‘Changemakers’ lecture focuses on entrepreneurship
Changemakers@UW: Cornelia Flora
She has written extensively for non-academics (policy makers and implementers) and practitioners on community entrepreneurshipAre Entrepreneurs Born or Made?
and innovations in community development.Innovations in Community Development
She has a long-standing association with Iowa Farmers Union.Iowa Farmers Union
Iowa Farmers Union Newsletter, February 2012

Recognition

She received the 2019 Richard P. Haynes Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award in Agriculture, Food and Human Values from the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society. The award honors her career for outstanding contributions towards higher education and human society through research, teaching, extension, public service and public policy.Flora Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
She is a fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

. She was an Endowed Chair in Sustainable Agricultural Systems at Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA), School of Agriculture,

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

from July 1999 to June 2000.The School of Agriculture Endowed Chair in Agricultural Systems: Past Endowed Chair- Cornelia Flora
She received the Distinguished Rural Sociologist Award in 1998Flora Receives Rural Sociologist Award
from the

.Rural Sociological Society
She received Outstanding Alumni Award from

in 1994.Outstanding Alumni Awardees
She has delivered invited talks on the CCF at various prestigious institutions.The Community Capitals Framework: Integrating the Global at the Local Level, Invited Talk at UC Davis
The CCF has been widely covered in media and non-academic circles also over the years. For example- the recent podcast with Cornelia Flora on the seven community capitals by the popular platform Your Green Portal in March 2021,Show #284: Cornelia Butler Flora
Talk with Authors at Iowa State University Library- Cornelia Flora talking on the CCF (starting at 22:30 minutes of the video) in March 2021.Author Talk
She has also served as Treasurer of Midwest Sociological SocietyMidwest Sociological Society
in 1984 and is its lifetime member.Annual Meeting of Midwest Sociological Society (page-96, 106)

Books

She has authored/co-authored/edited more than a dozen books on rural communities, community development, sustainable agriculture, and development issues in Latin America. * Community Capacity and Resilience in Latin America, 2020 * Rural Communities Legacy + Change, 5th Edition, 2016 * Rural Communities Legacy + Change, 4th Edition, 2013 * Rural Communities Legacy + Change, 3rd Edition, 2008 * Rural Communities Legacy + Change, 2nd Edition, 2004 * Interactions Between Agroecosystems and Rural Communities, 2001 * Rural Communities Legacy + Change, 1st Edition, 1992 * Rural Communities Legacy + Change: Study Guide, 1992 * Rural Communities Legacy + Change: Faculty Guide, 1992 * Rural Policies for the 1990s, 1991 * Sustainable Agriculture in Temperate Zones, 1990 * Pentecostalism in Colombia: Baptism by Fire and Spirit, 1976

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flora, Cornelia Butler American sociologists University of California, Berkeley Cornell University alumni Community development Rural sociologists Iowa State University faculty Kansas State University faculty Virginia Tech faculty 1943 births Living people