ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses some of the reasons why social research is undertaken in development studies and discusses the general benefits of this research. The research confirmed the government’s priorities in respect of giving educational facilities the highest importance amongst the social services, followed by better health facilities. In order to relate the verbal data and tabulated results to the physical environment in which people live, it is often extremely informative to undertake some observations of present living conditions. This is most usefully done by making plans and drawings of the villages and houses in which the social research is being undertaken. It is useful to examine closely the types of house design that have evolved in the rural areas in response to the climatic and social needs and to use these as a basis in examining new house designs.
