Based on the origin of the extension services, it has come to be defined as: a professional

field of information education system aimed at educating people in their own context and life
situation on how to identify and assess own problems, and acquire knowledge and skills on
how to effectively deal with such problems so as to improve their living condition. However,
extension definition is not limited to this perceptive. Based on specific focus to which the
practice of extension services has been adjusted, several other definitions have been, and
could be formulated. Other definitions thus take the following: Is a conscious use of
communication of information to help people form sound opinions and make good decisions.
These series of extension definitions suggest that extension as a practice is not limited to
agriculture but other social and economic aspect of human life.
The word Extension is derived from the Latin roots ‘Ex’ meaning ‘out’ and ‘tension’
meaning ‘stretching’. Thus, the term extension education means the type of education, which
is stretched out into the villages and fields beyond the limits of schools and colleges to which
formal type of education is normally confined. In other words, the word ‘extension’ used in
this context signifies an OUT OF SCHOOL system of education. The three links in the
chain of rural development are research, teaching and extension
Interrelationship between rural sociology and extension
Rural sociology Extension
1 It is a scientific study of the laws of It is informal (actually non-formal)
the structure and development of rural education for the rural people with a view
society to develop rural society on desirable lines
2 It studies the attitudes and behaviour It seeks to modify or change for the better,
of rural people the attitudes and behaviour of village
people
3 It studies the needs and interests of It helps rural people to discover their
rural society needs and problems and builds educational
programs based on these needs and wants
4 It analyses rural social relationships, It fosters (develops) and utilizes village
or group organizations and leadership organizations and leadership and
in rural areas, the social processes like favourable social processes, to achieve its
cooperation, association, competition objectives of rural development
etc, among village people.
5 It studies social situations and It makes use of such social data as a basis
assembles social facts or rural society for building up its extension programs for
rural areas
6 It investigates the social, cultural, It also studies these problems with
political, and religious problems of reference to their impact on extension
rural society work in villages

From the above inter-relationship between the rural sociology and extension education, one
can understand that rural sociology will help the extension worker to make a correct
diagnosis of the ills of the rural society and evolve a correct prescription or programme to
overcome these ills. Therefore, rural sociology is important in extension education and in turn
to any rural development worker.
The need for extension arises out of the fact that the condition of the rural people in general,
and the farm people in particular, has got to be improved. There is a gap between what is-the
actual situation and what ought to be- the desirable situation. This gap has to be narrowed
down mainly by the application of science and technology in their behaviour.
According to S.V. Supe the researchers neither have the time nor are they equipped for the
job of persuading the villagers to adopt scientific methods and to ascertain from them the
rural problems. Similarly, it is difficult for all the farmers to visit the research stations and
obtain first-hand information. Thus, there is need for an agency to interpret the findings of the
research to the farmers and to carry the problems of the farmers to research of solution. This
gap is filled by the extension agency.
Agricultural extension has three main facets:
1. As a discipline it deals with the behaviour of people. It is educational in content and
purposive in approach. Whether the content consists of agriculture, medicine (preventive and
social medicine), public health, education, engineering, etc, extension is always dependent on
a firm knowledge and expertise in sociology, anthropology, psychology, administration,
economics, communication arts, political science and so on.
2. As a process, agricultural extension seeks to influence the behaviour of rural people
through education and information exchange. The aim is to assist them in gaining a
livelihood, improving the physical and psychological level of living of rural families, and
fostering rural community welfare. The success of the extension process requires an
atmosphere of mutual trust, helpfulness and respect on the part of both extension worker and
rural people.
3. As a service, agricultural extension makes the government ministry, the university or
voluntary agency as useful as possible to the people who support it through taxes and
donations. The concept that the broader function of extension work is to help people to solve
their own problems through the application of scientific knowledge.
Agricultural Extension is concerned with three basic tasks:
1. The dissemination of useful and practical information relating to agriculture
and home economics;
2. The practical application of such knowledge to farm and home situations.
These are carried out in an informal atmosphere, with adults as main clientele.
3. Helping people to use the information in order to help themselves.
In agriculture, the scope of extension is very broad. It is not a mere matter of giving the
farmer actual knowledge from new research and technology, to help him raise his efficiency.
It hopes to change his view of life, to persuade him and his family that they may reach and
enjoy a higher and richer existence.
Management in extension system
Management is the process of designing and maintaining an environment in which
individuals working together in groups efficiently accomplish selected aims. There are some
necessary skills required of managers of extension organizations.
Managerial skills ( technical skills)
Technical skill is knowledge and proficiencies in activities involving methods, process and
procedures. Thus, it involves working with tools and specific techniques. Managers of
extension organizations should thus be able to teach their staff specific techniques in doing
their job.
a) Human skill
This is the ability to work with people. It is cooperative effort; team works and the creation of
an environment in which people feel secured and free to express their opinions. Managers of
extension organizations should thus be competent in interpersonal relationships. They must
be able to blend the efforts of subordinates who may differ in background, specialization and
points of view into motivated teams of workers.
a) Conceptual and Design Skills
This is the ability of the managers to recognize significant elements in a situation and to
understand the relationships among the elements. He must be able to discern the problem of
the farmer in his social, economic and sometimes political context, he must be able to analyze
the information at his disposal. The manager should be able to proffer practical solution to
such problems. This is the aspect of design skill. The design skill is the ability of manager to
solve problems.
Principles of management
Principles of management are fundamental truths. They are what are taught to be truths at a
given time explaining relationships between two or more sets of variables, usually an
independent variable and a dependent variable. Principle could be descriptive or predictive
but not prescriptive. They describe how one variable relates to another that is, what all
happen when these variables interact. They do not prescribe what people should do. The
following are some of the commonly used principles:
 Division of work- Division of work stems from the assumption that breaking down
the work into smaller units of activities will help individuals to better focus on them
as well as enable them to develop more skill in doing such activities.
 Authority and responsibility- Authority is the power inherent in a position. It is a
combination of official factors, deriving from the manager ‘s position and personal
factors. This is a mix of intelligence, experience, moral worth; past service etc.
Responsibility arises from authority. It has to do with what he uses the authority to
accomplish. Every manager must understand that he is not in position for any other
reason but to ensure compliance to rules and regulations vis a vis accomplishment of
organisational goals.
 Discipline - Discipline is a respect for agreements, which are directed at achieving
obedience, application, energy and the outward marks of respect. Discipline requires
good superiors at all levels implying that those who will discipline must have a high
moral justification for doing so.
  Unity of command - This means that employees should receive orders from one
superior officer only. Thus, employees will be directly responsible to one superior
officer per time. This will help prevent clash of instructions.

Managerial function in extension system

 Planning - Planning involves the selection of mission and objectives and the action to
achieve them
 Organizing- Organizing involves establishing an intentional structure of roles for
people to fill in an organization.
 Staffing- Staffing involves filling and keeping filled, the position in the organizations
structure.
 Leading or supervision - Leading or supervision involves influencing people so that
they all contribute to organization and group goals. It has to do predominantly with
the interpersonal aspect of managing. Leadership involves motivation, leadership
styles, approaches and communication.
 Controlling- Controlling is measuring and correcting individual and organizational
performance to ensure that events conform to plans. It involves measuring
performance against goals and plans, showing where deviations from standards exist
and helping to correct them.