Co‐operative labour in peasant agriculture

Abstract

Co‐operative labour in cultivation activities exists in a wide variety of forms; two main organisational categories are distinguished and the characteristics, socio‐economic correlates, and technical and economic benefits of the most important manifestations of the practice are discussed. An assessment is made of the prospects for the persistence of co‐operative labour in contemporary peasant societies under the impact of certain widespread changes changes in the socio‐economic environment.

Notes

The author, a Research Officer at the Institute of Development Studies, is very much indebted to his colleagues Ron Dore, Scarlett Epstein, Michael Lipton, Brian Mitchell and Robert Wade, and to Journal of Peasant Studies Editors Terry Byres and Teodor Shanin for comments on earlier drafts which have improved both to the general shape of this paper and certain specific points contained in it. In order to save space, separate acknowledgments to these colleagues have not usually been made for help on specific points. John Connell was very helpful with references.