Third world peasantry : a continuing saga of deprivation vol. I

Third World peasantry has remained one of the major focii of sociological, economic, historical and anthropological studies since the 1920s. The reasons for this continuing interest are twofold: one, peasantry still constitutes the most numerous group in all pre-industrial societies; and two, the role of peasantry in socio-economic transformation has been a matter of controversy. The first reason has led to a sudden upsurge in empirical research on peasant agriculture and peasantry in Europe as well as in Third World countries. And, the second to considerable research on societal development processes within the Marxian frame of reference.

The main purpose of the first volume is to bring these empirical studies together for the benefit of all those interested in the study of Third World peasantry.

The second volume contains case studies of peasantry. These attempt to provide not only a comparative picture of peasant transformation in the process of development in the Third World, but also deep insights into the socio-political mechanisms, both external and internal, which constrain their development and the causes which keep much of the Third World peasantry in utter poverty.