Sociology and Space, No. 13-14, 1966.
Review article
»Flight from Village« and its rural and Urban Implications
Vojislav Đurić
Abstract
Transfer of peasants to urban centers represents one of the central social
phenomena in the world. Everything directs to that that urban way of life will
become dominant. Judging from the sociological point of view »the flight from
village« is a complex social process which is followed by many other changes. In
our country a mass migration from the countryside to the towns started after
the last world war. Demographer Dolfe Vogelnik states that the migratory loss
of rural settlements equals about 90.0% of their natural increase.
The author has studied the consequences of the rapid influx of peasants m
Vojvodina’s urban centers and in this article he presents in a wider sense problems
related to social implications of rural exodus in villages and towns. In this respect
he trys to systematize differences between the rural and the urban way of lives.
In a town one lives more freely, with more indenpendency and individualism. In
villages contacts of individuals are »primary«, informal and more frequent. In town
work is easier, shorter and results in a higher income, while in village it is harder
and crops always depend on »the will of nature«. The author trys to presents the
specific moments which have caused the migration of agricultural population in
Yugoslavia. It is a question of an inherited overpopulation and unstability of the
agrarian policy. .
The process of aging of agricultural population is one of the most significant
effect of the rural exodus. Parallel with this female labour force becomes more
active and in many agricultural works it takes over the role of migrated males.
The author thinks that the consequences of this »flight« are more visible and
more difficult in towns than in villages. In that respect he mentions »wild« urban
quarters settled by rural newcomers. These quarters become » . . . one of the gratest
evils of the century, symbols of dirt and ordeals, scum that beats the urban walls«.
Here peasants group according to their ethnical characteristics. They become semicitizens
who live in a vacuum between the century lasting tradition and new forms
of urban way of life. Peasant hardly suceed in satisfying his original ambitions
tied with his arrival in town and therefore often comes in conflict with the new
environment, social norms, and becomes a bearer of social and other deviations.
In »wild« settlements there are not only various seaknesses but also peculiar forms
of social solidarity similar to those in rural communities.
At the end the author pleads for the planned transfer of people from countryside
to urban areas, because this would have a positive influence on the balanced
general development.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
118533
URI
Publication date:
27.12.1966.
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