Sociology and Space, No. 21, 1968.
Review article
CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE POLITICAL STATUS OF PRIVATE FARMERS AND SOME OF THEIR ATTITUDES AND OPINIONS
Ivan Magdalenić
Abstract
The article is based on results of an investigation conducted under the title
»Social and economic changes and the activity of Communists in rural communities
« by the Agrarian Institute’s Section for Rural Sociology during the
second half of 1967. For the requirements of the study the peasants are divided
into three categories as regards political status: Communists, former members
of the League of Communists (both those who have been expelled and those who
have resigned from membership), and peasants who have never been members of
the League of Communists (LC).
The investigation has revealed that the peasant’s political status appears to
have no connection with any perception of the changes that have taken place in
the peasant’s standard of living and in peasant’s position in relation to other
social classes, or with the perception of the need to enable the peasants to obtain
financial credits. The difference between the opinions of non-members and present
and former Communists on the need to give peasants old-age pensions is probably
the result of the fact that there is a considerable number or war pensioners among
present and former Communists rather than a direct effect of political status.
Similarly, political status does not appear to have an effect on the peasants views
regarding social agriculture and co-operation with socially owned farms. In the
light of the fact that the socialization of agriculture is one of the aims of socialist
society and that a positive attitude to socialization is one of the socialist social
values, Communists do not appear to adopt this value more than the rest of the
peasants.
Nor do views on the role and reputation of the League of Communists as a whole
seem to be particularly influenced by membership of the LC, although there are
differences in opinions of the causes of the decreasing number of peasants in the
LC. On this question there exists no marked difference in the views of former Communists
and those who have never been members of the LC.
Finally, the investigation has shown that in the opinions on most of the aspects
of the activity and reputation of rural LC organizations there is a considerable
difference between Communists and non-Communists (including former Communists).
Communists appear to take a more favourable opinion of their own
activity and reputation than non-Communists. At the same time most of the interviewes
— regardless of their political status — consider that practically all peasants
are willing to join actions for settling rural problems, and that individual peasants
fully meet the criteria for admission to the LC without, however, becoming its
members.
The investigation suggests the general conclusion that peasant-Communists
do not differ sufficiently from other peasants in those attitudes and opinions in
which they actually should, in view of what is expected from Communists, while
differing from other peasants in the perception of their own activity and reputation
where in fact the differences ought to be negligible.
Note
Since this article was written a large number of new members, chiefly young
people, have been admitted to the League of Communists, particularly during last
summer. This has no doubt led to changes in the structure and quality of all LC
organizations including the rural ones. It should therefore be kept in mind that
this article is based on the situation as it existed last year.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
121363
URI
Publication date:
9.7.1968.
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