Original scientific paper

The Transformation of Agricultural Work

Mladen Stojanov

Abstract

Agriculture is the oldest production
activity. It has many characteristics
which make it different from
production activities in the
secondary and tertiary sectors.
These differences are visible as in
the technical and technological, so
also in the social fields.
The modern division of labour has
equalized the manner of material
production with the manner of
social production. This social
character is promulgated by the
market (and commodities and
money).
In a different historic period, when
agricultural work was the only and
the dominant way of material
production, it enabled social
production but it was not social
production itself. In archaic and
agricultural societies, social
relations were not defined by the
relations in material production.
Rather, the opposite was true:
production occured in systems of
despotism, slavery or within tribal,
feudal and similar relations. Under
such conditions society existed if it
was promulgated by might (of the
despot, slave-owner, feudal lord or
such), while it is today promulgated
by the market.
These two ways of promulgating
society are qualitatively different
both for society as a whole, and for
its segments (including agriculture)
because the moving force of might
differs from the moving force of the
market. The integration of
agriculture into society through
power and through the market is
also different.
The deepest transformation of
agricultural work, as a segment of
social work, has been achieved
through its integration into society
by means of the market. Looked at
from that aspect, mechanization,
chemization, hybridization and all
the other changes in the way of
work (as work operations) can be
understood.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

121933

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/121933

Publication date:

20.7.1989.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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