Sociology and Space, No. 147-148, 2000.
Review article
Review of Village and Agriculture Research in Croatia in the Period of Transition, 1990 - 1999
Bosiljka Milinković
Abstract
In this paper the whole of changes in Croatian village and agriculture in the period of
transition from 1990 till 1999 are being reviewed. That means that it does not comprise the
changes that took place after the elections in January 2000. The paper was made as a comparative
foundation for “The Village in Transition: Developmental Possibilities of Rural Areas
(1996 - 1999)” in order to find out what was going on in rural areas and in rural entities over
the tumultuous war years 1991 - 1995, as well as in the post-war period.
Politicians, practicians, experts and scientists dealt with the occurrences in Croatian village
and agriculture in these conditions on three social levels. The first group comprehends
experts and socio-political workers/activists in different state structures - in the Parliament
and Government of the Republic of Croatia, in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and its
consultative agencies and divisions. The second, interesting group, is made of peasants -
farmers themselves, through their newly-founded associations, who endeavoured to “take
their destiny in their own hands”. Scientists from Croatian scientific institutes and institutions
make the third group.
Based upon the analysis of the contents of empirical and theoretical works, the author gives
a summary survey of the results of those studies in problem groups sorted by disciplines:
from demographic, sociological, socio-psychological, socio-economic, agro-economic and
alike aspects to bibliographic studies of the village and agriculture in transition. Croatian
village endured demographic breakdown: almost whole natural accretion has left village and
agriculture, many households were and are being extinguished while the number of elderly
people households is increasing, the break fresh ground caused by social reasons is spreading,
and the disturbed sex and age structure caused senilization and feminization of agriculture.
It was established by rural sociologists and agrarian economists that without the renewal
and revitalization of the village there won’t be renewal of Croatia. This is why it is
above all necessary to bring people back to villages - first refugees and displaced persons,
and then the young. Stimulating measures should make possible the renewal of family agricultural
households and make them capable of competitive agricultural production. Realistic ro
and reasonable long-term agrarian policy which will bring to an end the marginalization of
rural areas and the depreciation of their natural resources, and thus assure the production of
food, is the most important presumption of this turn.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
119984
URI
Publication date:
9.6.2000.
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