Agrarian reform in contemporary developing countries. Edited by Ajit Kumar Ghose. Croom Helm, Beckenham, 1983, 358 pp
| Date | 01 October 1984 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/pad.4230040413 |
| Published date | 01 October 1984 |
| Author | Ian Carruthers |
386
Book
Review.y
stages in the research design and data collection process. Each section is introduced by a
chapter contributed by one
or
both of the editors, followed by
a
number of more specialist
contributions from social researchers, two of which were written for the volume, whereas the
remainder are reproductions of earlier papers. The main sections are concerned with research
strategy, sampling, data collection, and interviewing and field organization. Most of the
contributions in these sections are concerned with sample surveys, especially fertility surveys,
but the potential usefulness of case study methods to complement sample surveys is
recognized and
a
further section discusses ‘methodological marriages’. The final section of
the book is devoted to consideration of some ethical and political issues in social research.
The book is not in itself
a
social survey methods text. It critically examines the application
of available research methods in a developing country context and is intended to be primarily
for use by local social scientists working in those countries. It would undoubtedly be useful in
this context, but its cost is likely
to
prevent
it
being widely adopted as a subsidiary course text
or
handbook for research practitioners. The chapters written specifically for this volume are
valuable, but the seventeen reproduced contributions vary in quality and relevance. Eight of
the seventeen were originally written in the
1960s
and although this does not,
of
course,
invalidate them, the flavour of some of the papers is somewhat dated and ethnocentric. The
format adopted has, perhaps inevitably, resulted in duplication between some chapters, which
could have been reduced by more stringent editing.
CAROLE RAKODI
Department
of
Town Planning
University
of
Wales Institute
of
Science and Technology
AGRARIAN REFORM IN CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Edited
by
Ajit
Kumar
Chose
Croom Helm, Beckenham,
1983, 358
pp.
A memorable book review described a particular text as ‘the sort of book that once you put it
down you can never pick it up again’. Despite some apparently unpromising material in this
collection of detailed case studies
of
agrarian reform from West Bengal, Kerala, Iran,
Ethiopia, Peru, Chile and Nicaragua, this particular book is worth sticking to, The volume is
a research product of the
1LO
World Employment Programme.
Nowadays it is commonplace to find international organizations defining their scope of
work to include rural poverty, and the ILO is no exception. Indeed, they correctly diagnose
that the only real hope for mass employment is in the rural sector and that agrarian reform is
a
precondition for this in many circumstances. In his introductory chapter the editor attempts
to explore the political economy
of
diverse agrarian systems, to study their history, the
various socio-political structures and economic institutions which exist, and he tries
to
obtain
valid generalizations about the processes conducive to change. He almost succeeds and his
essay is stimulating and thought provoking, but only really convincing if you accept his
contentious value premises and interpretations
of
facts and causal relationships. Somewhat
conveniently for
a
U.N.
staff member, he concludes from his analysis that the first necessary
step is the same irrespective
of
whether the ultimate goal is capitalist agriculture, a modern
peasant agriculture or a collective system which he sees as three alternatives. The first task is a
revitalization of the peasantry and Chose seeks the mechanisms and follow-up requirements
for transition from a depressed peasantry
to
one of the three alternative systems. He
recognizes but fails to solve the difficulty
of
choosing whether
to
support agriculture with
investment resources
or
whether to exploit agriculture
to
provide the resources for
industrialization (and one might add other state activities). Another dilemma identified but
not adequately faced is the need to promote private investment while recognizing that this will
promote social differentiation among the peasantry.
In reviewing the case studies, the editor concludes that the local socio-political context
is
more relevant than any general insights in interpreting recent reforms. He groups the Indian
cases as examples of modernizing peasant systems, the Ethiopian, Peruvian, Chilean and
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