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Peasants, the agrarian question and lenses of development

Author

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  • G. Harrison

    (Department of Politics, University of Sheffield, UK, g.harrison@sheffield.ac.uk)

Abstract

This paper reviews the interactions between conceptualizations of rural development and development theory more broadly. It identifies two key issues: the representation of peasant farmers and the agrarian question, that is, how do peasant societies interact with broader political economies? The paper develops two responses to these issues: first, that theory should not be imposed upon peasant societies to the neglect of ‘bottom up’ research; and secondly, that researchers should consciously try to integrate both structure and struggle into their analytical frameworks:

Suggested Citation

  • G. Harrison, 2001. "Peasants, the agrarian question and lenses of development," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 1(3), pages 187-203, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:prodev:v:1:y:2001:i:3:p:187-203
    DOI: 10.1177/146499340100100301
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    References listed on IDEAS

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