A similar all – inclusive standpoint is
taken with respect to the concept of the peasantry as a class.
Rosebery (1983:74-75) pleads for a
more inclusive notion of class to include not just production
relations but also “ the feeling of
community. He contends that Marx did not
see class in the mechanical way that many Marxists do” and that the formation of a feeling of community
… was basic to marx definition of a class “ .
to support this Roseberry quotes Marx s
famous passage on small peasant
Hobsbawm (1998:198-199) similarly characterizes “ traditional
peasants “ as having “ a
much higher degree of formal or informal … collectivity” and that “ it would be difficult to conceive of a “ traditional “ peasantry … without this
collective element” furthermore, in a historical sense, for Hobsbawin, the
peasant is not just a class “ in
itself” but also exhibits the traits of a class “ for itself”:
that had formed the greater
part of humanity for the greater part
of history and who were aware of their
distinction from, and almost their subalternity to, their oppression by,
the minorities of non – peasants, whom
they did not like or trust
While the peasantry may be a class of low classless “ and that ‘ peasant consciousness ‘is somewhat
“vague, Hobsbawm nevertherless argues that having “ the same
kind of relation to the means of production as well as other common economic
and social chracterisitcs”
fullfil the function of
evoking recognition and solidarity (preasanbt consciousness ) among peasants that transcends “ regiions,
dialects, costumes, and customs” and
“Specific geographical limits” there
is mutual recognition by peasants of the similarity of their
relation to nature, to production,
and to non peasants” HOBSBAWM
1998 : 2002
“ Class”
can also be taken in a political sense as when peasants are
drive by their common interests during crisis situations to engage In struggles
with ‘ capitalist landowners, various groups of capital – related townsmen, and the state “ (SHANIN
1987B: 357)” No matter that these
are often characterized by “Inescapable
fragmentation … into small local
segments ‘ and the diversity and vagueness of their political
aims ‘ both of which serve to undermine their political impact.
A
final point is on the myriad scope of activities (behold soil cultivation and
food production) that peasant household –based
socialites are engaged in. Elson
(1997) Enumerates these various other
economic activities: fishing, animal husbandry, vegetable farming, tree planting, weaving and
dyeing, commerce and trade, carpentry, metal
craft and tool making, salt making,, woodcarving, mining and iron smelting, and hunting and foraging
. in the colonial and post colonial periods, the following developed : boat building , industrial rice and saw milling, brick , tile, and lime manufacturing, tailoring,
transport business, and various types of
off-farm employment ( including full or part time work in urban areas as well
as overseas contract labour)