Famine in Peasant Societies (Hardcover)

In this controversial study, Seavoy offers a new approach to the problem of periodic peacetime famine based on the actual behavior of peasants. He maintains that it is possible to increase per capita food production without massive and inappropriate technological inputs. Seavoy shifts the focus from modern development economics to a cultural and historical analysis of subsistence agriculture in Western Europe (England and Ireland), Indonesia, and India. From his survey of peasant civilization practices in these countries, he generalizes on the social values that create what he terms the subsistence compromise. In all of the ages and culture, Seavoy finds a consistent social organization of agriculture that produces identical results: seasonal hunger in poor crop years and famine conditions in consecutive poor crop years. He argues that economic policies have failed to increase per capita food production because economists and government planners try to apply market-oriented policies to populations that are not commercially motivated. Once they understand the subsistence compromise, policy-makers can take appropriate political action.

General

Imprint:	Praeger Publishers Inc
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	June 1986
First published:	June 1986
Authors:	Ronald E. Seavoy
Dimensions:	234 x 156 x 26mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	490
ISBN-13:	978-0-313-25130-6
Categories:	Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social groups & communities > General Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social issues > Social impact of disasters > Famine Promotions
LSN:	0-313-25130-4
Barcode:	9780313251306

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!