Clarke, Simon, 1946-, Varshavskai︠a︡, Lena, Alasheev, Sergei and Karelina, Marina. (2000) The myth of the urban peasant. Work, Employment & Society, Vol.14 (No.3). pp. 481-499. ISSN 0950-0170

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Abstract

This paper explores, the ‘myth of the urban peasant’, the widespread belief that urban Russian households are surviving the collapse of employment and money incomes by turning to subsistence agriculture. On the basis of the analysis of official and survey data the paper shows that although many urban households grow food in their garden plots, those with low money incomes are the least likely to do so, while subsistence production is a complement rather than an alternative to paid employment. Moreover, those who do grow their own food work long hours for very little return, spending no less of their money income on buying food than do those who grow nothing. The implication is that dacha use is a leisure activity of the better-off rather than a survival strategy of the poor. Regional data suggests that urban agricultural production persists in those regions in which commercial agriculture and monetised relations are least developed which, it is surmised, retain memories of past shortages.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > DK Russia. Soviet Union. Former Soviet Republics H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Sociology
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Urban agriculture -- Russia (Federation), Food habits -- Russia (Federation), Unemployment -- Russia (Federation), Wages -- Russia (Federation), Home economics -- Accounting, Russia (Federation) -- Economic conditions, Russia (Federation) -- Social conditions
Journal or Publication Title:	Work, Employment & Society
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
ISSN:	0950-0170
Date:	September 2000
Volume:	Vol.14
Number:	No.3
Page Range:	pp. 481-499
Identification Number:	10.1017/S0950017000000283
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
References:	Alasheev, S.,Varshavskaya,E. and Karelina,M.(1999) ‘Podsobnoe khozyaistvo gorodskoi sem’i (Subsidiary agriculture of urban families)’ in V.Kabalina and S.Clarke (eds.), Zanyatost’ i povedenie domokhozyaistv,Moscow:Rossiiskaya politicheskaya entsiklopediya (ROSSPEN). Clarke, S. (1998) ‘Trade Unions and the Non-Payment ofWages in Russia’, International Journal of Manpower, 19 (1/2), 68–94. Clarke, S. (1999a) The Formation of a Labour Market in Russia,Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Clarke, S. (1999b) New Forms of Employment and Household Survival Strategies in Russia, Coventry: Centre for Comparative Labour Studies. Clarke, S. (1999c) ‘Poverty in Russia’,Problems of Economic Transition, 42, 5, September, 5-55 . Goskomstat (1998) Regiony Rossii,Moscow: Goskomstat Rossii. Goskomstat (1999a) ‘Osnovnye pokazateli vyborochnogo obsledovaniya byudzhetov domashnikh khozyaistv po Rossiiskoi federatsii v 1998 godu’, Statisticheskii byulleten’, 1(51) (March 1999), 9–182. Goskomstat (1999b) ‘Osnovnye pokazateli vyborochnogo obsledovaniya byudzhetov domashnikh khozyaistv po Rossiiskoi federatsii v 1998 godu’, Statisticheskii byulleten’, 5(55) (June 1999), 49–182. Goskomstat (1999c) ‘Osnovnye pokazateli vyborochnogo obsledovaniya byudzhetov domashnikh khozyaistv po Rossiiskoi federatsii vo II kvartale 1998–1999 godu’, Statisticheskii byulleten’, 11 (61) (November 1999), 113–88. Ministry of Labour and Social Development and Goskomstat Rossii (1997) Monitoring of the Socio-Economic Potential of Families for the Fourth Quarter of 1996. Statistical Report,Moscow. OECD-CEET (1991) The Soviet Agro-Food System and Agricultural Trade: Prospects for Reform, Paris: OECD-CEET. Rose, R. and Tikomirov,E. (1993) Who Grows Food in Eastern Europe?, Glasgow: Centre for the Study of Public Policy. Seeth, H.T.,Chachnov, S. and Surinov, A. (1998) ‘Russian Poverty:Muddling Through Economic Transition with Garden Plots’,World Development 26 (9), 1611–1624. Wegren, S.K. (1998) Land Reform in the Former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, London and New York:Routledge. Yaroshenko, S. (1999) ‘Domashnie khozyaistva v usolviyakh perekhodnoi ekonomiki v Rossii:Tipy obespecheniya pitaniya v gorodskikh sem’yakh’ in V.Kabalina and S. Clarke (eds.),Zanyatost’ i povedenie domokhozyaistv. Moscow: Rossiiskaya politicheskaya entsiklopediya (ROSSPEN).
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/830

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