A Research On Murual Aid In Shandong Rural Area In The First Half Of The20th Century

In the first half of20th century, the form of farmers'mutual aid and cooperation was in a period of transition from old to new.which not only retained the basic features of the Old mutual aid type, but also was attacked and affected by the new type of mutual aid. We can say that the period was an important preparation to the agricultural Cooperative Movement after the founding of new China. Based on "history is an ongoing process," To study the agricultural co-operation thoroughly, we should not forget the history. Therefore, the article take the Shandong farmers'mutual aid in the first half of20th century as entry point, attempt to observe the basic character of modern farmers in the process of their mutual assistance and cooperation, and from theory to reflect the transformation of small farmers and history of cooperation in countryside. And then reveals the constraints in the process of farmers 'collectivization.The "closed" of modern rural Shandong affected the "binding force" of farmers in the mutual aid and cooperation process. In everyday life and production, farmers formed a scattered mutual aid group in the village, whose "binding force" was very strong. At the same time, the group's external exclusive was strong, which often competed for public resources with villagers outside the group in their village. From the perspective of the village, most villages in modern Shandong had a long history and the ecological environment which was suitable for agricultural development. On this base, village relationships could maintain a harmonious and stable state in a long time. Natural disasters enhanced the collective defense awareness of the villagers. The distribution of most Shandong villages, the living pattern of villagers, the establishment of walls and other public facilities, all reflected the Shandong people's awareness of collective defense, which was conducive to the construction of the "village community". The traditional village was not absolutely closed; farmers also need to get resources through external contacts. But most of the farmer's coule not get out of the narrow geographical boundaries, and their external relations would not exceed the scope of the market at the grassroots level. Overall, the closed characteristics of Shandong rural society was conducive to the establishment of a solid relationship between farmers; and the same time,in order to get more social resources in a very limited range, many farmers expanded mutual aid.The"binding force"in the process of farmers'mutual aid was also restricted by social relations. In the first half of20th century, the provisions on the farmers'old-fashioned cooperation and mutual assistance from clan were the most clear and binding in rural Shandong. Many places had provisions such as "The family from the same clan have priority in the sale of land","If some family organize wedding or funeral, other family from the same clan must be present" and so on. However, in the first half of the20th century, under the influence of socio-economic conditions and cultural environment, in most villages of Shandong families were not strong. Clan Organizations were loosely, Phylogenetic identity Concepts trended weakening, which limited the farmers'mutual aid establishing on the basis of Phylogenetic relationship. As well as, the importance of the geographical relationship in the farmers' mutual aid gradually emerged. In addition, Karmic relationship was also an Important resource in famers'mutal aid.From the principal of mutual aid, the "binding force" attracting farmers to participate in mutual aid was mainly the farmers'real needs or interests. In the first half of20th century, Shandong farmers'mutual aid carried out in under the condition of stagnation, instability and poverty. In addition to some inherent constraints such as the shortage of arable land, low levels of agricultural productivity, natural disasters, and vulgar s of wedding and funeral. The plundering of government in rural areas, the destruction of the bandits on the rural society and the plundering from commercial capital and city all made farmers poorer. When lack basic public facilities and social security mechanisms, as a small-scale Social Security implemented in the rural social network, the mutual aid among farmers was particularly necessary.Discussion of the binding force in farmers' mutual aid, derived for the concerns of the article in autonomy of farmers' mutual aid logically. The old type of mutual aid in rural Shandong including Ceremonial in weddings and funerals, Agricultural mutual aid in production, financial mutual aid intermediation, Security mutual aid and so on. These mutual aid were all the product of farmers'"ecological rationality", and they also reflected the "A pattern of sequential differences" in the traditional rural social relationships. At the same time, there were "class boundaries" in this mutual aid. In the process of mutual aid, farmers must comply with the principle of reciprocity and other traditional institutions in the deterrence of Civil punishment mechanism.while,The farmers' mutual aid behavior was dominate by their economic rationality and common moral sentiments.The interest of this article is concentrated in the main body of mutual aid, the procedures of mutual aid,the special signal and means in the process of mutual aid, When it Investigates the "exchange" of farmers' old-fashioned cooperation and mutual assistance. The land tenure was relatively scattered and Community differentiation level was not high in most places in modern rural Shandong, Which restricted the germination of the peasant class consciousness.Even in the place where land tenure was relatively concentrated," There was a huge difference between farmers' day-to-day morality and class discourse ". Farmers were more inclined to carry out their mutual aid based on logic or experience of everyday life. We can explain the process of farmers' mutual aid through the example of mutual aid in agricultural production. In the farmers' old mutual aid in agricultural production, Wealth, integrity, reputation real needs elations (kinship, geopolitical relations) were several elements in the establishment of mutual aid. After the Mutual aid relationship established, its development would be divided into two paths: one was led to the rich heterogeneity mutual aid. There was a certain amount of exploitation in the process of this mutual aid; other was homogeneity mutual aid building on the basis of the same economic conditions. The two types of mutual aid generally existed in rural Shandong. All sectors of the farmers would select different mutual aid in a rational manner in accordance with their needs. When needs were met, the relationship broken down or Unfair transactions exceeded a certain range, mutual aid relationship would end.In the1920s and1930s, forced by the war, famine and economic crisis, Shandong Agricultural Economics became dilapidated; Livestock, farm tools and the population reduced significantly, the feudal exploitation such as the taxation, usury, etc., was heavier. Mutual aid was a mean by which farmers could solve problems in production and life but the effectiveness of mutual aid between farmers was limited, and it could not change the economic situation fundamentally in rural areas. In order to save the rural crisis, the national government and civil society began to introduce Western system to rural.Farmers'cooperative movement basically was a mandatory government-led institutional arrangements in Kuomintang-controlled areas of Shandong. The National Government introduced the cooperative organizations from the West into the countryside, through top-down reform, such as making laws, setting the lead agency, economic support and so on, which changed the old mutual aid of the farmers to a certain extent, improved the economic benefits in the process of mutual aid and was conducive to the formation of farmers' cooperative awareness.However,in the process of promoting farmers' shift from the self to the collective production, the weaknesses of this compulsory system arrangements was obvious. First of all, in the process of implementation of the new cooperative organizations, the National Government did not solve the problem of farmers'land fundamentally and change the relations of production in rural areas completely.So the farmers'cooperative movement leaded by The KMT government could not change the dispersion state of the smallholder agriculture business fundamentally and promote the development of agricultural productivity. Second,the cooperative movement was driven by political forces simply, which makes the establishment of cooperatives more consider the government's willingness and system preferences, easy to overlook farmers'acceptance and vital interests, and thus greatly reduce the penetration and impact of cooperatives in rural areas. Third, the development of cooperative organizations over-reliance on government support, lacked self-development capabilities. In addition, with the impact of war and socio-economic decline, the ability of National Government in fostering cooperatives was very limited. Therefore, the development of rural cooperatives had been limited.In the1940s, in Shandong led by Chinese Communists relations a double meaning in liberating the productive forces and transforming the social relations' rom this point of view,the movement of reduction of rent and interest,land reform and anti-rape liquidation were closely linked with the practice of the mutual aid and cooperation movement. They common composed the history of the initial stage of Shandong's rural collectivization. In this historical period, one side, the open up the average of rural society by Revolution means; on the other side, the CPC maintain the achievements of the revolution by the mutual aid and cooperation movement. The thinking of CPC in the transformation of the farmers' cooperative organizations was in the way of induced Institutional Change. That was should respect for the habits of farmers' mutual aid and voluntary union, try to avoid too much interference in the internal affairs of the mutual aid organizations. So that farmers could fully play their initiative and imagination, and they could transform and Consolidate mutual e organizations on the basis of old mutual aid.In this process, the new type of mutual aid organizations would inevitably be subject to the constraints of the local system of village society and social relations. With the development of mutual aid organizations, the general mood of society also began to change, Farmers' collective ideology began to establish.In the Shandong mutual cooperation movement, the CPC intended to guide the farmers to undertake long-term mutual aid.Thus, the CPC had adopted the policies that foster the poor and middle peasants,and establish those peasants' leadership position in the mutual aid organization; At the same time, under the collective goal, the Communist Party's propaganda, education means and policy all inclined to the average of the mutual aid organizations and socio-economic which put psychological pressure on to farmers invisibly and made they have to consider their own political gains and losses When they joined the mutual aid organizations.In the process, the tension between the individual economy and collective economy and the participation of the executive power in the process, resulting in mutual cooperation movement of some rural areas had gone wrong.