Sociological Study On Peasants' Expectations And Behaviors During Farmland Conversion

Under the conditions of abolishing agricultural taxes and constructing modern agriculture, agricultural development has stepped into a new stage. The transference of right to use the land is basic and essential to the increase of agricultural revenue, peasants' income. As the body of Farmland Conversion, peasants' will and behavior is significant to be studied for the construction and perfection of scientific and reasonable farmland use conversion system. From the viewpoint of sociology, under the guidance of Parsons' theory on social action, bounded rationality and perceptual selection, this paper analyzes the macro- factors and micro-factors that influence the peasants' action of transferring farmland use right on the basis of getting familiar with the new situation of current farmland conversion and describing their action of transferring. The purpose is to reflect peasants' real expectation and, on the basis of this, to throw light upon the change of peasants' expectation and behavior before and after the abolishment of agricultural taxes, to find out an operational system of farmland conversion with peasants as its body under new situations and to put up with constructive suggestions and reference for actively and orderly advancing the development of farmland transference in our country.Chapter One: It is introduction including problem raising, purpose and significance of this research, literature review of relevant study and the designing of the research displayed in this paper.Chapter Two: It displays the general situation of different regions and farmland conversion and then several sample characteristics. It provides an overview of the sample regions: Zhijiang and Xiangfan in Hubei Province and Jingxian in Anhui Province, of the farmland conversion in those places and of the social and economic characteristics of sample peasants.Chapter Three: It analyzes current behavioral process of the peasants' involved in farmland conversion. According to Parsons' theory on social action and the requirements this research, peasants' behavioral procedures when they participate farmland conversion include: the basic situation of peasants' participation, the forms of farmland conversion selected by peasants, the source and destination of the farmland being converted, age limit of converted farmland agreed on and the motives for farmland conversion.Chapter Four: Comparative analysis of farmland conversion before and after the abolishment of agricultural taxes is displayed here. By comparing the situations of peasants' participation in farmland conversion and their behavioral process before and after the abolishment of agricultural taxes and analyzing the influence of the abolishment of agricultural taxes on farmland conversion that has started before the abolishment and the possible influence on farmland conversion in tax.Chapter Six: It analyzes the peasants' expectations of and their attitudes toward farmland conversion. The analyzing objects include: peasants' satisfaction with farmland, conditions for peasants' quitting of farmland, peasants' attitudes toward the ownership of farmland, peasants' attitudes toward farmland contracting, peasants' attitudes toward farmland value and peasants' expectations of policies provided by government.Chapter Seven: It is analyzing the factors that influence peasants' behaviors of farmland conversion and their expectation. In the rural areas with relatively weak economic foundation of Central China, the allocation of farmland resources is different from that of other elements of productivity. The farmland is not only influenced by law of value and growth of economic market, but also some systematical and cultural factors. Peasants' behaviors in farmland conversion are not only economic but also social. Peasants' choices are on one hand rational, but on the other one perceptual.Chapter Five: It provides you with the analysis of peasants' behavior types involved in farmland conversion. Under the influence of all current macro-factors, especially the policies that raise subsidies and benefits for farmers, peasants' behavioral choices are diverse during farmland conversion. Connected with the theory of bounded rationality and perceptual selection, we conclude that peasants' behavior types involved in farmland conversion are the bigotry, the wait-and-see, the emotional and the exploratory and innovative.Chapter Eight: It displays the conclusion and suggestions. The willingness and behavior of peasants are obviously different from those before the abolition of the agricultural tax, on the aspects of both overall behavior type and specific behavior pattern. During the farmland conversion, peasants' behavior is not only economic but also the social. It reflects limited rational option as well as sensible choice. Peasants' willingness during farmland conversion is influenced by integrated factors of economy, society and culture. It is a combination of rational option and sensible choice. There is a gap between the true willingness of peasants and their actual behavior, between the supply and demand towards farmland. We bring down conclusion here, meanwhile we put up with some suggestions and references for actively and orderly advancing the development of farmland transference in our country. At last, the shortage of this research is pointed out.