Wageningens proeve van plattelandssociologie

Samenvatting

An examination of the output of the School of Rural sociology at the Agricultural Coll. of Wageningen. Rural sociology is a recent innovation in the Netherlands; the inspiration came from the Rural sociology of the US, whose achievements are reviewed. It was first practiced by some Amsterdam sociologists who were deficient in the knowledge of the Rural background; this deficiency has now been remedied by the Wageningen sociologists. Their achievement is examined through the 1st 8 issues of their Bulletin: (1) E. W. Hofstee, director of Wageningen (1953, 1), 'Sociological Aspects of Rural Education,' attempts to outline a theory of Rural sociology based on a dichotomy between small and big peasants and the normative character of the village community. (2) A. W. van den Ban (1956, 5), 'Some Characteristics and Qualities of Progressive Peasants,' distinguishes progressive peasants by modern technology, striving for higher income, and interest in outside affairs. (3) A. J. Wichers (1956, 3), 'The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Beesd,' identifies the big growers with modernization and the small growers with backwardness on evidence judged to be inadequate by the reviewer. (4) N. A. Tonckens and E. Abma (1957, 8), 'Vanishing Villages in the Groningen Uplands,' presents as 'vanishing' villages those which actually become larger and move into a higher category of size, from under 200 to over 1,000 inhabitants. (5) E. Abma (1956, 4), 'Peasant and Cooperation in the Netherlands: Part I, The Cooperative Attitude,' estimates this attitude to be generally favorable-3.23 on a scale of 5. 10% of Dutch peasants do not belong to a cooperative; 40% to more than 3. (6) E. Abma (1955, 2), 'Peasant and Class Organization,' notes regional variations (higher degree of org in Noord-Brabant and Limburg provinces, and Catholic peasants are more organized than others. (7) D. Dorgelo (1957, 7), 'Inquiry into the Activities of the Members of the Gelderland Agricultural Society,' writes that the Society, founded in 1845, now has a membership of 75% small peasants and 60% who joined after WWII, which indicates a high degree of social change. (8) A. W. van den Ban (1957, 6), 'Peasant and Agricultural Education,' notes that peasants in remoter Rural areas are more eager for agricultural education than those who live near big cities. I. Langnas.