1st Edition

Peasants and Poverty (Routledge Revivals) A Study of Haiti

By Mats Lundahl Copyright 1979
    706 Pages
    by Routledge

    706 Pages
    by Routledge

    Haiti is a country which, until the earthquake of 2010, remained largely outside the focus of world interest and outside the important international historical currents during its existence as a free nation. The nineteenth century was the decisive period in Haitian history, serving to shape the class structure, the political tradition and the economic system. During most of this period, Haiti had little contact with both its immediate neighbours and the industrialised nations of the world, which led to the development of Haiti as a peasant nation. This title, first published in 1979, examines the factors responsible for the poverty of the Haitian peasant, by using both traditional economic models as well as a multidisciplinary approach incorporating economics and other branches of social science. The analysis deals primarily with the Haitian peasant economy from the early 1950s to the early 1970s, examining in depth the explanations for the secular tendency of rural per capita incomes to decline during this period.

    Preface;  Map of Haiti  1. Introduction and Summary  2. The Peasant Economy  3. The Cumulative Process: Falling Rural Incomes  4. Poverty and the Market  5. Erosion  6. Land Reform  7. The Passive Government  8. Haitian Public Finance  9. Malnutrition and Disease  10. The Role of Education  11. Problems of Rural Credit  12. Resistance to Innovation;  Epilogue;  Bibliography;  Index

    Biography

    Mats Lundahl