Abstract
The paradigm that governs most agrarian sciences and policymaking strongly conceptualizes agrarian sciences as men's work. This chapter presents some family biographies that we elaborated together with household members of different generations between 2009 and 2012. These villagers come from three villages located in a hilly area in Hebei province. Manland relations are not neutral, based only on a utilitarian economic value. The capacity for self-provisioning and autonomy in food consumption is a fundamental prerequisite and also an important feature of being a peasant. This autonomy can even be expanded to the city through the non-commercialized circulation of food between rural and urban areas. As is the case for peasants all over the world, land is a precious resource for Chinese peasants. Land occupies the central place within this multi-faceted resource base. Its centrality and the way it is used are greatly influenced by the moral economy.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | China’s Peasant Agriculture and Rural Society |
| Subtitle of host publication | Changing paradigms of farming |
| Editors | Jan Douwe van der Ploeg, Jingzhong Ye |
| Place of Publication | London |
| Publisher | Routledge |
| Chapter | 3 |
| Pages | 45-65 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781317285465 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781138187177 |
| Publication status | Published - May 2016 |