Source: Buttel, F.H., O.F. Larson, G.W. Gillespie Jr. 1990. The new sociology of agriculture. II: The environment of agriculture. p. 129-170. In The sociology of agriculture. Greenwood Press, New York.

Recent sociological research has focused on the internal dynamics and the external environment of agriculture. Agriculture is becoming increasingly more industrialized, which could have an effect on the sustainability of agriculture. Few farmers are concerned with anything but the economics of farming. Sociology strives to determine why this outlook exists. The authors review sociological research related to the following four socio-economic areas: technology, agricultural research, impacts of farm structural change on rural communities, and farm crisis. They also consider the natural environment from a sociological perspective. Agriculture takes place on small family farms, large farms, and industrial farms. Technological change tends to benefit the large and industrial farms with the financial resources to adopt it first. Small farms eventually adopt the technology to keep up with the larger farms, but they do not benefit as much as the initial adopters. This produces a socio-economic gap as large farms are the largest beneficiaries of agricultural technology. Biases in the research system allow sponsors to control the type and benefits of the research. Scientists must apply for research funding, and whoever provides that capital controls the direction of the research. Since land-grant universities conduct the majority of research and have funding relationships with industries, there is a reduction of public access and influence in agricultural research. Large farms are often the first to adopt new technologies because they have been able to guide the research towards innovations that will benefit them. The authors argue that agriculture can only affect a community to the extent that the community depends on agriculture. The results of sociological research on the relationship between communities and agriculture have been contradictory, and more research must be done before more conclusions can be made. Farm crisis is directly affected by social and political atmosphere. Public apathy during the farm crises of the 1980s aroused little political action and drove many farmers into poverty. Agriculture also affects its natural environment, but farmers are unlikely to adopt conservation methods only to protect the environment. Large farms are most likely to adopt conservation practices but are also the most likely to limit conservation efforts through their farming activities. The recent, often contradictory, research in the sociology of agriculture can potentially promote the understanding and preservation of agricultural practices.

Abstract Author: Kellie M. Gauvin, 16 November 1997.

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