« Travailler pour soi ? » Les petits exploitants en Ukraine post-socialiste

Abstract

This article uses a Ukrainian case study to explore the social and economic conditions that might facilitate young working class men’s conversion to independent farm work. The growing attraction of “self-employment” does not stem from some kind of entrepreneurial spirit liberated by post-socialist land reforms but instead reflects a deterioration in wage-earners’ working conditions since the 2008 financial crisis. It also hides a new dependency on market pricing and minor non-agricultural resources – all of which weakens people’s sense of autonomy. Note lastly the inference that women’s work on farms is destined to remain invisible.

Keywords

• Postsocialist spaces
• agriculture
• self-employed workers
• inequalities
• working classes
• gender