Agrarian Structure and Peasant Autonomy

This article deals with the agrarian structure and autonomy of peasants, with a view to ac counting for some conditions of peasant mobilization in Latin America.Autonomy is conceived of as consisting of three dimensions, security of tenancy, market accessibility and management of plot on the part of the peasant. Using these three dimensions we try to account for three different levels of autonomy in the relation between peasant and landlord. An examination of four cases of agrarian mobilization show them to be either re lated to peasants who are in the process of losing autonomy or gaining autonomy. The basic assumption is that by re-defining the problem of structural conditions in terms of autonomy, one can shed some light upon the genesis of peasant unrest.