Page 314 - Panjek, Aleksander, Jesper Larsson and Luca Mocarelli, eds. 2017. Integrated Peasant Economy in a Comparative Perspective: Alps, Scandinavia and Beyond. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 314
integr ated peasant economy in a compar ative perspective
farming households have more land than can be worked by the family it-
self, and other households have little or no land, but a surplus of “labour re-
source.” In Sweden and elsewhere in the world, this has usually been solved
via the labour market, where larger farms hire labour in exchange for pay-
ment in cash or kind (Federico 2010; Gadd 2011).
The labour market (in Sweden) was partly circumscribed. According
to Swedish labour legislation (tjänstehjonsstadgan) all persons between the
ages of 15 and 64, who did not own land or possessed a bourgeois profes-
sion, were obliged to the service of a master on a yearly basis (November –
October). This obligation was abolished in 1885 (Utterström 1957; Harnesk
1990). Preceding the changed legislation, population increase created an ex-
cess of available labour, not employed on a yearly basis, who could be hired
as temporary day workers.
The farm-labour in our study area normally consisted of the able-bod-
ied family members, external wage labour, relatives and neighbours. The
demand and supply of agricultural labour was characterised by the sea-
sonality of agriculture. Most of the work with crops and hay was concen-
trated to short periods of intense work, especially during harvest (Federico
2010; Landsteiner and Langthaler 2010). This resulted in both temporary
shortages of labour-supply and long periods with a lower demand for ara-
ble work. During work peaks extra help and employment of temporary la-
bour was needed, especially at larger farms. During low-season, under-em-
ployment was a problem on the Swedish plains where farming was focused
on grain production (Utterström 1957; 1:718 ff, 2: 3–8). In our study region,
a more integrated peasant economy offered work tasks also during the win-
ter season, see below.
1. Methods and sources
This micro-historic study is based on peasant’s diaries from three farms:
Backåkers, Matses, and Hyttbäcken, situated in three adjacent parishes in
Folkare hundred (Map 13.1). All diaries cover the years of crop failure in the
1860s. Peasants’ diaries are ego-sources, i.e. unofficial documents, written
on individual initiative for private use. All three diaries hold entries about
weather, work tasks, travels, visits, and information about production and
harvest. Explicit information about the women’s work tasks is generally un-
derrepresented. The diaries reflect what was of interest to the writer, which
is a strength for micro-historic studies (Liljewall 1995; Myrdal 1991; Loren-
sen-Schmidt and Poulsen 2002).
312
farming households have more land than can be worked by the family it-
self, and other households have little or no land, but a surplus of “labour re-
source.” In Sweden and elsewhere in the world, this has usually been solved
via the labour market, where larger farms hire labour in exchange for pay-
ment in cash or kind (Federico 2010; Gadd 2011).
The labour market (in Sweden) was partly circumscribed. According
to Swedish labour legislation (tjänstehjonsstadgan) all persons between the
ages of 15 and 64, who did not own land or possessed a bourgeois profes-
sion, were obliged to the service of a master on a yearly basis (November –
October). This obligation was abolished in 1885 (Utterström 1957; Harnesk
1990). Preceding the changed legislation, population increase created an ex-
cess of available labour, not employed on a yearly basis, who could be hired
as temporary day workers.
The farm-labour in our study area normally consisted of the able-bod-
ied family members, external wage labour, relatives and neighbours. The
demand and supply of agricultural labour was characterised by the sea-
sonality of agriculture. Most of the work with crops and hay was concen-
trated to short periods of intense work, especially during harvest (Federico
2010; Landsteiner and Langthaler 2010). This resulted in both temporary
shortages of labour-supply and long periods with a lower demand for ara-
ble work. During work peaks extra help and employment of temporary la-
bour was needed, especially at larger farms. During low-season, under-em-
ployment was a problem on the Swedish plains where farming was focused
on grain production (Utterström 1957; 1:718 ff, 2: 3–8). In our study region,
a more integrated peasant economy offered work tasks also during the win-
ter season, see below.
1. Methods and sources
This micro-historic study is based on peasant’s diaries from three farms:
Backåkers, Matses, and Hyttbäcken, situated in three adjacent parishes in
Folkare hundred (Map 13.1). All diaries cover the years of crop failure in the
1860s. Peasants’ diaries are ego-sources, i.e. unofficial documents, written
on individual initiative for private use. All three diaries hold entries about
weather, work tasks, travels, visits, and information about production and
harvest. Explicit information about the women’s work tasks is generally un-
derrepresented. The diaries reflect what was of interest to the writer, which
is a strength for micro-historic studies (Liljewall 1995; Myrdal 1991; Loren-
sen-Schmidt and Poulsen 2002).
312
