LIVELIHOOD STRATEGIES AND FORMATION OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL STRATIFICATION: EXPRIENCE FROM MALAYSIA

Yıl 2013, Cilt: 5 Sayı: 1, 247 - 257, 01.06.2013

Mohamad Suhaidi Salleh Nita Edama

Öz

This paper focuses on the livelihood subsistence strategies used by group of
Research object who moved from Brunei to Malaysia in the early 19th century.
This study seeks to answer two key questions. First, what type of livelihood
subsistence strategies that are used by this group to survive? Second, how the
livelihood subsistence strategies influenced and form new type of social and
economic stratifications in the group that are considered as ‘egalitarians’. Using
ethnographic techniques, data in this study were collected from in-depth
interviews and participation observation which took 18 months to complete. The
study found that there is a slight change in the aspect of subsistence strategy
which is due to market forces and the virtues of capitalism. This community has
diversified subsistence to balance the pressure of market forces. The study also
revealed that factors such as income and property ownership have developed
social and economic stratification into several classes based on source of income
and ownership of production. Objective criteria such as income, and sources of
primary production such as land, make it critical value in this society.
Competition for means of production has created conflict of ownership and thus
sparks competition in other aspects such as the position and power. This explains
that in a small community social and economic stratification exists and their
competition for limited resources make them diversifies their livelihood systems.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Livelihood strategy, Social stratification, Peasant economics

Kaynakça

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