EXPLORING THE INFLUENCE OF FARM-BASED PLURIACTIVITY ON GENDER RELATIONS IN CAPITALIST AGRICULTURE

This paper presents empirical evidence on the effects of farm-based pl uriactivity on the position of the farm woman in business activities. It explores whether pluriactivity changes the degree of power in the f arm business held by the farm wife. Two specific issues are addressed. These relate to the notion of pluriactivity creating independence for the farm wife and the influence of personal characteristics on the de gree of business power enjoyed by the farm wife. Results show that far m-based pluriactivity affects the division of power by gender in farm households in more complex ways than previously suggested by the liter ature. For example, earnings from on-farm pluriactivity can increase a farm woman's economic independence, but this does not necessarily lea d to a greater level of power in the business matters of the household . Careful consideration of the social origin of farm wives in shaping the distribution of farm household power is further supported. This le ads to the advocation of more ethnographic work to explore the ways in which both business and household power relations are shaped and resh aped by singular and multiple forms (on and off-farm) of pluriactivity . Hence, many important research questions demanding further attention are raised by the analysis.