Study on Farmers' Issues in Thomas Hardy's Novels

Lots of papers of periodicals concentrate on discussing the pessimistic fatalism of Hardy.Few concerns about farmers’issues in Hardy’s novels.This paper explores the farmers’issues in Hardy novels in three aspects.

Agricultural Multifunctionality Evolution and Research into Issues concerning Agriculture,Countryside and Farmers

From the point of view of agricultural civilization, the history of human civilization is the history of the development of the agricultural civilization. Accompanied by social progress and development of the times, the function of agriculture also experiences the expansion and deepening. In terms of economy, there is a process from mechanized farming to industrialization, then to informatization, modernization and internationalization. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has also experienced and witnessed this process. In terms of "agriculture, countryside and farmers", the content is complex, diverse, profound, sharp, and changing, constantly testing and challenging our wisdom. When the Document No.1 in 2007 targeted modern agriculture, it indicated that new connotation was integrated into agricultural multifunctionality, standing at a new starting point. At present, the function of agriculture is still deepening; there are tremendous achievements and outstanding problems concurrently in issues concerning agriculture, countryside and farmers. We take the agricultural multifunctionality as breakthrough point for exploration and research.

Farmers' Self-decision Right in New Countryside Construction——An interview with Lu Xueyi,a specialist on rural issues

Lu Xueyi graduated from the Philosophy Department of Beijing University in 1962. He pursued graduate studies at the Philosophy Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences during 1962-1965. He has long been engaged in the study of sociology, social structure and rural development. He worked once as director of the Sociology Institute of CASS. After 1998 he.. has served as member of the Academic Committee of CASS. In 1996 he became president of China Sociology Society. He was a deputy to the Eighth and Ninth National People＇s Congresses. He is author of The Chinese Countryside and Chinese Farmers amid Reforms, Chinese Society in a Transitional Period, Evolution of China＇s Social Structure and On Agriculture, the Countryside and Peasantry.

Welfare effects of rural-urban land conversion on different aged land-lost farmers:exemplified in Wuhan city

Rural-urban land conversion is a universal phenomenon in the rapid process of economic development and urban growth.The welfare of farmers who lost their farmland attracted a widespread concern within the society and academia.However,further research about differentiated policies according to the characteristics of different farmer groups is still need to be conducted.This article divides the land-lost farmers into three age groups:younger than 45,45-65,and more than 65.It proposes a welfare index system including eight functional areas based on different age groups of affected farmers,taking four districts of Wuhan City as case study area.Fuzzy mathematics method is used to derive the aggregated welfare effect index.Our analysis show that the overall welfare levels of land-lost farmers of all age groups declined,but with a varying degree,with the level of welfare in those farmers who are 45-65 years old,younger than 45 years old,and older than 65 years old decreased by 18.7%,16.6%,and 12.7%,respectively.The direction and degree of effects on the functional activity index varies among different groups.Economic conditions,living environment,health,and social participation of all age groups decrease while social security and housing conditions increase.On the other hand,development opportunities,social communication,and leisure have different changing directions in different age stages.These results call for differentiated and tailor-made compensation policies for land-lost farmers,towards improving the welfare levels of all farmers and reduce the disparity among them.

Problems and Solutions of Protecting Rights and Interests of Land-expropriated farmers during Urbanization--A Case Study of Henan Province

This paper discusses existing problems in protecting rights and interests of land-expropriated farmers' during urbanization,such as those farmers' failure to obtain benefits from land increment,difficult employment and imperfect social security system.Reasons for losses of farmers' rights and interests mainly include defects in land management and expropriation system,and uncoordinated development of urbanization and industrialization.However,the basic reason is urban and rural dual economic structure.On the basis of these situations,it puts forward solutions to protecting rights and interests of land-expropriated farmers:let land-expropriated farmers share land-increment benefits from land marketization;establish effective employment security system and perfect social security system,to make land-expropriated farmers share supply of public goods equal between rural and urban areas,and realize the inclusive growth balancing urban and rural areas.

Life satisfaction approach to farmers' compensation for land acquisition:empirical study from the suburbs of Wuhan City

Farmers' compensation for land acquisition is not only critical to increasing their income and to playing a pivotal role in maintaining rural stability,but also to the promotion of sustainable land use.Based on analysis of Chinese land acquisition policy under the Land Management Law,which provides principles or guidelines for determining compensation according to agricultural land use in regard to farmers' previous quality of life,the Life Satisfaction Approach is introduced in this article to evaluate farmers' compensation for land acquisition.Employing data from a questionnaire survey on 346 farming households in Wuhan Suburbs,this article examined the influence of farmland on farmers' life satisfaction and evaluated the level of compensation for land acquisition.Results show that farmland has a significantly positive impact on life satisfaction,which fell by 0.033 on a five-point scale following a reduction farmland by of 1 mu.Respondents were willing to accept approximately RMB 3066.44 annual household income for the loss of 1 mu farmland;the level of compensation after discounting by 6.2%is RMB 750,000 per hectare.It was found in a further comparative study that the level of farmers' compensation for land acquisition is decidedly low,and it was also shown that their compensation standards,as well as the actual compensation,could be substantially improved by expanding economic compensation to non-economic compensation to embody farmland multifunction in terms of production and non-production against farmers' previous quality of life.This article proposes a compensation model that enriches the content of land acquisition compensation,extends the current literature on measuring compensation,and provides economic theory bases for increasing compensation standards and improving policies related to land acquisition.We consider that if this compensation model is applied,it could raise the cost of land acquisition and improve usage of land,reduce the speed of rural-urban land conversion,and improve farmers' well-being.

The Relationship between Landless Farmers and Land Adjustment,Land Transfer,Land Inheritance

Based on the household survey of nine villages in Guangdong Province and Hunan Province,we research the relationship between landless farmers and land adjustment,land transfer in the context of rural land contract rights on a long term basis.We demonstrate that the existence of landless farmers does not pose a serious problem for the current rural community.We also explain the reason why the land is no longer readjusted:the expected return of land adjustment is low and the organizational costs are high.

Study on Deepening Rural Land Reform and Farmers’ Income

The rural land system reform is an essential part of China s rural economic system reform.In recent years,China s rural land system becomes gradually diversified,and is developing towards market and benefiting people,which is favorable for improving the rural economy.Through more than 40 years of reform and opening up,China s rural land system reform has been continuously deepened and sectionalized,which has also affected the income of farmers.Rural land reform provides great opportunities for farmers to increase their income and contribute to the realization of land asset income and interests.However,the rural land system reform also has some drawbacks,which limit the increase of farmers income.This paper attempts to analyze the internal logic of land system reform and farmers land interests,and accordingly comes up with recommendations for deepening the rural land reform.

Land system reform should protect farmers' interests

|Editorial Note|Land has become an issue of increasing social concern as demand continues to surge in the midst of economic development,urbanization and industrialization.The crux of the issue is the land regime. China has a unique dualistic land regime under which the land market has not been well developed.Based on a review and commentary of the existing land polices,this article elaborates on the deficiencies inherent in China’s dualistic land rights system and land market and offers policy recommendations for promoting land system reform and market development.This study will help us gain an in-depth understanding of the problems in China’s land regime.

An agent-based model of agricultural land expansion in the mountain forest of Timor Island,Indonesia

The Mutis-Timau Forest Complex,located on Timor Island,Indonesia,is a mountainous tropical forest area that gradually decreases due to deforestation and forest degradation.Previous modelling studies based on patterns indicate that deforestation primarily occurs at lower elevations and near the boundaries of forests and settlements,often associated with shifting cultivation by local farmers.This study adopts a process-based modelling approach,specifically the agent-based model,to simulate land changes,particularly farmers'expansion of agricultural land around the Mutis mountain forest.The underlying concept of this agent-based approach is the interaction between the human and environmental systems.Farmers,representing the human system,interact with the land,which represents the environmental system,through land use decision-making mechanisms.The research was conducted in the Community Forest of the Timor Tengah Utara District,one of the sites within the Mutis-Timau Forest Complex with the highest deforestation rate.Land use change simulations were performed using agent-based modelling from 1999 to 2030,considering the socio-economic conditions of farmers,spatial preferences,land use decisions,and natural transitions.The results revealed that the agricultural area increased by 14%under the Business as Usual scenario and 5%under the Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation scenario,compared to the initial agricultural area of 245 hectares.The probability of farmers deciding to extend agricultural activities was positively associated with the number of livestock maintained by farmers and the size of the village area.Conversely,the likelihood of farmers opting for agricultural extensification decreased with an increase in the area of private land and the farmer's age.These findings are crucial for the managers of the Mutis-Timau Forest Complex and other relevant stakeholders,as they aid in arranging actions to combat deforestation,designing proper forest-related policies,and providing support for initiatives such as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation programs or further incentive schemes.

The Plights and Solutions of the Farmers' Land Rights Protection

The current plights of farmers' land rights in China are analyzed.They cover the vain installation of the security of farmers' land rights,vain position of the dominant role played by rural collective land,incomplete functions of rural collective land and the inadequate material assistance of farmers.The solutions for ensuring the security of farmers' land rights are put forward,in the first place,perfecting the legislation of guaranteeing farmers' land rights.In the second place,scientifically installing the rural land rights,which covers the following aspects,such as,clearly defining that the collective ownership of rural land belongs to farmers in law;clearly defining the main body of rural land property and eliminating the shortage of property rights;demarcating the range of public interests and clearly stipulating the reasonable compensation of main body of land expropriation.In the third place,villagers' autonomy should be perfected.In the forth place,standardizing the system of land expropriation,which includes the two aspects of normalizing the land transference procedure and the control of collecting land tax,and establishing fair compensation standard and normalizing land compensation procedure.In the fifth place,strengthening land transference and judiciary,and enforcing supervision;in the sixth place,accelerating the development of peasants' cooperative economic organizations and cultivating peasants' rights keeping organization.Through the discussion on the plights and solutions of farmers' land rights protection,the coordination of rural and urban development will be realized and a harmonious society will be built.

Reform of Agricultural Land Transfer of Different Types of Farmers' Willingness

Since forty years of reform and opening up,China's rural landscape has undergone tremendous changes,and agricultural production manner is obviously improved,while farmers' living level is rose significantly.Rural land contracting and management right system plays a vital role in promoting rural economic and social development in China.In this paper,farmers under the background of the transfer of rural land contracting and management right are taken as research objects,and the difference of different types of farmers under the willingness of land transfer is analyzed.Finally,corresponding reform assumptions are proposed for transfer willingness of different types of farmers.

Inquiry into Problems of Farmers' Employment under the Condition of Land Transfer

This paper emphasizes the urgency of solving the problems of farmers' employment under the condition of land transfer,indicating that solving the problems of farmers' employment is the necessary requirement of land transfer,the actual requirement of constructing well-off society comprehensively,and the objective requirement of transforming developmental model.The characteristics of the problems of farmers' employment under the condition of land transfer are as follows:the rural surplus labor forces increase,and the ubiquitous unemployment is urgent;the employment room of farmers is narrow,and the structural unemployment is serious;the ability of farmers' employment is poor,and recessive unemployment has a large proportion;the situation of farmers' employment is not so sanguine,and the policy unemployment is frequent.This paper points out the causes of farmers' employment problems under the situation of land transfer as follows:in terms of analysis of subjective factors,farmers' self-employment ability is yet to be underpinned;in terms of analysis of objective factors,the relevant mechanism of government is unsound.Finally,corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward as follows:establish the mechanism of farmer traceability analysis under the condition of land transfer;strengthen the training of farmers' skills;reinforce the publicity and education of farmers' employment concept;promote the process of urbanization and construct the employment vehicle of farmers;adjust the industrial structure in rural areas and expand the internal employment in rural areas;improve macro regulation and improve the employment environment for farmers.

The Group Differentiation of Farmers Whose Land is Expropriated and Community Integration

This paper introduces the status of group differentiation of farmers whose land is expropriated and analyses the forcing of urban community factor and social workers' intervention on community integration of farmers whose land is expropriated.Since individual characteristics factors,external factors,social support and internal factors are different,the understandings of current farmer group whose land is expropriated on social work have great disparity.The obstacles existing in urbanization of farmers whose land is expropriated are concluded as follows.In terms of group constitution,there is a shortage of development-oriented of farmer groups whose land is expropriated,but impoverished groups overabound;in terms of cities,it lacks direct platforms and institutions that provide services for farmers whose land is expropriated.In terms of social work,the degree of social workers intervening in community integration of farmers whose land is expropriated is insufficient.From three aspects:the intervention of social work in integration of different types of communities of farmers whose land is expropriated,social work intervention at level of social policy,and social worker team carrying out the plan of helping others,this paper proposes path selection of intervention of social work in community integration of farmers whose land is expropriated.

Land Circulation and Increase of Farmers' Income: A Case Study of Dazhou City

With adjustment of rural industrial structure,development of rural secondary and tertiary industries,and transfer of rural labor,rural land circulation is accelerating. However,due to ideas,household contract responsibility system,and lack of well-established market mechanism and effective management organizations,land circulation in Dazhou is still very slow and its contribution to increase of farmers' income is to be improved. Through survey on increase of farmers' income after land circulation in Dazhou,it analyzed plight of land circulation,in the hope of seeking feasible paths for increasing farmers' income.

Regional Difference Analysis of Farmers' Land Use Behavior

Based on the survey data and statistical information on farmers,we conduct comparative analysis of land use behavior of farmers in the Jianghan Plain and the hilly areas of Xianning City in Hubei Province.We find that the utilization rate of agricultural land and level of agricultural labor output in the plain areas are higher than in the hilly areas;at the same time,the degree of mechanization of agricultural land utilization and farmers'land use scale are larger in the plain areas.But the crop type in the plain areas is single,and the decline rate of the growing area of food crops is higher in recent twenty years;meanwhile,the material input costs and opportunity cost of labor for the agricultural land utilization in the plain areas are greater than in the hilly areas.

Different Characteristics of Peasant Issues from the Connections between Peasants and Land

The paper analyzes the different characteristics of peasant issues formed by connections between peasants and land at different historical stages,and offers a reference for us to look squarely at peasant issues in the reality.The characteristics of peasant issues with land as the inherent feature are:the degree of connection decides the classification and policies of peasants;the private ownership of land decides the political status and influences of peasants;the inherence of private connections with land determines the future of peasants.The characteristics of peasant issues with land as the core value are:the peasant issues with land as the core is the key to victory of new-democratic revolution;the peasant issues with land as the core is the basis of establishment of socialist system;the characteristics of peasant issues with land as the guarantee are:carriers of peasants interests change from unicity to diversity;peasants change from identity certification to vocational certification;the economic influence of peasants changes and penetrates from part to entirety.

Land Use Change and Its Effect on Environment Based on Farmers’Behaviors: A Case Study in Agricultural Areas of Tibet, China

In the case study in Agricultural Area of Tibet, the process and characteristics of farmers' land use were surveyed by semi-structural interview questionnaire. By comparing the change of land covers and farmers' land decision in two periods, the spatial connection of them was obtained. And the relations among farmers' land decision, land use change and environment were examined by calculating emergy and value flow. The results show that: hunting the maximal profits is the primary aim of farmers' land decision; farmers' land decision is incompatible with sustainable land use presently; farmers' land decision and land cover can be embodied spatially by each other; the change of farmers' land decision can be monitored by observing the change of land cover, and the sustainability of farmers' land decision can be appraised by calculating emergy and value flow.

A Review of the Causes of Land Use Conflicts between Farmers and Pastoralists in Tanzania and a Proposal for Resolutions

Land use conflicts are complex disputes that contribute at large in terms of negative social and economic impacts within the heterogeneous societies.The mechanisms of success for land use conflict resolution still need further research because of various mindsets of the people.In this paper,the issues of land conflicts between farmers and pastoralists in Tanzania mainland which could lead to low economic development are reviewed and the general causes and effects of land use conflicts are outlined.Poor land governance,inappropriate of land use plans,inadequate land policies,land tenure insecurity,corruption and population increases are cited as being among of the main offenders fuelling land use conflicts in Tanzania.

Land-losing Farmers' Citizenization in the Process of Urbanization

Starting from the status of citizenization of land-losing farmers,problems in the citizenization are analyzed,such as the difficulty in land-losing farmers' economic life after turning into citizens,employment difficulties of land-losing farmers after living in the city,and the prominent problems in social security of land-losing farmers.Causations for the citizenization problems of land-losing farmers are analyzed.Firstly,institutionalized rejection is the root of the obstacle in citizenization of land-losing farmers.Secondly,exclusion from social security system is a fundamental reason.Thirdly,exclusion of land-losing farmers from both urban citizens and themselves is the subjective factor.Fourthly,exclusion of land-losing farmers from urban employment is the objective factor.Based on these,countermeasures are put forward:formulating a reasonable price of land transfer;establishing a reasonable land compensation and benefit-sharing mechanism;setting up a multi-level social security system for land-losing farmers;increasing the human capital investment in land-losing farmers to enhance their employment status;and improving the cultural quality of land-losing farmers to realize the change in lifestyle.