Attitudes to Privatization of Land among Ukrainian Peasantry

Abstract

"Reforming of land ownership system in Ukraine infringes upon different social groups' interests in the village. The principal of them are peasantry and authorities of all levels. Their interests, expectations, resources, notion about property rights and its firmness have the great influence on running of land ownership reformation. For understanding all collisions of current moment and forecast the most probable way of land ownership system changing it is necessary to find out answers for the next questions: What is the attitudes towards land privatization and different forms of rural economics among diverse social groups of Ukrainian villagers today?; What is understanding of property rights and its protection among peasantry?; Does privatization of land, conducting in the Ukraine 'from the top', correspond to peasantry's interests?; Does design of land privatization answer to its realization?; and What is the level of peasantry trust in authorities' intention to change the property rights?

"Author of the paper makes an attempt to answer these questions using the results of sociological inquests and analysis of statistical data. Author comes to a conclusion about the very low level of rights-consciousness among villagers, their distrust to authorities and as a result of this temporizing position towards radical reforming of property rights, the peasants' adherence to habitual collective forms of agrarian economics. But the vital interests of the Ukrainian peasant are bound up with their private plots, which demonstrate stability and efficiency during the whole of its history."