Problems on Enquiries in Rural Communities

This article is a translation of the annex to .the book “La fin des paysans” entitled “Du bon usage des techniques dans les anquetes rurales”. The author discusses the difficulties arising during enquiries in rural communitiesin the light of the differences existing between peasants and town dwellers, between the rural and urban manner of living, and between individual rural areas. The article offers suggestions on how to establish contact with the persons covered by an enquiry, how to interview them, and how to obtain the required information and then interpret it

Peasant Values

Mnogi su autori Izgradili sliku seljaštva kao homogene socijalne klase, u kojoj su glavne vrijednosti: ljubav na zemlji, privrženost porodici i nepovjerenje prema vanjskom svijetu. H. Mendras u ovom prilogu tumači kako je to pojednostavljen pogled na seljačke vrijednosti, koji nije primjenljiv na sva seljačka društva. Ima, naime, područja i u samom mediteranskom basenu gdje seljaci nisu zaljubljeni u svoju zemlju. Porodična privrženost ima svoje naličje u žestokim unutarporodičnim rivalstvima i sukobima, a nepovjerenje prema strancima ne mijenja seljačku gostoljubivost prema svakome tko izvana dođe u selo. Ideologija, tj. pogled na svijet, ima veliko značenje u ponašanju seoskih stanovnika, pa promjena vrijednosti može prethoditi drugim važnim promjenama u seoskom društvu. Suprotno ukorijenjenom shvaćanju o tvrdokornosti seljačke rutine, ponašanje evropskih seljaka pred modernizacijom pokazalo je da oni relativno brzo mijenjaju svoje navike osjete li prednosti promjene i imadu li sredstva da je ostvare.Many authors have built up a picture of the peasantry as a homogeneous social class, whose main values are: love of land, loyalty to the family, and distrust of the outside world. In this contribution H. Mendras explains that this is a simplified view of peasant values, which cannot be applied to all peasant societies. There are regions, even in the Mediterranean, where peasants do not love their land. Family loyalty has shown its other face in bitter inter-family rivalry and conflict, and although they do not trust strangers, peasants are nevertheless very hospitable towards anyone who comes into the village from outside. Their ideology, i. e. their view of the world, is very important for the behaviour of village inhabitants, and changes of values can precede other important changes in the rural society. in spite of widespread opinions about the pertinacity of peasant routine, faced with modernization European peasants change their habits relatively quickly if they can envison the advantages of change, and if they have the means to realize it

Simmel Georg, Sociologie et épistémologie.

Mendras Henri. Simmel Georg, Sociologie et épistémologie.. In: Revue française de sociologie, 1983, 24-1. pp. 137-140

Fluctuations et tendances longues des valeurs et des idéologies

[eng] Fluctuations and Trends Among Values and Ideologies Henri Mendras Is it possible, some twenty years after 1968, to assess the that have affected the values, beliefs and ideologies in the World ? In some fields, opinions have changed more than whereas in others behaviour has changed while ideas have surprisingly stable. A comparison between the United States, and France brings out both some common trends and major differences. The development of individualism and the easing of relations has changed the role of authority. The value attached to family appears everywhere to be increasing. [fre] Près de vingt ans après 1968 peut-on évaluer les changements intervenus dans les valeurs, les convictions et les idéologies en Occident ? Dans certains domaines les opinions ont plus changé que les comportements, dans d'autres les comportements évoluent et les idées restent étrangement stables. Une comparaison entre les Etats-Unis, l'Europe et le France met en relief des tendances communes et des différences majeures. Le progrès de l'individualisme et l'assouplissement des rapports sociaux entraînent une transformation de l'autorité. Partout la valorisation de la famille et du foyer s'accentue.

Francis Fukuyama, Trust, the social virtues and the creation of prosperity

Mendras Henri. Francis Fukuyama, Trust, the social virtues and the creation of prosperity. In: Revue française de science politique, 45ᵉ année, n°6, 1995. pp. 1050-1052

Friedl Ernestine, Vasilika. A village in modern Greece.

Mendras Henri. Friedl Ernestine, Vasilika. A village in modern Greece.. In: Revue française de sociologie, 1964, 5-2. p. 224

Charles Albro Barker, Henry George

Mendras Henri. Charles Albro Barker, Henry George. In: Annales. Economies, sociétés, civilisations. 12ᵉ année, N. 2, 1957. pp. 339-340

Clark Terry N., Prophets and patrons, the French University and the emergence of the social sciences.

Mendras Henri. Clark Terry N., Prophets and patrons, the French University and the emergence of the social sciences.. In: Revue française de sociologie, 1973, 14-4. p. 567

Bozon Pierre, La vie rurale en Vivarais. Etude géographique.

Mendras Henri. Bozon Pierre, La vie rurale en Vivarais. Etude géographique.. In: Revue française de sociologie, 1962, 3-2. pp. 215-216

Du diagnostic et de l'ordonnance thérapeutique en sociologie

Mendras Henri. Du diagnostic et de l'ordonnance thérapeutique en sociologie. In: Revue française de sociologie, 1963, 4-4. Problèmes noirs. pp. 438-444