Moral perception of the economy and wealth in peasants’ worldview

Abstract

The peasant economic rationale differs profoundly from that which characterises market capitalism. Amongst the many differences between the two is the peasants’ tendency to interpret economic processes in moral terms and to judge them in the context of communal, hierarchical relationships. This article presents the results of an investigation carried out in Argentina dedicated to understanding peasants’ worldview. Some signifi cant fi ndings are peasants’ tendency to: associate wealth with a moral defi cit, interpret the commercialisation processes of their harvest in terms of expropriation and to affi rm the right of all people to live in a dignifi ed manner, a view which presupposes that those who have more wealth lend assistance to those in need.