ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the changes in social relations and social consciousness by focusing on the distinctions between the traditional moral economy imbued with social feelings and the profit-oriented individualism of the modern capitalism. It examines the situation that resulted from the land reforms of the 1950s which saw the ascendancy of owner-cultivators and the decline of landowners. The chapter considers the ensuing tensions between these two groups and the identification farmers developed with their associations. Data concerning farmers' consciousness and attitudes toward joint farming are scanty. Two main factors can be cited in the tensions between landowners and farmers in 1950s Taiwan: the exploitation of farmers by landowners, and an increase in farmers' sense of security which was a result of the land reform. The most significant development since the 1970s, however, has been in farmers' attitudes towards joint management.
