ABSTRACT
The political factor in Algerian history from the French colonization to the present imposes itself as crucial in understanding the changes that have affected the social structure. It will be recalled that political decisions made by the colonists radically altered the indigenous property structure in order to open the country to French immigration. When the French invaded the country and displaced the Turks, peasants were reported to have taken advantage of the confusion that resulted from the war by occupying the former government lands. In similar fashion, just after the declaration of independence, rural workers moved into formerly French-owned estates, thereby "conjuring up the spirits of the past," but this time creating a fait accompli which the new government had to endorse. The theoretical vagueness and inadequacies of the decrees may be a reflection of the double purpose self-management was to serve.
