ABSTRACT
The present crisis in the peasant realm, the entrance of the peasant into the consciousness of history, is, no doubt, due to his contacts with Western technology. Technology introduces the awareness both of new needs and of new possibilities in the satisfaction of needs, both new and old. It also facilitates contacts with other classes and other civilizations where needs are satisfied with greater ease. A new sense of justice arises—a desire for more equitable participation in the satisfaction of needs. This may lead to a rejection of the traditionally accepted way of life in which every aspect, whether economic, social, or hygienic, has been sanctioned by certain magic-religious views that provided the basis for happiness and cohesion. "The peasant: A Symposium Concerning the Peasant Way of Life", contain, in addition to the discussion proper, a brief section giving information of strictly factual character as well as a short list of recent publications of interest to people in the field.
