ABSTRACT
The dependency of workers, who rely upon the estates for their economic survival, housing, health care and usually entire social network, gives those that run them vast power. All estates are organized around a feudalistic hierarchy of managers, administrative staff and workers. Between labourers there is further division. Foremen, for example, have substantial power over co-workers, not only at work, but also outside working hours. The training was based around a diploma for assistant managers in the technicalities of crop-production and management. Although in theory it was to be carried out by their local counterparts, in practice the training was run by expatriate advisors. In general, the tone of the social component was heavily paternalistic and top-down. While it was hoped that the plantations would eventually run their own facilities, those who were supposed to directly benefit from them, the labourers, were treated as entirely passive recipients.
