ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a comprehensive examination of Communist policies toward rural populations and indigenous societies in a cross-section of developing Third World states. It explores the universal threads and national adaptations of Communist or Marxist-Leninist theory and praxis. Despite their great diversity, Fourth World societies share a number of attributes, including a low level of political and economic integration in the state system, an inferior political status, and an underprivileged economic position. During a process of selective "deculturation" Communist elites seek to replace those traditional values which resist Party authority in rural areas. In order to eliminate all sources of opposition while remolding society according to its ideological and political specifications, Communist Parties implant comprehensive political controls over all aspects of public affairs. The Communist Party-state nationalizes all major industries, financial institutions, transportation and communications, and centralizes planning in a unified national economy. The chapter also presents an overview of this book.
