ABSTRACT
The persistence of private farmers in an overall political environment that could only be described as hostile had cultural and symbolic ramifications in addition to the economic impact. Private farmers became near and dear to the hearts of urban Poles because their perceived independence from the control of the central state symbolized freedom and autonomy, especially to workers who have been acutely aware of those lacunae in their own lives. During the forty-five years after the advent of the socialist state, the relationships were disguised as simply natural differences among farmers in individual ability, ambition, educational achievements, and success in accumulating social, cultural, and occupational prestige. In times of particularly severe stress, "the country" and by extension its inhabitants come to represent an essential core of "traditional" cultural values. In less conflictual times, the country is seen as a bastion of backwardness and ignorance.
