Poverty and Adaptation in Rural Russia

Author: O'Brien David   Patsiorkovski Valeri   Wegren Stephen  

Publisher: Routledge Ltd

ISSN: 0306-6150

Source: The Journal of Peasant Studies, Vol.31, Iss.3-4, 2004-04, pp. : 457-488

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Abstract

Survey data are used to identify different levels of poverty emerging in the adaptation of rural households to the new Russian market economy. Three levels of poverty are described: the absolutely deprived, the deprived and the relatively deprived. Comparisons of the adaptation strategies of these different types of households are made with respect to (a) different sources of income; (b) access to physical capital; (c) household production and sales; (d) subjective quality of life and psychological well-being; and (e) overall income differentiation. Findings include the over-representation of husband and wife families with children and the lower representation of the elderly among the rural poor.