Agrarian establishment social position under conditions of the rural qualitative transformation

Abstract

The article analyzes theoretical approaches to the modern understanding of the category of “social position” regarding the agricultural establishment and its role in the period of qualitative transformations of the agricultural sector. Studying the publications of the world scientific community allows highlighting a number of areas of discussion about the social position of the professional establishment; it is also relevant for the agricultural sector. On the basis of empirical data from a well-developed agrarian region in the south of Russia we studied the opinions of representatives of the professional agrarian establishment (specialists from successful agricultural enterprises and future specialists – students). It has been established that leading specialists of agricultural enterprises occupy a high social status both in the production team and in the local community. Future specialists (with higher professional agricultural education) associate their expectations with a high social status in the professional and local community. Thus they claim all the attributes associated with a high status: a high salary, a real estate ownership, an intellectual labor lifestyle, and leadership in the production team and the local community.