Prestige Among Peasants: A Multidimensional Analysis of Preference Data

Abstract

This paper examines the prestige hierarchy among peasants. A rank ordering of nine peasant types is analyzed using paired comparisons data from a probabiltity sample of 531 Costa Rican peasants. Through the use of a multidimensional point-vector analysis it is found that two dimensions (security-insecurity and legality-illegality) underlie the data. Variations in the prestige heirarchy are shown to be largely the result of remoteness from central locales, a finding which supports the work of Haller, Holsinger, and Saraiva (1972) on Brazil. An explanation for the finding is cast in terms of Costa Rican social history and the importance of security in peasent society. It is concluded that previous research emphasizing the uniformity of prestige hierarchies needs to be reexamined in the light of these findings.