The State and Change

Abstract

When I looked at the commercialisation of dairying in Chapter 5, the role of the state in bringing about the changes that occurred was evident. In western Europe and North America, the state is a powerful actor shaping the structure of agriculture. In this chapter I will argue that the state is also a powerful actor shaping the position of women in farming. Whether organised protest by farm-women’s groups remains outside the political apparatus or is incorporated into institutional channels is largely dependant on how the state is organised, and the wider political context in which women’s groups are placed. The ethos and ideology of the state is important.