The interaction of economic and demographic factors in peasant family life

The Polish economy of the eighteenth century was basically agrarian, the peasant family farm being the dominant unit of production. However, we have only a limited knowledge of its functions. Earlier studies have concentrated on those aspects which can be most easily found in the sources, that is the distribution of land among the villagers, the obligations connected with the holding of land, the size of holdings, and the amount of production, though this was usually confined to the production of corn. In general, we can say that we know more about the material aspects of peasant life than about the economic ones. We know little about economic and financial decisions made by peasants and about their responses to economic change, such as fluctuations in the size of the harvest and in prices. In particular, we have little knowledge of the connection between the economic and demographic aspects of peasant life. That connection must have been important, first, because the family constituted the main source of labour for a peasant farm and, second, because family members were the principal recipients of peasant farm products. We are well aware that the size and structure of any family is subject to change. Both the number of people to feed and the number of people who can work change during the family life cycle.