Class Structures as Social Networks of Surplus Transfers: a New Analytical Framework to Research Rural Class Relations in Land, Labour and Capital Markets

Rural classes tend to be defined at household level and along a single dimension: labour. This neglects class relations in land and capital markets. Also, it falsely assumes a unitary household defined by a supposed male breadwinner, disregarding differing economic activities and class relations of women and youth. Our contribution will propose a new analytical framework and illustrate its application using data from two mixed-methods village studies based on nine months of fieldwork in the forest zones of Ghana and Nigeria. The framework combines three innovative approaches: (1) using Social Network Analysis to research class structures; (2) quantifying surplus extractions through class relations; and (3) systematically analysing the coexistence of class relations in land, labour, and capital markets. This approach has the following advantages: Conceptually, it allows us to differentiate various forms of class relations (e.g. renting, pledging, or wage labour) and disentangle a person’s various roles in the three markets. Methodologically, we rely on empirically observable arrangements, whereas categories of classes are always ideal types. Empirically, such an analysis provides new insights: We find substantial variation of class position within the household; we document how surplus labour is passed on through land and capital markets and we compare the overall surplus transferred in each market. This deepens our understanding of rural power dynamics and drivers of agrarian change.