Différenciations socio-économiques dans une société à vocation égalitaire : Masaka dans le paysannat de l'Icyanya

V. Silvestre — Socio-economic differences in an equality-oriented society. The officiai regulations governing paysannats were intended to turn them into equalitarian islands in a hierarchical society. Nevertheless after only a few years important differences have appeared between the members of Masaka paysannat. The factors of inequality are shown through a series of case studies: differences in soil fertility, availability of supplementary labour, supple-mentary income from non-agricultural work. There are also prestige factors such as strength of personality, literacy, etc., which resuit in the emergence of a recognized privileged group. Finally a rich man in Masaka is one who takes little part in the agricultural pursuits which are supposed to be essential in the paysannat. ;