| Abstract: | Edna Bonacich's split-labor-market theory is used to explore the dynamics of agriculture in the southwest. This theory helps to explain the following developments: (1) importation of foreign contract workers; (2) passage of farm labor legislation; (3) development and implementation of mechanized equipment; (4) expansion of the “runaway shop”; and (5) a decrease in the number of independent farmers concurrent with an increase in large-scale corporate farms. One additional factor having a major impact on the industry is (6) the farm worker movement, the United Farm Workers (UFW) and the Arizona Farm Workers (AFW) being two of the most familiar examples. |
