FARMERS HOUSEHOLD AND ITS SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ROLE

People's roles in society are shaped by the environment in which they operate. From the economic point of view, an individual functions in a household, while from the sociological point of view he functions in a family. There is a specific system created by the integral relationship between a household and a farm. In a farmer's household, consumption alternates with food production and work organization is traditional. Farmers, being also food producers, must cope with competition. Before free market economy was introduced in Poland, a farmer's household was of bigger importance than an ordinary one. The idea of multifunctional development in rural areas fundamentally changes the relationship between the two types of households. Not only does the importance of a household rise but also its functions change. The household is gradually becoming the main economic entity.