It is important to notice that both forms of organization are engaged mainly in production (which is usually not the case in the West) and that they have not built any superstructure, though in 1999 there were 3 573 agricultural societies (the average size of a farm was 399 ha) and 6 264 family associations (the average farm 139 ha) in Romania, with 16% share in total agricultural land (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development: OECD, 2000, p. 82).

            What are the causes of the differences between Serbia and Romania, concerning cooperatives in agriculture? And more, what are the causes of the underdevelopment of the peasants? cooperatives in both countries?

            One of the causes may be the different destiny of the Serbian and the Romanian peasantry. Although the more distant past, above all the fact that the feudal structures had had a fairly long life in Romania, should not be neglected, the impact of the recent history, namely, the differences that arised during the socialist period (let us just mention the fact that forced collectivization did not succeed in former Yugoslavia) should be considered more significant. The second cause should be seen in the present power relations among the various social groups in these two countries, especially among political elite(s), agricultural elite(s) (old and new) and the peasantry.

            If we now try to look at the things from the wider perspective, we could conclude that the power relations among different social groups are also the main obstacles to modernization. Nevertheless, the influence of the environment (the West, but not only the West) is important, too, since ?(?) they are trying to shape us according to their needs, not to their image? (Lazić (ed.), 1994, pp. 256 - 257). The impulse of modernization must come from the inside ? if not so, we shall have a peripheral society, not a modern one.