Abstract
Agricultural mechanization is widely promoted as a means of improving productivity, reducing rural labor shortages and strengthening food security in developing countries. However, its socioeconomic consequences depend on machinery type, ownership, access arrangements and institutional governance. This scoping review examines how mechanization affects rural class formation, labor relations, gender relations, machinery access and surplus distribution in Indonesia. The review followed the Arksey and O’Malley framework and PRISMA-ScR reporting guidance. A structured Scopus search conducted in March 2026 identified 179 documents; after screening by document type, language, publication period and substantive relevance, 30 studies published between 2014 and 2026 were included. The data were charted and synthesized narratively through a Marxian economic-sociology framework. The findings indicate that mechanization can improve technical efficiency, production timeliness and labor productivity, but its effects vary across machines, agricultural operations, farm sizes and access models. High-capacity machinery and direct ownership tend to favor larger farmers and service providers, whereas custom hiring expands access but may create rental dependency and reduce smallholder autonomy. Harvest and postharvest mechanization may displace manual and women’s labor, whereas collective ownership and UPJA can either broaden access or reproduce elite capture depending on governance. Regional comparisons with Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines indicate that Indonesia follows an intermediate but institutionally diverse pathway. Inclusive mechanization requires appropriately scaled technologies, accountable service institutions, inclusive credit, gender-responsive training and secure land rights. However, publication and language bias, regional concentration and methodological heterogeneity limit causal inference and generalizability.
Keywords: Agricultural Mechanization, Class Stratification, Marxian Economic Sociology, Relations of Production, Rental Dependency.