【摘要】发展农民专业合作社作为解决我国“三农”问题的主要路径已得到政府和学术界的共识。学术界也对农民专业合作社成立的必要性、影响发展的因素有了基本统一的认识。然而，无论是政府还是学术界都把合作社当作一个参与市场的主体来研究，对现阶段欠发达地区农民专业合作社承载的社会功能研究不足。

　　农民合作社的产生和发展是伴随着市场经济的发展而兴起的，在市场经济发展的不同阶段承载的功能也有所不同。欠发达地区农业生产的特点决定了该地区农民专业合作社具有多重功能，除承担降低农民进入市场的交易成本，加速产业结构调整等经济功能以外，还衍生出提高农民社会参与能力、为政府提供反贫困政策的实施途径、减轻弱势群体的边缘化程度以及重建乡村信任机制等社会功能。

　　本文主体分为五个部分：第一部分对目前我国欠发达地区农民专业合作社的研究现状做出分析，提出研究思路；第二部分对发达地区农民专业合作社和欠发达地区农民专业合作社的发展现状进行了比较分析；第三部分是对高山村草畜产业开发合作社的调研，包括高山村村庄概况、合作社成立背景、驱动力分析及运行现状；第四部分通过调研结果分析对欠发达地区农民专业合作社承载的功能做出判断；第五部分为结论。

　　【关键词】欠发达地区；农民专业合作社；功能；案例研究

　　【Abstract】Development of Peasants’ Professional Cooperatives as the main path to solute "Three Rural" Issues has been the consensus of government and academics in China. Academics have the same understanding with the need for the establishment of Peasants’Professional Cooperatives and the factors affecting their development. However, both the Government and academics regard Peasants’ Professional Cooperatives as a subject to participate in market. The study on the social functions of Peasants’ Professional Cooperatives in underdevelopment area is not enough.

　　Emergence and development of Peasants’ Professional Cooperatives are companied by the development of market, and with the different functions in different stages. The characteristics of agricultural production in underdeveloped areas determine the multiple functions of Peasants’ Professional Cooperatives in these areas. Peasants’ Professional Cooperatives in underdeveloped areas fulfill economic functions such as reducing the transaction costs for peasants, accelerating industrial restructuring. They also can fulfill many social functions, such as improving the ability of peasants involved in the community, providing the Government with means of anti-poverty policy, reducing the marginalization of vulnerable groups and reconstructing Rural Trust Mechanism.

　　This paper is divided into 5 main parts: The first part analyses the present research status of Peasants’ Professional Cooperatives in underdeveloped areas and propose research ideas. The second part makes a comparative analysis with Peasants’ Professional Cooperatives in developed and underdeveloped areas. The third part is the research on the development of Gaoshan Peasants’ Cooperative. The forth part analyses the social functions of Peasants’ Professional Cooperatives in underdeveloped area s. The fifth part is the conclusion.

　　【Key words】Underdeveloped Areas；Peasants’ Professional Cooperatives；Functions； Case-study