This monograph is the result of an ethnographic study, conducted between 1981 and 1982, to explore the social conditions under which migrant and seasonal farm workers and their families lived and their children were socialized. The study was conducted in a large agricultural county in New Jersey. At the time of the study, the county had slightly more than 600 farms, involving 400 full-time and 240 part-time operators. These farms employed approximately 10,000 farm workers each year, including both seasonal and migrant farm workers. Among the migrants, single Puerto Rican men constituted the largest proportion. Other major migrant groups included Mexicans, Blacks, and Filipinos. The first chapter presents several biographical profiles of farm workers, describing their lives in considerable detail. These biographies reflect the events, social conditions, and problems farm workers confronted. The second chapter looks at the prominent characteristics of migrant and seasonal life, described as "situation-centered" as a result of insecure and unpredictable living conditions. The third chapter focuses on the socialization that farm workers' children underwent with regard for their social and physical environments and parents' attitudes toward schooling. The fourth chapter discusses the experiences of migrant children, difficulties resulted from mobile life conditions, lack of cultural capital, communication barriers, and the attempts made by educators to meet the special learning needs of this population. The fifth chapter offers concluding remarks and explores an alternative perspective and framework for migrant education. This document contains extensive references. (LP)