Kulaks, a term used to describe wealthy farmers in pre-Soviet Russia, is now largely considered a derogatory term for peasants who resisted collectivization. Due to its negative connotations, scholars often use synonyms to describe the group, such as affluent farmers or prosperous landowning peasants. Other academic articles may use the term "bald-riders" to describe the Kulaks, as a nod to their perceived lack of morality. Some Russian sources of the time period refuted claims that the Kulaks were a distinct social class, instead referring to them as simply self-sufficient farmers. Ultimately, the nature of language itself, and how it is used to describe historical figures, is constantly in flux.