Olhai para “os ricos do campo”: o lugar das elites e classes dominantes nos Estudos Rurais do Brasil

Abstract

The so called Rural Studies are networks of social scientists between academic sectors, social mouvements and NGOs in Brazil. This network make researchs about rural-urban transformations in Brazilian society: conflicts about land, water, agro-food systems, family farmer policies, indigenous peoples, quilombolas etc. Although its great advancements, there is a gap in Rural Studies: the elites and the rulling class. This article discuss about this part of the brazilian rural society – farmers, agrobussinessman, cattle breeders. At first, make critics about the concept of “latifundiários”. This word is linked to debates inside the Brazilian Communist Party in 1950s-1960s. Because its root the concept of “latifúndio” fits better in political fights and loses his analytical capacity. The second part shows ambiguities in the theme of the social change and rural society in classical views of the brazilian sociology (1930-1960). After this, shows the newest generations of Rural Studies after 1970s and their themes: the “wicked alliance” between great land owners and capitalist modernization; the political representations of the agribusiness and rulling rural class and ethnographical studies in the area of the old “engenhos“, the sugar cane zone at Brazilian northeast. At the last section the article purposes one anaytical term – richs of the countryside –  to construct ways to guide a new research agenda. At this point its possible to overcome the ambiguities and gaps about the rural elites and rulling class in Rural Studies.

Key-words:Elites, rulling class, Rural Studies, richs of the countryside