Living, believing and working: the (re)production of peasant territorialities in rural settlements in south-eastern Goiás (GO)

Abstract

This article is intended to offer an understanding on rural territoriality (re productions across the South-Eastern Goiás’ rural settlements, focusing on the political, economic, and cultural changes and permanence. The spatial sampling of our study embraces six settlements: João de Deus Settlement (Silvânia, 1987), São Sebastião Settlement (Silvânia, 1997), Olga Benário Settlement (Ipameri, 2005), Madre Cristina Settlement (Goiandira, 2009), Buriti Settlement (Silvânia, 2009), and Maria da Conceição Settlement (Orizona, 2010). Using a qualitative approach, we performed theoretical, documentary, and field research (focused on semi-structured interviews and photographic records), based on a non-probability sampling. Our findings led us to conclude that, in the South-Eastern Goiás rural settlements, they (re)produce the traditional peasantry lifestyle (land usage values, family work, mutual help, and popular Catholicism) joined with the political, economic, and cultural changes that settlers experience through territoriality, such as working in associations, the fighting for land, and adhering to Pentecostalism.

Keywords: Rural territoriality; Peasantry; Rural settlements; South-Eastern Goiás; Goiás