A metodologia sistêmica na geografia agrária: um estudo sobre a territorialização dos assentamentos rurais

Este artigo tem como objetivo demonstrar a importância da metodologia sistêmica em pesquisas nas Ciências Humanas, em especial na Geografia Agrária, através da avaliação das alterações socioeconômicas e territoriais dos assentamentos rurais. O artigo foi divido em partes, primeiro foi realizado um estudo teórico da metodologia sistêmica e em seguida, a aplicação dessa metodologia para avaliar os impactos da territorialização dos assentamentos rurais, na organização espacial de Candiota no estado do Rio Grande do Sul.

A evolução da cana-de-açúcar no escritório de desenvolvimento rural (EDR) de Ourinhos e o papel das esferas públicas e das agroindústrias do açúcar e do álcool no processo de organização do espaço

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Trajetória teórico-metodológica da geografia agrária brasileira: a produção em periódicos científicos de 1939-2009

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Leituras dos territórios paradigmáticos da Geografia Agrária: análise dos grupos de pesquisa do estado de São Paulo

Pós-graduação em Geografia - FCT

A geografia agrária brasileira: dinâmica, variada e complexa

This paper is a contribution to the debate on the methodological issues surrounding the Land Geography, demonstrating why the Brazilian Agrarian Geography is dynamic, varied and complex. It was chosen as the theme of Research Groups in Geography Agrarian present in Directory Groups CNPq and they held on a characterization considering: home institution, location, year of training, Group name, words and lines of research. The survey allowed the treatment of 70 groups in 2009 had the agrarian geography, agriculture, rural development, rural, rural areas, organization of space and rural development as guiding their research and performances. The analysis of the research lines identifi ed groups concerned with economic, political, ecological, demographic and cultural, and also found concerns with farmers, with their production and the functioning of the agricultural system, being thus, the set of raised lines one can say that there is signifi cant diversity in themes, which reinforces the hypothesis of dynamism, variety and complexity of studies on agriculture today.

Espaço, território e paisagem: uma leitura teóricometodológica da Geografia Agrária brasileira na pós-graduação a partir dos anos 1970

The aim of this study was to propose a reading of theoretical and methodological geography of Brazilian agriculture in Post-Graduate Studies in Geography (PPGE's) from the Southeast, from the 1970s, trying to present a discussion of the analysis categories (space, territory, landscape, region and place) that has been unleashed over the meetings of Agrarian Geography (ENGA's) and in three meetings of the Research Groups of Agrarian Geography (2005, 2006, 2007). So, we started with the hypothesis that the relativization of scientific concepts may impair development of spatial concepts only. To accomplish our objective we carried out a survey of dissertations and theses supported in the period 1970 to 2009, in Post-Graduate in Geography and UFU UFMG (Minas Gerais), UFRJ, UFF and UERJ (Rio de Janeiro) and USP, UNESP / Rio Claro, UNESP / Presidente Prudente (Sao Paulo). The evaluation dealt with the quantitative and drew a profile of Agrarian Geography. Qualitatively, further analysis, crossing information, contextualizing the themes and especially evaluating the theoretical set referenced in the works, an indication of the possible paths followed by this branch of the Brazilian Geography for which it is observed that the references to the categories space and, more specifically the organization of space, was prioritized in the 1980s and the territory as a reference work after 1990.

O TRABALHO DE CAMPO COMO UM INSTRUMENTO DE TRABALHO PARA O INVESTIGADOR EM GEOGRAFIA AGRÁRIA

Procuramos mostrar, nesse ensaio, como o espaço rural torna-se mais complexo e continuamente subordinado aos interesses da cidade e analisamos algumas características presentes no espaço rural brasileiro e como foram alteradas as relações campo cidade. Destarte, apresentamos o trabalho de campo para auxiliar os investigadores a compreender esses processos, pois esse procedimento nos auxilia a articular a teoria e a prática, devemos, em nossas pesquisas, ir além do gabinete, Assim, faremos, em um primeiro momento, uma explanação sobre as transformações em curso no espaço rural e, posteriormente, teceremos algumas considerações sobre a pratica de trabalho de campo para investigar essas transformações. AbstractThis essay attempts to show how the countryside becomes more complex and grows continuously subordinated to the urban interests. It analyzes some characteristics from the Brazilian rural area, especially how the relationship between the countryside and the city has changed. For that, it presents the field work as a way of helping researchers understand these processes, for it’s a methodological procedure useful to articulate theory and practice and to force researchers go out and beyond their offices. Firstly, an explanation on the current changes in the countryside is made; then, some considerations on the field work practice are made regarding the investigation of theses changes.

O TRABALHO DE CAMPO COMO UM INSTRUMENTO DE TRABALHO PARA O INVESTIGADOR EM GEOGRAFIA AGRÁRIA

Procuramos mostrar, nesse ensaio, como o espaço rural torna-se mais complexo e continuamente subordinado aos interesses da cidade e analisamos algumas características presentes no espaço rural brasileiro e como foram alteradas as relações campo cidade. Destarte, apresentamos o trabalho de campo para auxiliar os investigadores a compreender esses processos, pois esse procedimento nos auxilia a articular a teoria e a prática, devemos, em nossas pesquisas, ir além do gabinete, Assim, faremos, em um primeiro momento, uma explanação sobre as transformações em curso no espaço rural e, posteriormente, teceremos algumas considerações sobre a pratica de trabalho de campo para investigar essas transformações.Abstract Field work as a working tool to the agrarian geography researcher This essay attempts to show how the countryside becomes more complex and grows continuously subordinated to the urban interests. It analyzes some characteristics from the Brazilian rural area, especially how the relationship between the countryside and the city has changed. For that, it presents the field work as a way of helping researchers understand these processes, for it’s a methodological procedure useful to articulate theory and practice and to force researchers go out and beyond their offices. Firstly, an explanation on the current changes in the countryside is made; then, some considerations on the field work practice are made regarding the investigation of theses changes. 

Creative clusters and universities : the cluster concept in economics and geography

This paper considers the history of the cluster concept in urban economic geography, and its relationship to recent debates about creative cities. It then looks at the role that universities can play in the development of a creative cluster, as well as some of the potential pitfalls.

The emotional geography of a mine closure: a study of the Ravensthorpe nickel mine in Western Australia

This paper engages with the literature on emotional geographies to report on a case study of the emotions surrounding the closure of a nickel mine in the shire of Ravensthorpe in the south-west of Western Australia in January 2009. Two themes from the affect-infused narratives of pre- and post-mine community members are outlined. The first, which challenges constructions of the closure as a purely industrial and economic concern, focuses on the intense feelings the shut-down invoked amongst participants. The second theme explores the way in which the owner of the mine, BHP Billiton, worked to suppress and regulate affective reactions to the closure and thus reveals the highly political nature of emotions.

Settlement geography of African refugee communities in Southeast Queensland : an analysis of residential distribution and secondary migration

Before 2001, most Africans immigrating to Australia were white South Africans and Zimbabweans who arrived as economic and family-reunion migrants (Cox, Cooper & Adepoju, 1999). Black African communities are a more recent addition to the Australian landscape, with most entering Australia as refugees after 2001. African refugees are a particularly disadvantaged immigrant group, which the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (in the Community Relations Commission of New South Wales, 2006) suggests require high levels of settlement support (p.23). Decision makers and settlement service providers need to have settlement data on the communities so that they can be effective in planning, budgeting and delivering support where it is most needed. Settlement data are also useful for determining the challenges that these communities face in trying to establish themselves in resettlement. There has been no verification of existing secondary data sources, however, or previous formal study of African refugee settlement geography in Southeast Queensland. This research addresses the knowledge gap by using a mixed-method approach to identify and describe the distribution and population size of eight African communities in Southeast Queensland, examine secondary migration patterns in these communities and assess the relationship between these geographic features and housing, a critical factor in successful settlement. Significant discrepancies exist between the primary data gathered in the study and existing secondary data relating to population size and distribution of the communities. Results also reveal a tension between the socio-cultural forces and the housing and economic imperatives driving secondary migration in the communities, and a general lack of engagement by African refugees with structured support networks. These findings have a wide range of implications for policy and for groups that provide settlement support to these communities.

Cultural economic geography and global media studies : the rise of asian media capitals?

This paper considers the scope to develop an approach to the spatial dimensions of media and culture that is informed by cultural-economic geography. I refer to cultural-economic geography as that strand of research in the field of geography that has been informed on the one hand by the ‘cultural turn’ in both geographical and economic thought, and which focuses on the relationship between, space, knowledge and identity in the spheres of production and consumption, and on the other to work by geographers that has sought to map the scale and significance of the cultural or creative industries as new drivers of the global economy. The paper considers the extent to which this work enables those engaged with urban cultural policy to get beyond some of the impasses that have arisen with the development of “creative cities” policies derived from the work of authors such as Richard Florida as well as the business management literature on clusters. It will frame these debates in the context of recent work by Michael Curtin on media capitals, and the question of whether cities in East Asia can emerge as media capitals from outside of the US-Europe-dominated transnational cultural axis.

Toward a cultural economic geography of creative industries and urban development : introduction to the special issue on creative industries and urban development

The connections between the development of creative industries and the growth of cities was noted by several sources over the 2000s, but explanations relating to the nature of the link have thus far provide to be insufficient. The two dominant ‘scripts’ were those of ‘creative clusters’ and ‘creative/cities/creative class’ theories, but both have proved to be insufficient, not least because they privilege amenities-led, supply-drive accounts of urban development that fail to adequately situate cities in wider global circuits of culture and economic production. It is proposed that the emergent field of cultural economic geography provides some insights into redressing these lacunae, particularly in the possibilities for an original synthesis of cultural and economic geography, cultural studies and new strands of economic theory.

Defending the patch : a labour geography analysis of unions’ construction of and responses to the problem of declining union membership amongst youth

If the trade union movement is to remain an influential force in the industrial, economic and socio/political arenas of industrialised nations it is vital that its recruitment of young members improve dramatically. Australian union membership levels have declined markedly over the last three decades and youth union membership levels have decreased more than any age group. Currently around 10% of young workers aged between 16-24 years are members of unions in Australia compared to 26% of workers aged 45-58 (Oliver, 2008). This decline has occurred throughout the union movement, in all states and in almost all industries and occupations. This research, which consists of interviews with union organisers and union officials, draws on perspectives from the labour geography literature to explore how union personnel located in various places, spaces and scales construct the issue of declining youth union membership. It explores the scale of connections within the labour movement and the extent to which these connections are leveraged to address the problem of youth union membership decline. To offer the reader a sense of context and perspective, the thesis firstly outlines the historical development of the union movement. It also reviews the literature on youth membership decline. Labour geography offers a rich and apposite analytical tool for investigation of this area. The notion of ‘scale’ as a dynamic, interactive, constructed and reconstructed entity (Ellem, 2006) is an appropriate lens for viewing youth-union membership issues. In this non-linear view, scale is a relational element which interplays with space, place and the environment (Howett, in Marston, 2000) rather than being ‘sequential’ and hierarchical. Importantly, the thesis investigates the notion of unions as ‘spaces of dependence’ (Cox, 1998a, p.2), organisations whose space is centred upon realising essential interests. It also considers the quality of unions’ interactions with others – their ‘spaces of engagement‘(Cox, 1998a, p.2), and the impact that this has upon their ability to recruit youth. The findings reveal that most respondents across the spectrum of the union movement attribute the decline in youth membership levels to factors external to the movement itself, such as changes to industrial relations legislation and the impact of globalisation on employment markets. However, participants also attribute responsibility for declining membership levels to the union movement itself, citing factors such as a lack of resourcing and a need to change unions’ perceived identity and methods of operation. The research further determined that networks of connections across the union movement are tenuous and, to date, are not being fully utilised to assist unions to overcome the youth recruitment dilemma. The study concludes that potential connections between unions are hampered by poor resourcing, workload issues and some deeply entrenched attitudes related to unions ‘defending (and maintaining) their patch’.