Entre novos paradigmas e velhas práticas: a convivência com o semiárido na agricultura familiar do sertão de Pernambuco (Brasil).

Abstract

The object of this thesis was built around on the coexistence with the semiarid paradigm in Serra Talhada city (Hinterland of Pernambuco); backed by a dialogue between civil society and the state, legitimized in the form of a Municipal Plan for Coexistence with the Semiarid in 2014. Our intention was to discuss the content of this dialogue, on the assumption that the discourse of coexistence with the semiarid is enunciated by the protagonism of civil society, but in practice plays a perverse confluence with the state, sponsor of continuities coated democratic veins, in which the state becomes place of common interest. We intend to understand who the actors involved in this living relationship in a contradictory and uncertain place taken, at least discursively, for positions that become sometimes critical and sometimes accomplices, backed by the belief of a capable opposition to play an expanded state of democratic control, that civil society is present. The methodological exercise focused observation of meetings and events, document analysis and interviews with managers who somehow accessed the theme of coexistence in their field. Empirical research was instrumental in the construction of the research object; identifying actors, interests and political games that brought the city of Serra Talhada as revealing and active field in the construction of coexistence with the semiarid paradigm; and as a social space that claims Permanent Actions for the Development of the Brazilian Northeast /Semiarid as opposed to combat drought policies, guided by a dictatorial or neoliberal state. We adopted the perverse confluence category as key analytical, based on understanding of Evelina Dagnino, as a phenomenon that seems to be in a minefield of dialogue between two different state projects: the democratic and participatory; and the neoliberal, in which the state transfers its responsibilities to civil society, this taking practices to serve the objectives of the project that it is antagonistic. With the illusory state definition Pierre Bourdieu helps us understand the process of establishment of an ideal of representation, collectivity and official principles of worldview. It is in the dynamics of believing in its existence, in public truths as legitimate which, in theory, lies the distinction or the confluence between state and civil society. As findings of this thesis concluded that the coexistence with the semiarid develops in Serra Talhada a perverse confluence between the state and civil society in a reduced polity significance to a particular way of doing politcs, namely: access to programs and policies government, in the competition to obtain public office and in party political opportunism. Here drought is no longer seen as a problem, but the means to a political coexistence between new and old players.