Contra a maré?: economia solidária e cooperativas de catadores em meio ao capital.

Abstract

The crisis of work bring back the debate on alternatives such as Solidarity Economy (SE), debated in Brazil since 1980. Probably see the potential of SE, joined this with the demands from debate of environment and garbage management, finding ways of work and lacework for collectors of recyclable materials and searching solution of environmental problems. Because the controversy of this theme, exist some questions about the SE generating divergence of authors. One of the most controversial questions is related to the insertion of solidary economic enterprises (SEE) in capitalist dynamics. Intent to contribute to the debate, this study aims to understand how solidarity economy enterprises of collectors are articulated, in an economic and socially peripheral region such as Paraíba, with capitalist markets and analyze the consequences of these joint for the development of this enterprises and for the Solidarity Economy. The specific objectives are: Reconstitute the historical processes of constitution and development of four SEE – two cooperatives and two associations of collectors of recyclable material - located in the city of Campina Grande-Paraíba, Brazil; Knowing how accomplished the work process and how are organize the division of activities and responsibilities; Learn how workers organize the enterprises, analyzing questions of autonomy and democracy; Identify how the commercial, financial and production processes are connected with the market; Understand the perception that these workers have of their work and of the relationship of the enterprise solidarity with the needs arising from the links with the capitalist markets; Grasp how representatives of Paraiba State of Solidarity Economy conceive the expression of this in the state. Research instruments involved: semi-structured interview, analysis of secondary data and direct observation. The research happening from June 16 to October 31, 2015, we interview twenty-nine persons, workers, directs of the SEE, public management and representatives of SE. The data collected was analyzed qualitatively, their treatment of data was through critical and comparative analysis. This research can be characterized as a case study, exploratory and qualitative. It is intended that the results and analysis resulting from this research contribute to the debate of the Solidarity Economy and Labour Sociology.