Dados is one of the most widely-read social sciences journals in Latin America. Created in 1966, it publishes innovative works, originating from academic research, by Brazilian and foreign authors. Edited by IESP-UERJ, it aims to reconcile scientific rigor and academic excellence with an emphasis on public debate based on the analysis of substantive issues of society and politics.
Dados vol. 33 n. 2 Rio de Janeiro 1990
Abstract
Departing from the study of land struggles in the state of Rio de Janeiro during the fifties and sixties, the article endeavors to show how political action in and of itself can shape social actors. The political work involved in regimentation, group formation, organization, mobilization, and representation is reconstituted, chiefly through reliance on press reports from that time. It is through such political work that a new actor - the posseiro (squatter) - is formed and comes to manifest himself as a group that boasts its own organized bodies, spokespeople, and. grievances and interests. Special stress is placed on acts of denomination; in building a public image of the new actor, these acts seek to impose a form of perception of social space that will legitimize the new actor's intentions while at the same time illegitimizing those of his opponents. This whole process is seen not as fruit of the isolated action of a lone political agent but rather as a result of competition between different agents for control over the new actor.
Ação Política e Atores Sociais: Posseiros, Grileiros e Luta pela Terra na Baixada
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