Non-capitalist organizations in Latin America: lessons from the Brazilian Faxinal grassroot community

Abstract

This essay reveals the foundations of an unconventional form of social organization observed in Brazil's South region, the Faxinal. Methodologically, from the perspective that the Faxinal community embodies a traditional form of organization that has decreased dramatically in recent decades and that many of its original features have changed, we decided to adopt a historical approach. This was a means used to grasp traits and characteristics that, although lost or abandoned, may be instructive regarding the study objectives. Historically, capitalism has taken a position of higher order, by disseminating ideological principles and rationality as possibilities of evolution and better life when compared to the traditional foundations of social organization. The hegemonic view of the dominant model, with determinations imposed by instrumental rationality, pose limits to the richness deriving from the multiplicity of beliefs, traditions, particular customs and practices of the Faxinais, as it supports the generation of ideas and thoughts aimed at maintaining the rationale of development and progress. Thus, substantive organizational phenomena, such as the Faxinais, are situated in a historical process of construction, subject to the local social context of Brazilian regions marginalized by the urbanization and rationalization process of the capitalist economy, which has led their members to devise ways of organizing the social, economic, and political life based on principles different from those that support ideologically the capitalist organizational model. Therefore, the characteristics of the Faxinais point out Unconventional Form of Organization that break with the assumptions of the Organizational Studies.

Coexistence and Confrontation of Agricultural and Food Models

“…Even though radical transformations in the system of production and organisation have been widely described and analysed since the start of the modernisation of agriculture (Mendras, 1960;Bodiguel, 1975;Chonchol, 1986;Rattin, 2008), tradition in agricultural practices has not disappeared (Hervieu & Purseigle, 2008;Bouche et al, 2010;Vizeu et al, 2015). In fact, new strategies have emerged, some of which rely on tradition (Bérard & Marchenay, 2007;Cruz, 2012), to help actors survive in 146 V. Iceri this context and find a place in the market (Chazoule & Lambart, 2011;Diestchy, 2015).…”

The Faxinal System: Forest fragmentation and soil degradation on the communal grazing land

“…There is little research in the literature about the difficulties of the faxinal system in Brazil, because researchers give priority to the social, economic and cultural aspects of this traditional system (Chang, ; Marques, ; Vizeu et al ., ). Other works claim that the faxinal system is an example of adaptation of people to the natural environment (Antoneli et al, ).…”

Videojuego para la enseñanza de la realización de diseños de iluminación siguiendo el RETILAP

“…El software utilizado en los diseños de iluminación, en realidad procesa los datos que los usuarios ingresan, pero no necesariamente tienen en cuenta la reglamentación vigente para la realización adecuada de los mismos, ni los pasos que deben seguirse para realizar diseños de iluminación en diferentes ambientes [18].…”