Geographic expeditions through the Brazilian Sertão (1941–1948): Origins of another epistemological style of geography

Abstract

This paper seeks to validate the hypothesis that in Brazil, between 1941 and 1948, when the first geographical expeditions to the sertão (backcountry) of Brazil took place, there was a transition in the epistemological style practiced by geographers between the historicist and ecological approach and a positivistic planning approach. Added to both is the need to restructure the colonial legacy of the country's territory, a perspective marked by social geography with a Marxist bias. This transition process is, simultaneously, the construction of another hybrid geographical style and an epistemological point of view of its own. This form of epistemology reflects the configuration of space, i.e., the continuity of the economic and political life of the coast without major modifications. However, the projected planning perspectives for the future occupation of the sertão, seen by the actors of the time as an empty territory, with resources and in which its occupation could gradually reverse Brazil's colonial legacy. Brazilian scientific space is observed as a circulation of knowledge, which is subject to tensions. Conceptual developments occurred in discussions in National Council of Geography (CNG) and Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) institutional settings and were called ‘geographical talks/gatherings’, which were published in the Boletim Geográfico and the Revista Brasileira de Geografia. Based on these discussions and controversies, it was possible to differentiate the styles of geography mobilised by actors, as well as to create a general interpretation based on the material analysed. Development geography and a geographical reason are understood as the result of this construction, based on two main factors: the influences of foreign geographies and the nature of the country. The methodology adopted was a geo‐history of knowledge, associated with aspects of Bruno Latour's actor‐network theory. Finally, the paper seeks to contribute to the validation of the epistemological and heuristic virtues typical of the southern hemisphere.

History and philosophy of geography I: Heterodox progress, critical scepticism and intellectual voluminosity

“…Research grounded on the 'geo-history of knowledge' as produced by networked institutions and the circulation enabled by them keeps bearing fruits. Lira (2022) makes that evident in her work about the first geographical expeditions to the sertão (backcountry) in Brazil between 1941 and 1948. She focuses on how a particular scientific space emerged resulting in an epistemological transition from historicist and ecological approach to positivistic planning, because of the interactions and influences of foreign geographies it allowed.…”

Way‐finding agendas through Transactions

“…Ulloa's (2022) exploration of destabilising geographies in Colombia resonates with de Lira's (2023) unravelling of Brazilian geography's colonial legacies. These contributions exemplify a broader shift in geographical thought towards recognising non‐Western voices and decolonising geographical knowledge production.…”

“…Questions around the plurality of geographical thought and traditions are prominent in critical discussions regarding the history and philosophy of the discipline (Ferretti, 2021; Qian & Zhang, 2022; Celata & Governa, 2023). De Lira's (2023) paper holds significance for these debates because it serves to unravel and challenge colonial legacies within Geography and contributes to a broader understanding of knowledge production and circulation in and from the Global South. Drawing on insights from ‘geographical talks/gatherings’ involving the National Council of Geography (CNG) and Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), de Lira (2023) explores the transition in epistemological styles practised by Brazilian geographers during the first expeditions to the country's backcountry, aka the sertão , during the 1940s.…”

“…De Lira's (2023) paper holds significance for these debates because it serves to unravel and challenge colonial legacies within Geography and contributes to a broader understanding of knowledge production and circulation in and from the Global South. Drawing on insights from ‘geographical talks/gatherings’ involving the National Council of Geography (CNG) and Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), de Lira (2023) explores the transition in epistemological styles practised by Brazilian geographers during the first expeditions to the country's backcountry, aka the sertão , during the 1940s. In doing so, de Lira uncovers the colonial legacy of Brazilian territories and the debates over planning perspectives that sought to restructure them.…”

Care for Transactions

“…We welcome in the same spirit more reflections from geographers working in (and across) different national contexts around the world, including the contexts of First Nations and Indigenous struggles to decolonise (Daigle & Ramírez, 2019; Nishiyama, 2022; Woods, 2020). Another indexical example of this worlding work has been the recent upsurge of interest in Latin American geographies, exemplified by the new Research Group of the RGS and associated articles we have recently published from and about the region (e.g., Davies, 2021; De Lira, 2022; Ferretti & Viotto Pedrosa, 2018; Halvorsen, 2020; Hope, 2021; Kraftl et al, 2019; Novaes & Lamego, 2022). This opens up opportunities for two‐way dialogue across linguistic and epistemological boundaries.…”