Public Representations of the Collective Memory of Brazil’s Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra

Abstract

A textual analysis of editorials in the Revista Sem Terra, an official publication of the Brazilian Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (Landless Rural Workers' Movement-MST), shows that the movement leadership uses collective memory making-retellings of past violence and repression-to emphasize the harsh consequences of neoliberal economic policy and appeal to the emotions of activists and allies. These retellings help the movement to further the cause of resistance to neoliberalism and build a national coalition that can promote economic alternatives and social equity. Uma analise textual dos editoriais da Revista Sem Terra, publicação oficial do Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais sem Terra (MST) do Brasil, nos demostra que a liderança desse movimento utiliza a capacidade coletiva de construir a sua memória na forma de recontarem narrações da violença e repressão do passado, o que enfatizariam as consequências brutais da política econômia do neoliberalismo, e que apelariam às emoções dos militantes e dos aliados. Tais recontos ajudam ao movimento promover a causa de resistância ao neoliberalismo e construir uma coalição nacional que possa fomentar alternativos econômicos e a igualdade social.

The temporal nexus of collective memory mediation: print and digital media in Brazil’s Landless Movement 1984-2019

“…The MST's harsh experiences of rural violence over past decades are well documented in the literature (Elke Debiasi, 2019;Girardi, 2019;Hammond, 2009). As inferred in Rolf Straubhaar's (2015) analysis of an influential MST magazine, rural violence stands as a shared experience that is actively linked to past insurrections in the history of Brazil. This formative function of the violence theme is arguably also propelled by Commisão Pastoral da Terra (CPT), a progressive faction of the Catholic Church that for decades has documented this pressing issue.…”

Daily Practices and Processes of Territorialization of Settlers in Querência Do Norte, Paraná, Brazil

“…The MST, one of the most important social movements in Brazil, was born from the determination to fight against new forms of aggression against the poorest section of society, mainly farmers 5 and it has challenged the distribution of land, as well as the logic of the Brazilian capitalist development (Meszaros, 2000). The group was formally organized in 1984 (Straubhaar, 2015) and has been one of the most important and long-lasting movements for agrarian reform in the history of the world and the main one in Latin America (Carter, 2009). However, the actions of the MST and the representativeness of social movements are still marginalized within the context of administration studies.…”

“…This silence exposes the issue of access to land in Brazil as a subject that has still not been settled and, as pointed out by Fernandes (2017), it preceded the fight for agrarian reform. Within this scenario, the MST is still seen as an anti-State and anti-democratic movement, being presented in a negative manner by intellectuals and most of the Brazilian press (Carter, 2009;Straubhaar, 2015). With this, violence in the field has come to be presented as coming from members of the MST, disqualifying their position as victims of the excesses committed by large landowners.…”

646. Memoria, Migración y Acción colectiva: Luchas migrantes en Barcelona

“…19 Harris, 2006. 20 Briceño, 2012Calveiro, 2015;Fernández, 2016;Fernández, Jorquera y Ramos, 2015;Lessa, 2014;Piper y Montenegro, 2017;Straubhaar, 2015. 21 Calveiro, 2006.…”