A pobreza no município de Campina do Monte Alegre - SP: um estudo preliminar para o entendimento de suas raízes históricas

Abstract

Recent data point to a scenario of worsening poverty worldwide and in Brazil, at the same time, there is no consensus on what poverty is and what are its causes. This research, of a preliminary nature, intended to study poverty in the small city of Campina do Monte Alegre located in the state of São Paulo, more specifically in the Southwest region of São Paulo. Through historical-dialectical materialism, our intention was to seek the historical roots of poverty. As a result, we identified in the economic formation of Campina do Monte Alegre the colonial and slavery base, of segregationist character. Data shows that currently ¼ of the population is dependent on Auxílio Brasil, 80% of the population aged to be in the labor market does not have access to formal employment within the municipality, and only 10% of the total area of rural establishments is occupied by family farming. As a more recent process, it was possible to identify that the rural population has been falling and soy production has been growing in the largest rural establishments. We can conclude that the research connects the current poverty of the city of Campina do Monte Alegre, to longer historical processes, which restricted access to property and subjected families and individuals to the domination and exploitation of work.