Banca de DEFESA: ANA PAULA DOS SANTOS BARROS

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : ANA PAULA DOS SANTOS BARROS
DATE: 24/04/2026
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Remota
TITLE:

BETWEEN THE SUGARCANE PAST AND THE ACAI PRESENT: Socioeconomic Transformations in Igarape-Miri, Para

KEY WORDS:

Agriculture. Sugarcane. Açaí. Labor. Regional Development.

PAGES: 165
BIG AREA: Ciências Humanas
AREA: História
SUMMARY:

This dissertation analyzes the historical and socioeconomic development of the municipality of Igarapé-Miri, in the state of Pará, based on two fundamental production cycles: sugarcane agriculture, predominant in the 19th century, and the agro-extractive production of açaí, consolidated as the main local economic activity from the end of the 1990s. The study constitutes a continuation of research developed in the community and completed in 2022, being resumed with new objectives aimed at expanding, deepening the analysis, and updating the data, in order to provide greater interpretative density to the work previously carried out. In this new stage, interviews were conducted with 15 of the community's most experienced residents, prioritizing individuals who, due to their life trajectory and insertion in local work, could offer more consistent historical, social, and economic insights, complementing the information obtained in the previous phase, in which contact with the younger population predominated. This research examines the historical contexts of each production cycle, the forms of work organization, the social relations established in the production processes, and the impacts of these activities on the economic and social structure of the municipality. The methodology adopted is qualitative in nature, based on documentary research, serial history, case study, and oral history, through semi-structured interviews with workers and residents of the region, articulating different sources and analytical perspectives. The results show that, although the sugarcane cycle played a central role in the economic formation of Igarapé-Miri, it was associated with labor relations marked by exploitation, precariousness, and conditions close to slavery, contributing to the reproduction of historically consolidated social inequalities. In contrast, the expansion and consolidation of açaí agro-extractive activities promoted greater productive autonomy for workers, expanding their possibilities for work organization, income generation, and insertion into regional markets, even though this new cycle presents structural challenges, such as price instability, production seasonality, dependence on intermediaries, and limitations in community organization. It is concluded that the transition between these two production cycles profoundly redefined the economic, social, and territorial dynamics of Igarapé-Miri, revealing significant advances in working conditions and income, but also the persistence of historical obstacles that continue to challenge the regional development process, highlighting the complexity of socioeconomic transformations in the Amazon region of Pará.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 1523634 - JONAS CARDOSO
Interno - 1045229 - FERNANDO ROQUE FERNANDES
Externo à Instituição - LÍVIO SERGIO DIAS CLAUDINO - UNIFESSPA