Pobreza rural e desenvolvimento: um estudo sobre as percepções out e in no município de Ouro Branco, MG

Abstract

This research discusses about a descriptive-analytical study of two expressions on poverty: the out and in. The out expression represents the set of views seen by people who looks to poverty from outside, it means, they don t belong to that reality. The in expression represents the sum of perceptions of those who are took as poor, living poverty reality. The purpose of this research is to contribute to the understanding of the mentality of the rural poor. At same time seeks to enhancing their perceptions about poverty and yearning for a developed society. The study is based on the notions that cover critical issues of poverty and development. It emphasizes the rural context which is traditionally appointed as the major focus of poverty. The methodology was based on qualitative research, using techniques such as field observation, semi-structured interviews and discourse analysis. As a result, this study identified that outsider s thinks poverty as the lack of material goods and it is not related only to insufficient income. While the insider s thinks poverty as lack of ability to get a job, but do not believe that poverty is present in their environment. Among the findings of this study is reported that the meaning of poverty in the countryside has changed since when issues of agrarian history began to take other directions with greater freedom and rural workers organization. Poverty no longer expresses the real needs of people. Rural communities development has been conceived in fulfill of people's needs. These needs are satisfied in human relations preserved within their spaces, on attitudes of solidarity, cooperation and reciprocity. The in perceptions have not felt in the expression of poverty from the out perceptions and, therefore, the term did not acquire the exact meaning associated with the real word. In other words, the study didn t find a concept in itself of poverty that could be applied to the reality that was studied. This implies the necessity of rethink the uses of the poverty term. Not only emerge a new opportunity to enhance the understanding of poverty in the view of poor people, but also work as a tool to update the ideas that match this mentality.