Book, Brazil, The: Territory and Society At the Beginning of the 21st century[LS]

Language: Brazilian Portuguese. "Now in a new edition, with a preface by Sérgio Abranches, O Brasil: Territory and society at the beginning of the 21st century marked a renewal of Brazilian geography. By showing the use of the national space as a whole and, in parallel, that of each of its regions, associated with the concept of territorial division of labor and related issues, Milton Santos and María Laura Silveira reveal that the territory is not just a stage, but, above all, an actor in social dynamics.. Important aspects and relationships are carefully selected to characterize our socio-spatial formation. The notion of “land use” is the foundation of the approach. Technical systems — objects and ways of doing things — allow us to explain how, where, by whom, why and for what purpose this territory is used.. The delimitation of periods and the reconstruction of contexts lead to the recognition of legacies and, at the same time, of intentions. Each region welcomes certain modernizations and certain dynamic actors, crystallizing old uses and generating new rationalities.. The analysis that the authors propose, however, takes into account the emerging facts of the beginning of the 21st century and the new features of the economy, society and politics.. These appear here through the redefinition of relations between land and people, more than ever inserted into international circuits.. This provides a still current portrait of the country, with the potential to illuminate the search for future paths.. The book shows how we left the idea of a Brazilian nation in the hands of the global market. Result of the partnership between Milton Santos and María Laura Silveira, it also brings together eight thematic contributions, from different authors, who analyze related themes: the material bases of telecommunications and information technology; the design of the Brazilian road network; the new role of agriculture; metropolitan services in the period of globalization; between others. It thus comprises a comprehensive vision of the national reality, achieved from one of the most determining and comprehensive aspects of this reality.: the territory. Result of extensive research, Brazil: Territory and society at the beginning of the 21st century builds, from the perspective of geographers, an interdisciplinary vision of Brazilian reality. With accessible language, it allows reading not only by specialists, but also by other social scientists, administrators, politicians and the general reader.. Its greatest ambition is, by reaching the general public, to actively participate in the national debate.