Amazonian Caboclo Society: An Essay on Invisibility and Peasant Economy

Description

Amazonian Caboclo Society is concerned with peasant society in Brazilian Amazonia. Most anthropological work in Amazonia has focused on Indian groups, and caboclos (peasants of mixed ancestry) have generally been regarded as relics of the haphazard development of Amazonia and have received little serious attention. This volume aims to analyze the reasons for the relative 'invisibility' of caboclo society. It traces the development of caboclo societies and argues that much of the current discussion of 'sustainable development' fails to recognize the important legacy of historical caboclo society.

Stephen Nugent Lecturer in Anthropology,University of London

'Stephen Nugent's brilliant book explores the changing nature of the invisibility of Amazonian caboclo society...should be required reading for anyone interested in Amazonia, contemporary peasant formations, and debates surrounding development and under-development.' American Anthropologist '...always intelligent, often witty, and at times acerbic. Amazonianists will enjoy Nugent's trenchant, often unconventional, treatment of the accepted wisdom of diverse fields. Other anthropologists will appreciate his willingness to discuss Amazonian ethnography in the context of wider social theory.' MAN 'Nugent's book is undoubtedly an important contribution to the study of Amazonian peasant societies.' Dan Rosengren, Goteborg University, Ethnos