Social Movements, Law and the Politics of Land Reform

Lessons from Brazil

George Meszaros

$305

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Routledge Cavendish
18 April 2013

Development studies; Hispanic & Latino studies; Anthropology; Property & real estate; International law; Conveyancing law

Series: Law, Development and Globalization

Social Movements, Law and the Politics of Land Reform investigates how state and rural social movements are struggling for land reform against the background of a re-emergence of constitutional promises and projects in much of the developing world.

By the early 1990s, as state driven was eschewed in favour of neo-liberal market principles, the historic centrality of rural conflicts was called into question. And accelerated urbanisation -- most notably in China, India and Latin America -- appeared to spell the death of the peasantry itself. Nevertheless, significant struggles continue: in China, largely in response to land grabs by powerful coalitions of speculators and party officials; in India, as low caste tenant farmers and landless indigenous people continue to demand land redistribution; in South Africa, and elsewhere. This book focuses on the relationship between these struggles and the state. Taking Brazil as an example, Social Movements, Law and the Politics of Land Reform outlines the complex reasons behind the failures of its constitution and law enforcement mechanisms to deliver social justice. Whilst developments there have distinctive origins, they nevertheless provide important lessons and insights for other countries. In particular, it is argued that Brazil's failures -- as elsewhere -- are based not simply on the severe and widespread overestimation of the promise of law -- its power and autonomy -- but, more significantly, upon a corresponding underestimation of law's relations of power.

Using detailed empirical evidence the book develops a threefold argument: first, the inescapable presence of power relations in all aspects of the production and reproduction of law; secondly their dominant impact on socio-legal outcomes; and finally, given the significance of power relations, the essential role played by social movements as a force in the realisation of law's progressive potential.

By: George Meszaros
Imprint: Routledge Cavendish
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 560g
ISBN: 9780415477710
ISBN 10: 0415477719
Series: Law, Development and Globalization
Pages: 216
Publication Date: 18 April 2013
Audience: College/higher education , General/trade , Primary , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

University of Warwick, UK

Reviews for Social Movements, Law and the Politics of Land Reform: Lessons from Brazil

This is a superb analysis of the challenges facing land reform in Brazil. Its unique contribution is to describe the relationship between the landless movement MST and the State, and to explain the challenges faced by prosecutors, judges and administrative lawyers in advancing land reform. It is a major contribution to the law and society literature, showing how a social movement can shape legal reform. Olivier De Schutter, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food