The meaning of the land as a central element in the capitalist modernization of Chilean agriculture
The meaning of the land as a central element in the capitalist modernization of Chilean agriculture

Summary/Abstract: The capitalist modernization of agriculture in Chile involved the structural modification of the land tenure system and the promotion of an agro-exporting business class. This type of development implemented by the military dictatorship has been consolidated during the democratic governments. In this context, the objective of this study is to identify those elements that facilitated this hegemony, through a qualitative analysis of biographies, backgrounds, contexts and personal relationships of peasant families, agricultural business owners, and rural politicians. The results indicate that there would be a historical continuity regarding the meaning that both peasants and business owners have given to the land. For both groups, rural land is associated with individual and private use, which would have cancelled out peasant resistance and facilitated capitalist consolidation. In this sense, on the one hand, the substantive element in the construction of meaning would depend on the proprietary individualism rooted in the biographies and not on the social category, while on the other hand, it is possible to notice that the economic processes are highly receptive to significant constructions.

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