Representation of territorial dynamics through local development trajectories:Lessons from case studies in the Brazilian Nordeste

Dynamique territoriales et trajectoires de développement local : retour d'expériences dans le Nordeste brésilien *

Eric Sabourin (1) , Patrick Caron (2) , Jean-Philippe Tonneau (1)

1 Cirad-TERA PAF - Programme Agriculture Familiale
2 Cirad-TERA - Département Territoires, Environnement et Acteurs

The study of development trajectories is proposed as a method for analysing and representing the transformations of rural societies. “Development trajectories” is to be understood as “the evolution of productive resources and their reorganisation in space and time by groups of social actors within a specific territory, in order to ensure the reproduction or the improvement of their livelihood which are however partly influenced by external factors and actors”. The methodological steps of the trajectory in the Massaroca region taken as an example, along with its main steps, are presented in two tables. Relying on the use of choremes, an alphabet that provide symbols to represent processes, movements or trends, via the symbolisation of fronts or workflows (products, population, finance, etc.), a graphic modelling of the trajectory is provided. Based on a comparative analysis taking historical and geographical dimensions into account, a model embodying the evolution of the local space is designed for the Nordeste Region. The model provides a framework that can be used in other places or at other scales. It also makes it possible to identify the evolution of family agriculture depending on specific territory characteristics and on changes that are induced or observed at different scales. The analysis highlights the interest of the notion of local space state, as a temporary equilibrium that proves to be consistent. To move from one state to another, “there exist thresholds from which new phenomena appear in a specific context: rare services and equipment, collective transport, etc.; possibilities to act, probably behaviours”. Such thresholds have been identified in the case of the transformations of family agriculture in the Nordeste. Data collection as well as their graphical representation are focused on dates, periods and state descriptions. Key resources people actually memorise the main events and do not necessarily perceive the long-term processes that produce or follow changes. Therefore, processes run the risk of being misunderstood, in particular when they occur on a long-term basis or are the result of progressive dynamics and are therefore not easily identifiable at the scale of a generation. The challenge is then to distinguish and identify the processes and events involved, as well as their interactions. This observations brings about two main methodological questions. The first one deals with data collection and treatment and the second one with graphic modelling. The interpretation of changes and the identification of processes, and not only events, mean that different time scales must be taken into account. The second question deals with the number and type of the steps and states of the trajectory that are to be represented by the graph. Local trajectory studies have proved to be interesting when used by local stakeholders or to conduct comparative analyses and design activities to be implemented at non-local scales. This interest lies in the fact that this type of approach allows the time and spatial dimensions of territorial dynamics to be represented and integrated in order to give meaning to the complexity of change. To prevent misunderstandings and biased interpretations, it is therefore necessary to identify the relevant time and space frame for each variable or change factor retained.

Les territoires locaux dans leur diversité sont le produit d'une histoire et de changements socialement construits. L'étude des trajectoires de développement local à l'échelle des communautés rurales ou d'une municipalité souligne la dimension temporelle des processus de transformation. Le recours à une représentation graphique à l'aide de chorèmes permet d'intégrer différents niveaux d'organisation. La méthode, utilisée dans le Nordeste brésilien, a donné lieu à l'élaboration d'un modèle régional d'évolution des espaces locaux à partir de l'analyse comparative des études locales et à des exercices de planification locale. En se fondant sur ces travaux, cet article propose une analyse critique des interactions entre les dimensions temporelles et spatiales d'une telle approche.

Domaines: Géographie; Sociologie

Eric Sabourin, Patrick Caron, Jean-Philippe Tonneau. Dynamique territoriales et trajectoires de développement local : retour d'expériences dans le Nordeste brésilien *. Cahiers d'études et de recherches francophones sur l'Agriculture, 2004, pp.539-545. ⟨hal-02863396⟩