"Study of emerging rural labor politics in the sugar zone of Pernambuco under military rule shows how popular movements contribute to both democratization and social change. Work is well-researched, sensitive to theory and history, and emphasizes ongoing changes in economic structure"--Handbook...

"Argues that rural land and labor activism extend back to 1920s, at least in São Paulo state. Details interaction of rural workers with Vargas state, the Partido Comunista Brasileiro, Catholic Church, and other actors, and workers' responses to repression after 1964. Important antidote to...