AbstractsSociology

This work aims to analyze partnerships between communities and businesses in the forestry sector in Brazil. The question to be answered is whether business-community partnerships can be considered a governance mode in the forestry sector in Brazil. Conclusions shall be drawn on the case of the “Forestry Partners” program of the firm Aracruz Cellulose, in the state of Espírito Santo. The methodology is theoretically based on studies of governance in general and environmental governance in particular within the analytical framework of the neo-institutional rational choice approach. Using these theoretical and analytical glasses, I attempt to analyze the development of governance and interaction between state and non-state actors at national level and at local/case study level. While the theoretical framework for the present analysis relies on recent political science literature on governance and policy implementation, the analytical framework is based on a neo-institutional approach to the interaction between the partners. The model of analysis, drawing on rational choice and game theory literature, identifies the main actors in the partnership, aims to analyze the fulfillment of socio-economic demands by looking into the contractual agreement between these parties and examining the partners' perception of the agreement itself, touching the role of the state and its agencies as mediators and issues such as culture and identity. The puzzle to be solved is whether, given the economic benefits out of the contractual agreement between partners in this specific partnership program and the actors´ opinion about the partnership, such partnerships can be considered a durable win-win situation. The hypotheses raised are: The partnership can be a win-win situation for both partners (1) if the economic demands of both partners are sufficiently met in their own view; and (2) if other social needs that should be equally important for participants are met as well. The first hypothesis aims at identifying overall governance patterns. The second aims at identifying durable governance patterns. According to the findings systematized under the aggregate variables analyzed, the relationship between the company and the indigenous communities show the potential conflicts between actors when these do not share the same rationality. Different preferences influence channels of communication between actors. Further, though the institutional framework (in this case forestry policies and the contractual agreement) allows a number of actions, different rationalities based on different preferences will lead to different handling options. Unless those are negotiated in a sufficient manner by partners, mechanisms of social regulation tend to of limited durability. I suggest that the weight of important social, political, cultural, and identitarian rights linked to environmental issues should influence the ultimate choice of communities to cooperate with companies or not. Generalizations based on the results of this thesis are therefore possible at…