Critique de Choice

Heyck (Loyola Univ.) gives voice to campesinos in some of the poorest communities in Latin America who have been severely affected by the negative impacts of "economic globalization" (export-led development imposed by IMF/World Bank). These communities reflect the ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity of the continent: mixed-race, Portuguese-speaking seringueiros (rubber tappers) of the Brazilian Amazon who continue to fight against environmental degradation and other abuses championed by their fallen leader Chico Mendes; Spanish and Guarani-speaking Guarani Indians of Bolivia struggling to preserve land and cultural autonomy; and Spanish-speaking mestizo women of postrevolutionary Nicaragua who are resisting state-led efforts to destroy their agricultural and savings cooperatives. An excellent general introduction includes precise and jargon-free definitions of key terms such as "globalization," "traditional communities," and "neoliberalism." For each of the three communities, the author provides a specific introduction followed by select voices of key leaders and ordinary folks transcribed and edited from extensive field notes and interviews. Taken together, these voices powerfully project how even the most oppressed and abused victims of late capitalist globalization organize, mobilize, and find any means possible to act as "active agents on their own behalf." Heyck also highlights the positive and negative roles the Catholic Church and missionaries played in these deeply religious communities. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. All levels and collections. E. Hu-DeHart Brown University