Ações educativas do SENAR em Minas Gerais: a experiência dos egressos de cursos de capacitação

Abstract

The great diversity of social contexts existing in Brazil caused by either a lack of or almost no assistance from public policies noticed in some social segments have raised researchers´ interest in both studying the development inequality phenomenon and providing support in order to make it more similar among regions, states, and municipalities. This work was carried out with the objective of analyzing Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Rural (SENAR) educational actions concerning the rural development in Minas Gerais State, from 1993 to 2003 taking into account the educational actions towards developing Formação Profissional Rural (FPR) as well as Promoção Social (PS). The method used involved adjustments and combinations of research techniques. A stratified sample of RPS and SP graduates was taken by using intentional criteria - for selecting the municipalities the graduates came from- and probability criteria - to select the interviewed graduates. Data analysis showed what follows: SENAR courses delivery was homogeneous in the states. The highest concentrations occurred in places where extensive agricultural activity and/or family agriculture were noticed. SENAR target people for FPR and PS actions are those who develop different activities for livelihood or gain. They are small farmers who either produce or process their production by using handmade methods aiming at self-consumption, although some farmers also sell their products. Furthermore, SENAR courses had a great influence on farmers´ rural and agricultural skills, in special those concerning work and production. Finally an increase in interviewees´ life quality was noticed as follows: family income caused either by he new techniques adopted or the management measures; improvements implemented in the productive processes management as well as an increased awareness about the use of natural resources. As to the social interactions improvement they were found to be due not only to SENAR educational actions, but also to the results of individuals´ experience added to their previous knowledge.