Resumen

SUAREZ, María Victoria. Communality, work and state. Contributions to think communal systems from a case study in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. SaberEs [online]. 2021, vol.13, n.1, pp.115-135. ISSN 1852-4418.

The literature review suggests that there is still an open debate on community, communality, communal life, and communal management. Many authors argue that this social construction presents certain potentialities that configure alternative ways of life to capitalism, while others advise its disarticulation before the advance of commercialization in communal lands. In this framework, the following questions arise: what are the structural and operational elements that make up a communal system? how are they articulated and to what extent do they contribute to the sustainability of forms of community life? To answer, this work is based on a case study that includes the community of Colonia Jaime in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. A proposal for an approach to communal systems was designed, identifying structural and functional elements. The results lead to three major reflections. The incorporation and use of technological advances and knowledge of modern society appears subordinate to the communal logic that was previously established from the discussion in the Assembly. The sustainability of such alternatives is based mainly on the construction of networks of collaboration and mutual support between community members and State institutions. The community members are active subjects with the capacity to decide on what to receive and what to reject, based on collectively constructed objectives.

Palabras clave : Communal system; Expanded reproduction of life; Alternatives.

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