Power and the Ruling Classes in Northeast Brazil

This case study of the structure of power and ruling-class domination in the heart of the sertao of Northeast Brazil is based upon six field trips over a period of fifteen years. Analysis of the political economy of Juazeiro, Bahia, and Petrolina, Pernambuco - two contiguous towns along the Sao Francisco River - focuses on the history of patriarchal families, ruling class, and patrimonial governme...