RURALITIES AT RISK: Contributions of Rural Criminology to the analysis of potential social fragmentation in the Vale do Jequitinhonha

• Grant number: 25/08556-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 14, 2025
• End date: December 13, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Law - Public Law
• Principal Investigator: Leonardo Simões Agapito
• Grantee: Rayssa de Oliveira Dantas
• Supervisor: John Geoffrey Scott
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais (FCHS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Franca. Franca , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Queensland University Of Technology, Australia
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/20642-1 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: An Analysis of the Lithium Exploration Project in the Vale do Jequitinhonha, BP.IC

Abstract

Rural Criminology has emerged as a key theoretical field for understanding the specificities of criminal practices and social injustice in rural territories, challenging the urban-centered focus of traditional criminology. Far from being homogeneous, these spaces are marked by profound structural inequalities and social vulnerabilities, conditions that are further exacerbated by the dynamics of extractive industries operating in these areas. On a global scale, Australia stands out for its research on the sociocultural and criminogenic impacts of mining in rural zones, becoming a major reference in the field, whereas Brazil still presents a nascent academic production in this area. This research will adopt an integrative methodological approach, involving a critical literature review - drawing on scholarly resources available through the Queensland University of Technology library and the theoretical frameworks developed by its Centre for Justice - documentary analysis, and a comparative study between the situations in both countries. The goal is to apply these findings to the case of lithium extraction in the Vale do Jequitinhonha, Brazil, aiming to prevent social harms in the region. The objectives of this project are to investigate the patterns of social fragmentation resulting from mining dynamics in Australian rural areas and to identify potential parallels with the Brazilian context. (AU)