Making problematic of the notion of social justice in the rural scene in La Rioja during the first peronism

Abstract

The emergence of Peronism marked a significant political experience introducing new forms of sociopolitical representation that had varying impacts on individual identity formation. These transformations decisively affected rural spaces and their representations. Therefore, this article analyzes Peronist discourse in rural settings based on conceptions of farm workers, cooperativism, and the role of the State. In this regard, the following are of interest: i) to analyze rurality as an articulation of meanings that contributed to the composition of Peronist identity and ii) to investigate rurality as another element that contributes to the significance of Peronist social justice. Thus, rurality is considered an important element in the analysis of the role of the Peronist State in facilitating certain conflicts in provincial rural settings. Resuming the ontological considerations of political discourse theory, this paper begins with a problematization to analyze a series of archives focused on speeches by Juan Domingo Perón, in which he articulates the notion of social justice based on rurality, cooperativism, and the rationalization of land use. Additionally, the article examines a letter written from the province of La Rioja, which helps to contextualize and expand upon these discursive constructions of rurality within a specific provincial context.