A new hydrosocial rurality in the oasis of Mendoza, Argentina? Theoretical reflections on a pluri-dimensional and trans-scale concept (in Spanish).

In recent years, the conceptual frameworks of the political ecology of water have provided

a valuable heuristic tool that reconsiders the power relations that have been historically

shaped by the use and appropriation of the resource. In this theoretical-methodological

essay, we consider this approach useful for analysing rural reconfigurations, particularly

in arid regions. We propose the multidimensional and trans-scale concept of hydrosocial

rurality, combining the idea of water circulation with other conceptual tools related

to agrarian social studies. First we expose our theoretical construction. In a second step,

we use this new concept to describe how recent processes of land and water grabbing

related to the expansion of the agribusiness model had a material, discursive and

symbolic impact on the oases of the province of Mendoza in Argentina.