Popular territories petroleros in Venezuela: construction of the venezuelan society through the 20th century

Abstract

This research is carried out within the framework of the socio-economic development of the post-petroleum
Venezuela and its influence on cultural practices expressed in the use and appropriation of space in territories
popular oil, oil fields/neighborhood, located in the Jesús E. Lossada municipality, edo. Zulia. In these spaces, the social and economic dynamics are intrinsically connected, displaying the complexities that arise in today’s society. Based on participant observation and depth interview, data were collected for the elaboration of the ethnographic text. The results allow the interpretation of the oil’s industry influence contained in forms of everyday life and the collective representations of individuals. In consequence, people living in oil fields are melancholic by/for the past, trying to keep it alive. Finally, behind the usage and appropriation of the social space exists a significant symbolic burden in the re-invention of the identities.