Small Businesses on the Outskirts of Leme-SP: A Historical and Socioeconomic Approach

Abstract

Abstract: This article focuses on understanding the culture of small businesses in the outskirts of Leme, a city in the interior of São Paulo. Upon observing the local scenario in the municipality, it becomes evident that there is a concentration of small enterprises, such as bars and grocery stores, in peripheral neighborhoods, while this type of commerce is scarce in wealthier areas.

Given this evident disparity, the research aims to comprehend how these enterprises emerge as a solution to social and economic problems faced by low-income populations, such as high unemployment rates in Brazil, school dropout, limited access to universities, and a lack of stability and financial advancement prospects.

The analyses of this study will be guided by four main questions: the unemployment and poverty scenario in Brazil; the formation of peripheral territories in Brazil post-1888; a case study of merchants in the Jardim Empyreo community; and the impact of liberal discourse and the concept of meritocracy in shaping collective thinking.