Research Project

My research project topic will be the history of politics in Brazil and how they have effected the lives of ordinary Brazilians. I think this is an important issue in light of the recent political turmoil in the Brazilian political system and popular outrage at the corruption of the government. This issue is also important because there are a wide range of issues facing Brazil that must be addressed through the political system such as deforestation in the Amazon, corruption, and the economy. Understanding the history of Brazilian politics can give valuable insight into these contemporary issues and the development of the country throughout its history.

Understanding politics in Brazil is important to understanding the history of the country as well. Because there have been so many different political systems in the country, ranging from an empire to a modern democratic government, politics have had an unusually large impact on the development of Brazil. Also, the history of Brazilian government and political institutions can help us gain an understanding of social issues in the country. For instance, it would be impossible to understand a problem such as racism without knowledge of the political structure under which it developed and was justified.

To learn about this topic, I will first research the history of Brazilian politics, starting with Brazilian independence from Portugal and working forward to the present day. This approach will allow me to understand the context of the current political situation in Brazil and have a deeper understanding of contemporary issues. It will also allow me to see how the Brazilian government has changed over time and how these changes effected the lives of Brazilians and the  development of the country as a whole. I will also focus on the contemporary state of Brazilian politics, such as the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff and the corruption charges against Michel Temer.

 

Sources:

Guimarães, Roberto Pereira. 1991. The ecopolitics of development in the third world: Politics & environment in brazil. Boulder, Colo: L. Rienner Publishers.

Reiter, Bernd, 1968. 2009. Negotiating democracy in brazil: The politics of exclusion. Boulder: FirstForumPress.

Fishlow, Albert. 2011. Starting over: Brazil since 1985. 1st ed. Washington, D.C: Brookings Institution Press.

Reiter, Bernd, 1968, and Gladys L. Mitchell 1978. 2010. Brazil’s new racial politics. Boulder, Colo: Lynne Rienner Publishers.

 

Research Project: Soccer and Politics in Brazil

Pyeongan Hong

Soccer and Politics in Brazil

As known widely, soccer is not simply a sport. It has more meaning to the world. It affects politics, economics, and society. It unites people and it unites countries. Historically, soccer has been the most famous sport in Brazil, being its culture and to an extent, life. First started in 17th century, soccer has been the most important pastime in the country. As a result, players who participate in international competitions were put in a huge stress in order to succeed. Politicians were highly involved in Brazilian soccer. They used it as a mean of controlling their politics and society. Although soccer should remain as a sport, government in Brazil used soccer to manipulate society. For example, in 1970 World Cup, Brazilian squad won the world cup. However, at that time, Brazil was going under domestic political insecurity, ruled under military leader Emílio Médici. Government sacked the manager of the team because manager refused to use certain player in game. Still considered the greatest team in the World Cup, Brazil won the world cup easily. After the win, the Brazilian government awarded the squad and used their success to promote a campaign.

As shown above, the government’s interest in soccer as a mean of social and political control was prevalent. Soccer was heavily embedded in people’s cultures and lives. However, it was not the same in the beginning. The government only focused on economic benefits through soccer such as taxes and more expenditures. Starting 20th century, interest in soccer became larger both by the people and the government. This paper will focus on how in soccer was treated in terms of politics up to 20th century and starting 20th century how it was a turning point for both the government and the people.

Soccer did not affect the politics and the people negatively. It was a method to united people in the country and stop the violence. It caused revolutions socially, politically and economically. Although it may not be the only cause, soccer was the one of the causes that saved Brazil from its crisis. To dig deep into the argument, multiple articles will be discussed. Articles are based on how Brazil was able to escape from its crisis due to soccer. The winning of World Cups in 1970 and 1982 happened when the country was going through the hardest time. Unlike other sports, winning the World Cup brought changes in politics and society. Drawing comparison with other country, South Korea went to semi finals in 2002 World Cup. It drastically changed Korea in terms of society, politics and economics. It united people and changed the power in the government, ultimately leading to democracy.

Brazil is mostly known for its incredible players in soccer field. Their huge success in the World Cups led to a political change in their country. However, soccer was also used as a mean of social and political control. The significance of soccer in Brazil cannot be underestimated since it was a fuel for the unition and change. It awakened people and society, getting rid of military dictatorship in Brazil. Soccer is not only a pastime for Brazil, but also it is their culture, politics and life.

Sources:

Skidmore, Thomas E. The Politics of Military Rule in Brazil, 1964-1985. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.

Shirts, Matthew. “Playing Soccer in Brazil: Socrates, Corinthians, and Democracy.” The Wilson Quarterly (1976-) 13, no. 2 (1989): 119-23. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40257497.

“Brazil Travel Guide – History of Soccer.” Brazil Travel. http://www.braziltravelinformation.com/brazil_sports_soccer_history.htm.

American Anthropological Association. “Brazilian Football as a Means of Reflecting Upon Brazilian Society.” The Huffington Post. June 17, 2014. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/american-anthropological-association/brazilian-football-as-a-m_b_5498879.html.

Young, James. “How Soccer Culture Made Its Way Into Brazils Political Crisis.” Remezcla. 2016. http://remezcla.com/features/sports/soccer-brazil-political-crisis/.

Humphrey, John, and Alan Tomlinson. “Reflections on Brazilian Football: A Review and Critique of Janet Lever’s “Soccer Madness”.” Bulletin of Latin American Research 5, no. 1 (1986): 101-08. doi:10.2307/3338786.

FELLAY, SARAH. “Saved by the Goalkeeper: Soccer and Elections.” Harvard International Review 36, no. 1 (2014): 32-35. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43649245.

The UK Woman Headlining Carnival- Culture in the News

In this Carnival, there was a surprise headliner. Samantha Mortner is a British woman who was one of the main dancers for the Imperio da Tijuca samba school during this year’s Carnival. Mortner has lived in Brazil since the end of her first marriage in 2006. She was working as a director for a PR firm but knew she was not made for the British weather. She is a huge lover of Brazilian culture and wore an outfit inspired by Yemanja, Goddess of the Sea.

Mortner last year

When she first came to Brazil to vacation, she knew she belonged there. She settled in one of the largest favelas in the country and started to teach the English through an NGO. Later, she got a deal with the locals; if they taught her how to samba, she would teach tourist lessons on Brazil.

Being the first non-Brazilian dancer to lead at Carnival is a huge deal. Mortner is considered the “musa gringa” in the Imperio da Tijuca samba school. This shows how welcoming Brazil is and how they want to share their culture with the entire world. Samba is extremely labor demanding and for Mortner to become a main dancer shows her dedication to the place she lives in and the appreciation of a beautiful culture.

Throughout the article it makes Mortner seem like some sort of Goddess, but that can be attributed to the news article being from the UK. However, when we discuss themes like whitewashing and cultural appreciation, it is hard to not think this is what this white woman is doing. However, the local people of the area feel as if she is coming from an appreciative stance and respect.

Video

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43005300

 

Class Notes 2/13

Brazilian History & Culture Post

Tommy gave a discussion on deforestation in Brazil. Brazil stated last fall that the country would plant 73 million trees in the Amazon, the largest replanting in history. This goes along with Brazil’s agreement to replace 12 million hectares of trees, which is roughly the size of Pennsylvania. This promise will prove costly, however. It is very expensive to move and plant 73 million trees. Therefore, the country will use Muvuca, the collecting of seeds from already present trees and planting them elsewhere.

The country had resorted to deforestation in the past to open up lands for agriculture and farm work: soybeans, beef, etc. In 2010, the government forbade the practice of burning trees, but this was easily worked around by farmers and not heavily enforced. The country still removes roughly 25 million trees annually. However, environmental activism is becoming stronger in Brazil, leading to the country’s promise. The completion of this promise will decrease carbon emissions by 37%.

Carnaval

For the past several nights, Brazil has been celebrating Carnaval. Most residents of Brazil will be honoring Lent for the next 40 days (as February 14 is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent), and therefore, for the past several decades, has celebrated Carnaval, a weeklong celebration of Brazilian culture, the week before. In some cases, local governments shut down for the week of the celebrations.

Each celebration, each country, is different from the other. In class, we focused on Rio’s parades as they are more strictly dictated by the government. Parades here are usually ran through favelas and each has a different theme. We watched parades from Tuiuti and Salgueiro. In Tuiuti, the theme was a celebration of 130 years since the Golden Law that we learned about last week. More specifically, the parade was to discuss whether slavery truly ended with the Golden Law. Each parade has a samba enredo written for it; the song is then distributed before so that the attendees can sing along. For Tuiuti, the song was titled: “My God, my God, is slavery extinct?”, showing more clearly the parade’s theme. The parade is led by abre alas which is used by dancers who do a choreographed piece on the parade’s theme. The abrialis is followed by huge floats and thousands of dancers dressed to fit the theme.

Parades in Rio are also judged. Each parade must fit into a certain time period, with enough dancers in the parade. Songs, costumes, and movements are all also judged. The top two parades of the entrance competition are then moved up and televised the next year; the bottom two of the main competition are moved down the next year as well.

After we finished watching the parades, a question was asked about the evident blackface worn by different groups in the parade. At the time, there were only two articles with a small mention of opposition to the practice, both using the same tweet as evidence. Therefore, several theories of the practice were discussed in class: colourism is becoming an issue that is discussed more often, and blackface may have been a way to bring that issue to light; along with that, the parades are televised by Globo, an extremely popular channel in Brazil, who often remove darker-skinned peoples, and therefore, the use may have been a protest against the channel; and finally, similarity of the group is an important aspect of the judging, which means that blackface was the best way to ensure that homogeny.

Race Relations

After finishing our discussion on Brazilian deforestation and Carnaval, we moved onto the Telles article about race and race theory. We broke into small groups to discuss the questions: How do contemporary scholars think about race and what it means? How is race defined? How are ideas about race are different in Brazil vs. U.S. and how do they change throughout time?

How do contemporary scholars think about race and what it means?

Dr. Holt read a quote from the American Anthropological Association: “race: a recent idea created by western Europeans following exploration across the world to account for differences among people and justify colonization, conquest, enslavement, and social hierarchy among humans. The term is used to refer to groupings of people according to common origin or background and associated with perceived biological markers. Among humans there are no races except the human race. In biology, the term has limited use, usually associated with organisms or populations that are able to interbreed. Ideas about race are culturally and socially transmitted and form the basis of racism, racial classification and often complex racial identities.” This fit into our discussion that we had been having about race being a social construct. A difference in skin color means absolutely nothing. However, society has placed a meaning onto it through laws and treatments of people with “other” skin tones. In this context, the “other” is any non-white skin tone. Race is arbitrarily placed and historically constructed. Because, historically, white people had more manpower, more violent technology, and a sense of group pride and superiority, they were able to oppress other racial categories.

How is race defined?

Race is defined differently in different societies. In the U.S., genotype determines a person’s race. Here, the “one-drop” theory exists: if one person in your immediate ancestry is black, you are then black. However, in Brazil, your phenotype determines your race. This means that there are significantly more races in Brazil. Darker-skinned persons are negro, but lighter-skinned brown persons are pardo, or even can be blanco.

How are ideas about race are different in Brazil vs. U.S. and how do they change throughout time?

Both the U.S. and Brazil believed in a pseudoscientific idea of race; that the white race was somehow scientifically superior; however, the two countries had vastly different ideas on how to apply this theory to society. In the U.S., segregation—Jim Crowe laws—was legalized in order to keep the races separate and to keep black people from gaining power. Although segregation is no longer legalized, separation of the races is still prevalent through the class system. Lynching, while not legal, was practiced throughout the nation and was barely ever prosecuted. This was very different from Brazil, where nothing was legalized to separate the races from interacting. Elite Brazilians believed in the exact opposite of separation; there existed the theory of “whitening”, meaning that the “mixing” of races—interracial relations—would lead to a whiter population because white genes would win out over lesser, or nonwhite, genes. Because of this ideal, people in Brazil believed that they were more modern or progressive than the U.S. However, Brazil also practiced social “exclusion” which was in reality, nonlegal segregation.

These divulsions from a common practice may have been caused by several elements. First, abolition was a national consensus in Brazil. After the passing of the Golden Law, people celebrated. People had also begun to realize that slavery would be done soon, meaning that they prepared. However, in the States, there was a war over abolition. American citizens were not in any way prepared for emancipation. Secondly, because of the condemnation of interracial relations between white and black people, it made it difficult to move away from segregation. Secondly, the U.S. began as a colony whereas Brazil began as a place solely to farm. Therefore, the U.S. came with their families and Portuguese men did not. This made racial mixing easier in Brazil than U.S.

Key Words

Abre alas: The lead float in a Carnaval parade; often interactive with the dancers

Blackface: The makeup used by a nonblack performer playing a black role; used in U.S. minstrel shows; has a racist connotation as it was used to stereotype black people

Colourism: Discrimination based on skin colour of a person, not race

Favelas: Low-income towns of Brazil

Golden Law: 1888 decree by Princess Isabel declaring emancipation of all slaves

Muvuca: Collecting of seeds from trees and planting them in other areas

Samba enredo: “Samba that tells a story”; song written for a certain parade in Carnaval

Whitening: Social concept that persons could become white through raising of social class, interracial relations

Further Reading:

Beija Flor, Brazil is a Monster:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/13/samba-school-carnival-parade-depicts-brazil-as-monster

Use of Blackface in Carnaval

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/ridicule-of-leaders-samba-skimpy-garb-at-brazil-carnival/2018/02/12/f0ae6bf4-106a-11e8-a68c-e9374188170e_story.html?utm_term=.d35d92585317

sex and violence in Brazil: carnaval, capoeira, and the problem of everyday life

http://0-onlinelibrary.wiley.com.dewey2.library.denison.edu/doi/10.1525/ae.1999.26.3.539/epdf

Examination Questions

  • What exactly does it mean to be Brazilian? In a multiracial society?
  • How does literature perpetuate pseudoscientific fact? eg. Heart of Darkness, True History
  • If race is a social construct, why can we not get rid of racism by simply acknowledging that fact?

Research Project on Brazil’s lack of Environmental Control

My research project will be a study of the lack of environmental control in the present and past within Brazil. I intend to continue on from my History & Culture blog post on deforestation and will bring the building of dams and their harm to river systems into the picture as well. The environmental degradation I find caused by deforestation and dams will be a large portion of my evidence for the lack of environmental control. Additionally, I plan on looking into Brazil’s environmental policies of the past and present to see if any changes have been made.

I want to dig deeper into deforestation than my History & Culture blog post did. I don’t think I was able to get a good idea of how much of the Amazon is missing today in 2018. Rather, I was only able to find the damage ten years ago, and I believe it will be a lot worse now. Additionally, I want to know which industry has caused the most damage to the forest, and why they needed the extra land. Furthermore, I will find evidence of the biological damage in the Amazon that deforestation has caused. Lastly, I want to see what restoration efforts are being made for the forest other than the proposal of planting 73 million trees, which I talked about in my previous post.

Also, I will study Dams because in theory they are a great renewable source of energy through hydraulic power, and have become very popular in most countries throughout the world, including Brazil. However, they act as a barrier between different sections of the river which causes major environmental issues. I intend to find out how many dams have been built on Brazil’s major rivers, and what damage they have caused to them. I indent on finding evidence of biological damage in the river brought forth from the dams.

For the final section of my research project, I will look into the environmental policies of the past in Brazil to see how so much environmental damage was allowed. I will identify the loop-holes Brazilian industry found in these policies. I also think the direct connection between the rate of deforestation and Brazil’s economic status is very significant. This will most likely become a large part of my project as well. Lastly, I will observe Brazil’s current environmental policies to see what changes they have made and if they have been effective.

I believe the lack of environmental control in Brazil is important to the countries history because it is representative of the high abundance corruption that takes place in Brazil, as well as the overall lack of control Brazil’s citizens have on their leaders.

Sources

Fearnside, Philip M. “Soybean Cultivation as a Threat to the Environment in Brazil.” Environmental Conservation, vol. 28, no. 1, 2001, pp. 23–38., doi:10.1017/S0376892901000030.

Butt, N., P. A. de Oliveira, and M. H. Costa (2011), Evidence that deforestation affects the onset of the rainy season in Rondonia, Brazil, J. Geophys. Res., 116, D11120, doi:10.1029/2010JD015174.

Agostinho, A. A., et al. “Dams and the Fish Fauna of the Neotropical Region: Impacts and Management Related to Diversity and Fisheries.” Brazilian Journal of Biology, vol. 68, no. 4, Nov. 2008, pp. 1119–32. SciELO, doi:10.1590/S1519-69842008000500019.

Fearnside, Philip M. “Deforestation in Brazilian Amazonia: History, Rates, and Consequences.” Conservation Biology, vol. 19, no. 3, June 2005, pp. 680–88. Wiley Online Library, doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00697.x.

Fearnside, Philip M. “Soybean Cultivation as a Threat to the Environment in Brazil.” Environmental Conservation, vol. 28, no. 1, Mar. 2001, pp. 23–38. Cambridge Core, doi:10.1017/S0376892901000030.

Romig, Bradley S. “Agriculture in Brazil and Its Effect on Deforestation and the Landless Movement: A Government’s Attempt to Balance Agricultural Success and Social Collateral Damage Note.” Drake Journal of Agricultural Law, vol. 11, 2006, pp. 81–106.

Arima, Eugenio Y., et al. “Public Policies Can Reduce Tropical Deforestation: Lessons and Challenges from Brazil.” Land Use Policy, vol. 41, Nov. 2014, pp. 465–73. ScienceDirect, doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2014.06.026.

Research Project on Neo-Liberal Policies and their affect on Brazil

For my research project, I intend to look at the effect of neoliberal economic policies on Brazil’s economy and politics domestic and abroad. In the 20th century, there were countless interventions by foreign and domestic entities, that have exploited Brazilians and their land. My main goal is to see the long lasting effects of programs such as the Washington Consensus that have put Brazil on the global map as a economic powerhouse, and how they have simultaneously hurt the average Brazilian.

In this report I want to focus on the economic sector in Brazil. I want to see how Brazil is doing economically, at the macro-level and the micro-level domestic and abroad as a result of neo-liberal policies implemented in the 20th century. This report will look at how these changes to Brazil have affected the everyday life of common people in Brazil and the shift of the status quo for people living in poverty. The economic report would mostly look at the foreign direct investment in Brazil from outside nations and policies used by the Washington Consensus in the 1980s in Latin America, specifically looking at Brazil.

I also want to see how these policies have changed Brazil’s political atmosphere and the nature of Brazilian democracy. I want to see if these economic policies have altered the integrity of Brazilian democracy. I want to investigate and find out if the governmental institutional bodies of Brazil doing a good job of holding the Brazilian government accountable? Is there horizontal and vertical accountability, and are there restriction of outsider influence on free and fair elections?

I think it is remarkable important to understand neo-liberalism and its effect on Brazil. Understanding this history, can help us understand Brazil today and its movement forward because these policies are still prominent today. I also believe that understanding this contemporary and recent history is key to understanding Brazil’s history of exploitation. I see several parallels with the indirect exploitation of outsiders today with the outsiders who already directly exploited Brazil centuries ago.

Primary Sources –

Hewlett, Sylvia Ann. “The Dynamics of Economic Imperialism: The Role of Foreign Direct Investment in Brazil.” Latin American Perspectives 2, no. 1 (1975): 136-48. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2633419.

http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2004/investment_country_report_brazil.pdf

https://piie.com/publications/papers/williamson0904-2.pdf

Secondary Sources –

Ahumada, Consuelo, and Christina W. Andrews. “The Impact of Globalization on Latin American States: The Cases of Brazil and Colombia.” Administrative Theory & Praxis 20, no. 4 (1998): 452-67. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25611309.

Amann, Edmund, and Werner Baer. “Neoliberalism and Its Consequences in Brazil.” Journal of Latin American Studies 34, no. 4 (2002): 945-59. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3875728.

Roxborough, Ian. “Neo-Liberalism in Latin America: Limits and Alternatives.” Third World Quarterly 13, no. 3 (1992): 421-40. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3992194.

SACHS, IGNACY. “Quo Vadis, Brazil?” In Brazil: A Century of Change, edited by Sachs Ignacy, Wilheim Jorge, and Pinheiro Paulo Sérgio, by Anderson Robert N. and Dávila Jerry, 332-44. University of North Carolina Press, 2009. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5149/9780807894118_sachs.19.

 

Research Project

For my research project, I will be examing colorism is Brazil. More specifically, how it manifests itself within the music industry. My interest in this project comes from my experiences as a young Black man, as well as some of the dialogues I’ve had in a few of my classes, such as the Intellectual History of Black America. Despite its diverse Afro population, colorism is known to be exceedingly present in Brazil. One could even make the argument that it is more prevalent in Brazil than America. While that could be a potential argument I make in my article, the overarching question I seek to answer is “why?” In order to get to the “why” my research will put Brazil’s racial past in context with America’s. By starting with the slave trade in both countries and taking into account the similarities and differences, I hope to find some answers to my question

In order to achieve fulfilling research on both the historical and contemporary narratives of Brazil and America, I will have to employ a diverse amount of resources, from historical documents to critical race theories about colorism, interviews, and music videos. Originally inspired by the Anitta video we saw in class, another interesting article came out recently, in which Beyonce’s father claimed that her, as well as many other black female artists, would not be as successful as they if they were darker skinned.

We have already touched upon racism and colorism in class, but I believe my research will be significant because it will show the arc of colorism has evolved over time in Brazil, and how it compares with colorism in the United States. By looking at colorism through the lens of the music industry, particularly Pop, I believe that it will not only give one a good perspective as to how far-reaching colorism affects those in Brazil but how integral a part it is in modern society.

My research project will be historically significant because it highlights how the slave trade has evolved over time in Brazil. By contextualizing the evolution of slavery and colorism in Brazil to the United States I believe it will help broaden one’s understanding as to multiple layers and depths of the negative effects the slave trade caused in a global context.

Sources:

“Telles-Introduction-from-Race-in-Another-America.Pdf,” accessed February 13, 2018, https://brazil2018.voices.wooster.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/103/2018/01/Telles-Introduction-from-Race-in-Another-America.pdf;
Anitta, Sim Ou Não – Anitta Feat Maluma, accessed February 13, 2018,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Yrghfw1eNo;
Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in America, 3 edition (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2009);
“J. Cole: I Might Not Be as Successful If I Had Dark Skin,” BET.com, accessed February 13, 2018, https://www.bet.com/news/music/2013/08/22/j-cole-i-might-not-be-as-successful-if-i-was-dark-skin.html?cid=facebook;
Canal Super Teen, Iggy Azalea – Switch Feat. Anitta, accessed February 13, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0zpug4Mq14;
“Dain-Borges-Puffy-Ugly-Slothful-and-Inert-Degeneration-in-Brazilian-Social-Thought-1880-1940.Pdf,” accessed February 13, 2018, https://brazil2018.voices.wooster.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/103/2018/01/Dain-Borges-Puffy-Ugly-Slothful-and-Inert-Degeneration-in-Brazilian-Social-Thought-1880-1940.pdf;
Linda M. Burton et al., “Critical Race Theories, Colorism, and the Decade’s Research on Families of Color,” Journal of Marriage and Family 72, no. 3 (2010): 440–59;
Travis M. Andrews and Amber Ferguson, “Beyoncé’s Father Takes on ‘Colorism’: He Dated Her Mother Because He Thought She Was White,” Washington Post, February 5, 2018, sec. Morning Mix, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/02/05/beyonces-father-airs-colorism-he-dated-her-mother-because-he-thought-she-was-white/;
Anitta, Anitta, Mc Zaac, Maejor Ft. Tropkillaz & DJ Yuri Martins – Vai Malandra (Official Music Video),
accessed February 13, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDhptBT_-VI; Frederick Julius Pohl,

Research Project Blog 1

Candomblé and other Afro-Brazilian Religion

I want to examine Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion, based on gods and traditional religions that African slaves brought with them from Africa. I want to research this topic from various aspects to see how it has shaped the experience of being black in Brazil, how it has changed overtime and how it was received. Religion is a huge part of Brazilian culture and majority of its population is black or of color as such this topic is important in understanding Brazilian history.

I want to examine the actual belief system of Candomblé in terms of rituals, beliefs and practices as well as which traditional African religions and practices and possibly to pin-point which specific tribes they came from and what aspects are unique to Candomblé. I also want to see if the predominance of Catholicism in Brazil has influenced Candomblé in any way.

I also want to look at the chronological development of Candomblé; how it was practiced during slavery, after slavery and in modern times. Simultaneously, I will examine the use of Candomblé as a tool for coping with racism in Brazil and how this has evolved over time.

An important aspect of this topic is how non-Africans and non-people of color reacted to Candomblé over time. I want to examine how white/main-stream Brazilian culture reaction and treatment of Candomblé as well as the Catholic churches reaction.

Scholarly Sources:

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3180916?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=african&searchText=fashion&searchText=brazil&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3Ffc%3Doff%26amp%3BQuery%3Dafrican%2Bfashion%2Bbrazil%26amp%3Bwc%3Don%26amp%3Bacc%3Don%26amp%3Bgroup%3Dtest&refreqid=search%3Ac2a7df7ff41e641c0eb881cb9ae60a14&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

http://www.jstor.org/stable/40784522?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=candombl%C3%A9&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dcandombl%25C3%25A9&refreqid=search%3A574e741b8529f190125f04316b0df16c&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/nr.2007.11.1.5?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=candombl%C3%A9&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dcandombl%25C3%25A9&refreqid=search%3A574e741b8529f190125f04316b0df16c&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt183gxvs.15?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=candombl%C3%A9&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dcandombl%25C3%25A9&refreqid=search%3A574e741b8529f190125f04316b0df16c&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

http://www.jstor.org/stable/20627028?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=african&searchText=religion&searchText=brazil&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dafrican%2Breligion%2Bbrazil&refreqid=search%3Aae5e59c1ab46eca2073e0405f811e8ea&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Primary Sources:

Yemanjá Documentary: https://www.yemanjathefilm.com/

City of Women Documentary

http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/nr.2012.16.1.36?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=candombl%C3%A9&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dcandombl%25C3%25A9&refreqid=search%3A574e741b8529f190125f04316b0df16c&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Research Project Blog Post: Football

European football (soccer) plays a prominent role in Brazil. The sport undoubtedly contributes a major portion in representing the nation’s cultural identity. According to FIFA, an international organization that oversees and governs global soccer trends, the Brazilian national soccer team ranked the second highest place in the world as of 2018. The team won five championships in the world cup, coming in as the team with the most titles. Interestingly, the team comprises of talented players with various ethnic backgrounds that show a wide variety of races. For instance, Neymar da Silva Santos, a worldly renown football player at Paris Saint Germain, identifies himself as a Brazilian yet comes from a dual heritage of African and Amerindian. In contrast, David Luiz, a famous football player at FC Chelsea, possesses both African and Portuguese genes. Regardless of their backgrounds, the national team performs excellent teamwork as a whole. Based on these observations, I believe the Brazilian national team signifies a larger historical theme that conveys racial diversity in Brazil.

In Brazil, cultural richness combines with racial diversity. With its profound history of colonization and immigration, the country produces a diverse environment under a unified nation. In the sixteenth century, the European dominance forcefully brought western cultures while the oppression begot African or indigenous cultures. Through constant adaptations, Brazil established a strong cultural foundation that conveys diverse yet unique ideas. For instance, Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art, originated from African slave communities as a protection tool, which later transformed to a globalized art form with thousands of foreign practitioners. Soccer, although not strictly Brazilian, underwent a similar process as Capoeira in which the sport was introduced by European immigrants but was reinvented as a new form of culture in Brazil. Historians define this cultural adaptation as transculturation, a phenomenon of merging and converging cultures. Thus, this research project primarily considers transculturation as the essential component in defining soccer as the product of cultural adaptation that adds a new dimension to understanding Brazilian history, and further focuses on the correlation between race and culture in Brazil.

Brazil’s national soccer team poses for pictures prior to a friendly soccer match against Panama at the Serra Dourada stadium in Goiania, Brazil, Tuesday, June 3, 2014. Back row, from left: Dante, Fred, David Luiz, goalkeeper Julio Cesar, Luiz Gustavo; first row from left: Oscar, Daniel Alves, Neymar, Ramires, Marcelo, and Hulk. Brazil is preparing for the World Cup soccer tournament that starts on 12 June. Brazil won the match 4-0. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) ORG XMIT: XAP124

Through this research project, I hope to discover how racial diversity and cultural adaption have interacted to produce national identity. In a broader perspective, this project will show how football in Brazil serves as historical evidence that indicates cultural expansion. Moreover, it is important to recognize football in understanding Brazilian history because the sport reflects the process of how race intertwines with cultural ideas in Brazil. Europeans’ forced recruitment of African slaves and their diplomatic relationship with the indigenous tribes in the sixteenth century fostered racial diversity within the nation. Furthermore, interracial marriages expanded the scope of racial categories in Brazil. However, this social expansion has organized under unified cultural and political ideologies. Despite the prevalent issue of racial inequality in Brazil, the national soccer team exemplifies this social expansion. Furthermore, football brings Brazilians together through creating an invisible social framework—Imagined Community—that establishes an inclusive environment among the people. Thus, football is crucial to recognize because it functions as an example of how the nation handles racial diversity through promoting popular cultures.

I plan to examine three primary sources and four secondary sources for this project. Consider the list of sources presented below this paragraph for feedback. Primary sources referred in this research consist of two interviews given by Neymar and Ronaldo, and an image of the Brazilian national soccer team to convey issues of race such as diversity, discrimination, identity, and mobilization across football culture in Brazil. Moreover, scholarly sources will provide an overall background of football trends in Brazil. Roger Kittleson argues that the Brazilian football style has absorbed popular Brazilian cultures such as Samba and carnivals, as the sport was strongly advocated by African Brazilians. Kittleson notes social mobility within football culture attracts racial minorities, as the sport is strictly based on individual’s talent not his or her race. Kittleson further views transculturation as an integral factor in adapting European football in Brazil. Janet Lever expands Kittleson’s idea through taking account of soccer as a nation-wide obsession that sets social and cultural norms in Brazil. As this research focuses on linking culture with race, two articles addressing two Brazilian football players (Ronaldo and Kaka), each identified as Afro and European Brazilian, will be examined throughout this project. Both scholars discuss various cultural impacts soccer players produce in Brazil, which are influenced by race.

Primary Sources

“Brazil National Team.” Digital image. Soccer.com. Accessed February 13, 2018. https://www.google.com/search?q=Brazilian national soccer team&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS782US782&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ah UKEwjLv5qNqaPZAhWl3YMKHVAnBa0Q_AUICygC&biw=1440&bih=803#imgrc =ptRPI34884ZlTM:.

“Brazil: The ideology of “whitening” and the struggle for a black identity.” Black Women of Brazil. May 09, 2013. Accessed February 13, 2018. https:// blackwomenofbrazil.co/2012/02/09/brazil-the-ideology-of-whitening-and- the- struggle-for-a-black-identity/.

“Neymar Jr, Brazilian Racism and The World Cup of Football (soccer).” The Corn Dealers House. July 30, 2014. Accessed February 13, 2018. https:// tcdh.wordpress.com/2014/06/24/neymar-jr-brazilian-racism-and-the-world-cup- of-football-soccer/.

Secondary Sources

Kittleson, Roger Alan. The Country of Football: Soccer and the Making of Modern Brazil. Vol. 2. Univ of California Press, 2014.

Kulick, Don. “Soccer, Sex and Scandal in Brazil.” Anthropology Now 1, no. 3 (2009): 32-42. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41203556.

Lever, Janet. “Soccer as a Brazilian Way of Life.” Games, Sport and Power, ed. Gregory P. Stone 156 (1972): 138-159.

Jones, Jeremy V. Toward the Goal, Revised Edition: The Kaká Story. Zonderkidz, 2014.

Research Project

My research project will be about Brazilian music, especially funk and popular music. I will be looking at the whitewashing of Brazilian funk and pop music. My research question is: is there an observable relationship between colorism and race as musicians become more famous.

I believe this is historically significant because Brazil has a history of suppressing black/African music when trying to create a national identity. Now, Brazil has an observable problem, like the rest of world, the whitewashing of artist the more famous they become. Even though plastic surgery is common in Brazil, the procedures that are done on famous musicians are to give them more Eurocentric features.

Currently, my sources will be about the history of popular music and musicians for in-depth background information on the past musicians who made it big and what the popular musicians look like today. As my project continues, I will allocate more primary sources, hopefully from the artist.

Scholarly Sources

  • Paul Sneed. “Bandidos De Cristo: Representations of the Power of Criminal Factions in Rio’s Proibidão Funk.” Latin American Music Review / Revista De Música Latinoamericana 28, no. 2 (2007): 220-41. http://0-www.jstor.org.dewey2.library.denison.edu/stable/4499339.
  • Brazilian funk music sensation dream team do passinho calls for ‘more rights, less zika’. (2016, Aug 03). Targeted News Service Retrieved from https://0-search-proquest-com.dewey2.library.denison.edu/docview/1808547455?accountid=15131
  • Sneed, Paul. “Favela Utopias: The “Bailes Funk” in Rio’s Crisis of Social Exclusion and Violence.” Latin American Research Review43, no. 2 (2008): 57-79. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20488129.
  • Neate, Patrick, Damian Platt, and Caetano Veloso. “Funk.” In Culture Is Our Weapon: AfroReggae in the Favelas of Rio, 48-55. London: Latin American Bureau, 2006. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1hj547c.11.
  • Halifu Osumare, Ph.D. “Keeping It Real: Race, Class, and Youth Connections Through Hip-Hop in the U.S. & Brazil.” Humboldt Journal of Social Relations 37 (2015): 6-18. http://www.jstor.org/stable/humjsocrel.37.6.