This thesis provides an overview of the policies implemented concerning indigenous rights since the formulation of the Brazilian National Constitution in 1988 until the recent return of the neo...Show moreThis thesis provides an overview of the policies implemented concerning indigenous rights since the formulation of the Brazilian National Constitution in 1988 until the recent return of the neo-conservative movement under pro-dictatorship authoritarian candidate Jair Bolsonaro. Brazil has been described as an emerging economy at the global level. However, its economic prioritization goals are linked with the intense extraction of natural resources and the expansion of infrastructure, agriculture, and illegal activities in the Amazon region, including indigenous territories. This paper seeks to illustrate the limits of such economic expansionism which threatens indigenous communities and their rights. Since Bolsonaro’s rise to power in 2019, the privileging of the agribusiness sector and military is endangering indigenous communities through dismantling of state institutions, implementation of public policies, and use of dehumanizing reminiscent of the colonial era.Show less
Casa do Fernandez or Ilojo Bar was a National Monument in the heart of Lagos Island, Nigeria. It was built by the returnees who came back from Brazil to Africa, the homeland that the Transatlantic...Show moreCasa do Fernandez or Ilojo Bar was a National Monument in the heart of Lagos Island, Nigeria. It was built by the returnees who came back from Brazil to Africa, the homeland that the Transatlantic Slave Trade had taken their forefathers away from. Although it was a National Monument and should have been protected under Nigerian heritage law, it was illegally demolished on 11 September 2016. How could this prime example of Brazilian-style architecture have been destroyed in broad daylight? This thesis uses Casa do Fernandez as a case study to explore the challenges of preserving built heritage in Nigeria. In the process, it tries to figure out why there is so little knowledge about the history of a building declared a National Monument over sixty years ago. The story of the monument turns out to be different than always assumed. After researching the building’s history, the focus is turned to heritage: the way the present interacts with the past. Could the way Casa do Fernandez has been defined as heritage have something to do with its sad end? The thesis argues that the rigid definition of Casa do Fernandez as strictly Afro-Brazilian heritage detached the site of its cultural meaning to other groups in society and sowed the seeds of the eventual demise of the National Monument. It is a plea for a wider and more inclusive interpretation of this heritage-site in particular and of heritage in general.Show less
With ever-increasing numbers of migration, an effective integration for refugees becomes more important every day. Abraço Cultural is a Brazilian NGO that aims to employ refugees and train them to...Show moreWith ever-increasing numbers of migration, an effective integration for refugees becomes more important every day. Abraço Cultural is a Brazilian NGO that aims to employ refugees and train them to be language teachers for their native language, whilst also teaching students about their home country's culture. This thesis investigates the effectiveness of Abraço Cultural's aid in integration by analyzing interviews held with refugees in their employment. It aims to measure Abraço Cultural's success rate by comparing it to domains for integration as laid out in a theoretical framework by Ager and Strang (2008).Show less
Cultural representation through the use of artefacts is a challenging but vital role of any ethnographic collection. It is therefore important for ethnographic collections to consider the kinds of...Show moreCultural representation through the use of artefacts is a challenging but vital role of any ethnographic collection. It is therefore important for ethnographic collections to consider the kinds of narratives and knowledge which is created through the exhibition of artefacts. In order to understand the past and present patterns of a collection’s display, a comprehensive study of its exhibition history must first be mapped out. Such information is useful for curators to understand how their collections have been used in the past, how they are used presently and how they may improve their use for the future. This research paper does such a study, by looking at the exhibition history of the Weltmuseum Wien’s Brazilian collection. By compiling data from past exhibitions, the frequency of display for each accessioned object has been identified. The data was gathered using the museum’s database, archival loan contracts as well as past exhibition catalogues. Analysis of this data set was conducted in order to discuss the implications and findings. Particular interest is paid to the most exhibited objects in the collection and the consequences pertaining to their frequent display. Curatorial practices and the creation of narratives in the museum context are discussed. In order to contextualize this research, the history of loaning and curatorial practices are generally considered as well as in relation to the Weltmuseum in particular. The museum’s origins, the creation of the collection and the key collectors involved are described. This information offers the reader a better understanding of the types of objects in the collection and their background. The findings of this research are positioned in relation to the greater debates surrounding curatorial and exhibition practices in the field. Themes concerning stakeholders, indigenous communities and museum ethics are included throughout the paper. This research also contributes to the academic and curatorial management work currently underway at the museum. By combining the three data sources (database, loan records, exhibition catalogues), the comprehensive list which was created in this study will directly benefit the museum and their records.Show less
This thesis discusses the effects of Tropicália music on its listener in the context of the military dictatorship in Brazil. The research begins with the analysis of existing literature on music...Show moreThis thesis discusses the effects of Tropicália music on its listener in the context of the military dictatorship in Brazil. The research begins with the analysis of existing literature on music produced by the Tropicália movement, followed by an in-depth discourse analysis of the lyrics of two selected Tropicália songs. The aim is to expose the functions that the music fulfilled at the time it was first published. The thesis then introduces alternative views on the music of the movement that have largely remained unexplored so far.Show less
O presente trabalho trata do tema feminismo negro no Brasil e compara a obra de uma artista literária e de uma artista visual utilizando o conceito ‘lugar de fala’ da intelectual, ativista e...Show moreO presente trabalho trata do tema feminismo negro no Brasil e compara a obra de uma artista literária e de uma artista visual utilizando o conceito ‘lugar de fala’ da intelectual, ativista e escritora Djamila Ribeiro (1980, Santos). Apesar de avanços significativos no ativismo afro-brasileiro e feminista, a questão do lugar social da mulher afro-brasileira fica sendo um ponto atual e pertinente. Conceição Evaristo, escritora afro-brasileira, e Rosana Paulino, artista brasileira contemporânea, conseguiram uma visibilidade, inclusive internacional, usando um discurso feminista negro, apesar de viverem numa sociedade extremamente autoritária, racista e patriarcal. Para estudar o ativismo artístico que ambas produzem, a presente pesquisa se enfoca na obra literária Poemas da recordação e outros movimentos (2008) e na exposição A costura da memória (2018). Ambas obras, de maneira crítica, questionam o lugar da mulher negra na sociedade brasileira. Conceição Evaristo é conhecida pelas publicações em Cadernos Negros e da escrevivência. Rosana Paulino é artista visual e se enfoca nas questões sociais, étnicas e de gênero (Paulino). O estudo de caso é original, pois, acrescenta ao debate o uso do conceito lugar de fala, proposto por Djamila Ribeiro. Além disso, o estudo é altamente atual: a situação política no Brasil exige a importância de entender essas vozes. Portanto, o objetivo desse estudo é analisar como ambas artistas através do uso do conceito da memória se apropriam de um ‘lugar de fala’ para o sujeito feminino negro e criticamente questionam estruturas de poder existentes.Show less
This paper argues that Bolsonaro’s communication campaign in the 2018 Brazilian presidential election, notably through disinformation in WhatsApp may explain his victory. It relates his campaign to...Show moreThis paper argues that Bolsonaro’s communication campaign in the 2018 Brazilian presidential election, notably through disinformation in WhatsApp may explain his victory. It relates his campaign to post-truth politics and disinformation, and populist communication. It draws on agenda-setting effect theory in order to assess the effect of his campaign on the media (traditional and social media) and on voting intentions. The main findings are that (i Bolsonaro managed to influence the media agenda through WhatsApp and (ii this in turn influenced the public agenda and the electorate in his favour. Account must be taken of important technical limitations relating to access to sources and range of media examined.Show less
As migration increases in the world, many countries struggle to address it. Some governments have taken on a necropolitical stance on the matter, meaning that they have deliberately failed to help...Show moreAs migration increases in the world, many countries struggle to address it. Some governments have taken on a necropolitical stance on the matter, meaning that they have deliberately failed to help migrants and asylum seekers in their territories, effectively abandoning them to die. As migration trends also increase in Brazil, the current administration of Jair Bolsonaro could be following in the same path as those governments. This thesis will analyze the presence of necropolitics in Bolsonaro’s discourse, arguing that he uses language to justify the ‘letting die’ of immigrants.Show less
This thesis took around four months to get completed. During this time, over 13,000 people were murdered in Brazil – more than the total of Syrian War victims in 2019 (Globo 2019; SOHR 2020). But...Show moreThis thesis took around four months to get completed. During this time, over 13,000 people were murdered in Brazil – more than the total of Syrian War victims in 2019 (Globo 2019; SOHR 2020). But comparing tragedies is not this work’s purpose. Instead, the aim is to contribute to the understanding of the complexity of violence and security in the state of São Paulo, the most populated federal unit of Brazil. The violence has become so dire in the whole country that major media, as well as international organizations, started calling it an epidemic (World Bank 2018; Boechat 2018). To understand how the epidemic works, public security is approached with the perspective of perception of safety, which is argued to be underrated in the Brazilian context. The first chapter offers an overview of the current academic debate, with public security and perception of safety being the guiding concepts. The second part has a rather political point of view. Public policies in the field of security are analyzed, with an emphasis on the paradigms that guided legislative decisions. That is also how the chapter with the case study begins. The effectivity and consequences of individual decisions are questioned. Next, the perspective shifts from political to social, challenging the way security and violence are put in numbers and arguing that homicide is overestimated as an indicator. Additionally, the reliability of how crime data are collected and published is assessed. For there is a vigorous debate about what made homicide rates drop so much in São Paulo, but very little effort has been made to question the data on which this debate is based. Since the fall is confirmed, the factors that could explain the consistent drop in killings in the state since the turn of the century are analyzed. Then, the link – or better, its absence – between homicide rates and perception of security is examined. Despite a considerable murder reduction, São Paulo is still far from not being regarded as dangerous by its people. Therefore, public security elements that deserve greater heed are outlined. Finally, the conclusion zooms out from the case study and places it in a wider perspective.Show less
This thesis provides a clear comparison of indigenous politics carried out by Jair Bolsonaro and Evo Morales. Their distinct politics in compared through analysis of their discourses, policies and...Show moreThis thesis provides a clear comparison of indigenous politics carried out by Jair Bolsonaro and Evo Morales. Their distinct politics in compared through analysis of their discourses, policies and the effects their policies had. This resulted in striking differences and commonalities among the two.Show less
This thesis will research the process of the granting of the construction license for the Belo Monte dam. It will focus on how the Brazilian government and the building consortium NESA have been...Show moreThis thesis will research the process of the granting of the construction license for the Belo Monte dam. It will focus on how the Brazilian government and the building consortium NESA have been able to obtain this grant after the violations of human rights of the indigenous peoples affected by the dam, the prospect of serious degradation of the biodiversity of the region and the displacement of many locals living in the Xingu river basin area. This thesis will therefore try to pose an answer to the question: “How has the Brazilian government been able to obtain the construction license for the Belo Monte dam despite large domestic and transnational opposition and the violation of human rights and environmental norms?” To answer the question the five-stage spiral model of Risse and Sikkink is used and applied on the case of the Belo Monte dam.Show less
We are living in the 21st century, a century that is witnessing huge leaps forward in technological innovation, systemic complexity, as well as in societal and environmental challenges which...Show moreWe are living in the 21st century, a century that is witnessing huge leaps forward in technological innovation, systemic complexity, as well as in societal and environmental challenges which continuously confront our identities. Indigenous communities have been especially susceptible to such external pressures, arguably reinforcing their distinct vulnerability levels. Historical marginalization and disempowering processes have not rarely threatened the biological and cultural existence of indigenous groups, which includes ancient cultural forms of identification. In an attempt to unravel Yawanawá-specific intergroup dynamics in threat situations, the thesis at hand seeks to contribute to the study of indigenous survival strategies by employing an innovative approach. This approach draws on psycho-social theories (notably Collective Angst Theory) in order to better understand the responses of the indigenous Yawanawá group to realistic and symbolic challenges affecting biological and cultural group vitality.Show less
