Presenter: Niria Garcia
Mentors: Lynn Stephens and Ana Lara, Anthropology
Oral Presentation
Majors: Environmental Studies and Latin American Studies
There’s much work that goes into the formation, maintenance, and continuance of a movement. Many narratives of those involved in the movements however, don’t appear in the pages of history and remain dormant waiting to be uncovered. This is a brief ethnographic account that explores the crucial role Afro-Brazilian women have played in the struggle for permanence and improvement of the historically marginalized community of Calabar in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil[L1] . I focus specifically on the ways in which the social resources women control such as kin networks and the urban material resources such as land and markets women dominate have been crucial in their ability to hold their ground, organize others, and create improvements in their community. In addition, I explore how the specific gender roles women occupy in relation to kin networks, land, and markets have been leveraged by women strategically in their organizing efforts. My analysis will be based on a series of interviews I conducted with six women and secondary sources. After I analyze their ability to organize successfully and why, I will discuss the ways in which the coming of the World Cup competition to Brazil has influenced/impacted their continuing struggle for land titles, internal social and urban improvements. Along with my findings it is made clear that a significant dimension of their organizing success, personal transformation and empowerment has been through dignifying and making visible the history and contemporary contributions of Afro-Brazilians.