REVISITING TO UNDERSTAND: EMOTIONS AND IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION PROCESSES OF YOUNG QUILOMBOLA PEOPLE 16 YEARS LATER

Abstract

This article revisits a master’s thesis defended 16 years ago, aiming to analyze, from the perspective of the sociology of emotions, the affective dimension present in the narratives of subjects from a quilombola community in the southern region of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. The original research, qualitative in nature, was based on interviews with young people and local leaders, addressing themes such as family, territory, culture, and community participation. In this study, a reinterpretation of these interviews is proposed, seeking to identify emotions that permeate the narratives, such as shame, pride, belonging, and fear, especially regarding cultural practices such as jongo and the construction of quilombola identity. Methodologically, an interpretative analysis inspired by content analysis (Bardin, 1979) is carried out, articulated with a reflexive perspective on the researcher’s position in the knowledge production process. The results show that emotions play a central role in the constitution of social experiences and in the re-signification of cultural practices, being fundamental to understanding identity affirmation processes. The temporal distance allowed for an expansion of the analytical perspective, revealing dimensions that were not addressed in the original research.