Epistolary Dialogues and Construction of a "Field"

the writing of folklore in Goiás in institutional correspondence (1948/1978)

Abstract

The folklore institutionalization movement in Brazil began with the Folklore National Commission, established in 1947. In the following years, this movement developed through various regional committees responsible for creating a large national network of folklorists, which, inspired by the ideals of the mission, promoted events, surveys and research on folklore, whilst writing several texts on the cultural life of the Brazilian states. This paper examines the work and activities of the Goiana Folklore Commission that was established in 1948. In addition to this an analysis is provided of the epistolary correspondence exchanged between secretaries of the regional commission and of the national commission, whilst trying to understand the processes of folklore construction as an “intellectual field”, through the subjectivity of their authors. The relationship of this movement with the cultural policies from the year 1940 to 1980 are also examined, at a time when it was considered that people, their practices and traditions should be protected and rescued in order to form a national identity.