As vidas de Sócrates brasileiro: memórias corintianas

Abstract

This monograph explores the construction of memory around Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira, highlighting his role in "Democracia Corintiana" (Corinthians Democracy). The study covers records of his life from 1954, until his death in 2011, examining biographies, testimonies and photographs that portray him in this context.Seeking to analyze the intersection between the figure of Sócrates and the movement, three biographies of the former player are analyzed: “Sócrates: A história e as histórias do jogador de futebol mais original do futebol brasileiro”, by Tom Cardoso; “Sócrates & Casagrande: uma história de amor”, by Gilvan Ribeiro and Walter Casagrande;and“DoutorSócrates”,by Andrew Downie.. A historical analysis of the selected authors and works was proposed, in order to understand who they are, the reasons that led them to write a biography of Socrates. Considering the collective nature of “Democracia Corintiana”, the focus is on the analysis of the specific role played by Sócrates in the struggles for democracy in Brazil, especially in the final years of the Brazilian military dictatorship (1964-1985). This study aims above all to understand how his memoryis (re)constructed in the distinction between his participation and the other participants in the event, using posthumous biographies as the main source of investigation. To this end, biography is considered as a source and a significant genre for historical studies, investigating its role in the construction of social memory. Finally, we highlight the relevance of the work by noting the lack of academic History works on the topic,both those that address football and“Democracia Corintiana”.