Representações de ciganos calons no sertão do seridó/RN: alteridades e marcadores sociais da diferença

Abstract

The present study intends to analyze how the gypsies were and still are represented in the local society of Seridó in Rio Grande do Norte. We know, initially, that Gypsies carry with them a series of stigmas and stereotypes through which barriers of distance between Gypsies and non-Gypsies are built. How representations are constructed through power relations, and how gypsies historically were and are marginalized subjects; representations constructed by the “other” have always been attributed to them, that is, those who delimit and attribute representation to gypsies are those who are not part of gypsy culture. For this reason, little is known about the markers of differences constructed by the gypsies themselves. After all: how do gypsies represent themselves or at least would they like to be represented? In this sense, the research aims to understand the political-symbolic construction of identities and alterities in the relations between gypsies and non-gypsies in the backwoods of Seridó/RN (region in the countryside of Rio Grande do Norte State). Thus, it intends to contribute to studies about the perspective of gypsies themselves in relation to their identities and alterities and, in this case, the purpose is to elucidate narratives from the perspective of decoloniality, that is, with a focus on gypsies as conscious historical protagonists. Given the scarcity of references about gypsies in this region, the research sources will come from various sources; such as: criminal proceedings, cordel literature, newspapers and books written by gypsy authors. The methodology was based on qualitative research using content analysis approaches and the documents and sources were read from the perspective of the evidential paradigm (Ginzburg). The research was developed based on the New Cultural History and will have as main theorists; Chartier, 2002 (representations), Hall, 2006 (identities), Mignolo, 2017 (coloniality of power), Lugones, 2014 (decolonialities) among others; and the concepts that will be intertwined with the narratives will be those of representations, identities, cultures, stereotypes, stigmas and Brazilian backwoods.