Culture, Politics and Identity: active appropriation of language on formation of new subjects of change

Abstract

This paper seeks, in the narrative of an NGO acting in state of Pernambuco’s (Brazil) rural zone, a dialogue between culture and politics, discussing the way how the identification that establishes cultural segments transforms itself into a proactive action field in which new subjects of change emerge. The “cultural” aspect gains political strength whenever cultural formation contradicts political or economic logic that try to re-functionalize it for means of exploitation or domination. Cultural elements, that alone do not have necessary political connotations, are articulated in alternative discourse, in opposition to a dominant repressive structure. The relation between identity and localism is then re-articulated towards social change, and the emphasis of action is defined according to matters of global relevance.