Barricadas e trincheiras de resistência: artesãos na Amazônia Paraense

Abstract

This research reflects on labor and capitalism in the Amazon, focusing on the social practices of artisans organized in an association that promotes the handicraft fair at Praça da República, in Belém do Pará, Brazil. Among the actions of the group studied, the research sought specific aspects of negotiation and confrontation processes within the context of the association and the fair—the two main structures created by these artisans. The investigation analyzes the location where the fair takes place, highlighting the associated artisans while also observing other users of the square. The study offers reflections on the virtues, needs, conflicts, and harmonies within the group of artisans who organize the fair, which takes place every Sunday. Furthermore, the research presents the physical composition of the square, providing both a geographical and historical contextualization, and explores the dynamics of associative life as well as the context of the fair as a space of exhibition.