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Full text release has been delayed at the author's request until August 04, 2029

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Zoololgicos humanos en el Brasil decimononico. Botocudos y la construcción de la nacion brasilena moderna

Baldemira, Julian Marcel
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1720892328503396

Abstract Details

2024, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Spanish and Portuguese.
This dissertation examines the exhibition of the Brazilian ethnic group known as the Botocudos at international fairs during the 19th century. It explores a complex interplay of historical practices and the ideological underpinnings of nation-building in Brazil. This study delves into the continuity of a millennia-long human tradition of displaying humans in spectacles, which by the 19th century had evolved into a mechanism for reinforcing and recirculating discourses of cannibalism and exoticism. These exhibitions were not merely entertainment; they were deeply embedded in the socio-political context of Brazil's ambition to mold itself as a modern nation-state, mirroring European paradigms. My argument is that the Brazilian ruling elites, who were significantly Europeanized, sought to construct a national identity that aligned with European nation-state standards. In this process, indigenous groups such as the Botocudos were portrayed through dehumanizing events and discourses as the “other”—an enemy within, which justified their marginalization and eradication under the guise of national progress. This portrayal served dual purposes: it reinforced the perceived barbarity of the indigenous populations to Brazilian and international audiences, thus legitimating the social and political exclusion and physical displacement of these groups, while also promoting the image of Brazil as an exotic land ripe for economic exploitation and cultural curiosity in the eyes of the Western world. By analyzing primary and secondary sources, including archival materials, newspaper articles from the period, and scholarly works on ethnographic exhibitions, this research highlights the role of these exhibitions in shaping both domestic policies and international perceptions of Brazil. The study provides a critical examination of how the Brazilian elites utilized these human zoos as tools for political and cultural propaganda, contributing to a national narrative that prioritized modernization at the expense of its indigenous peoples. Furthermore, this dissertation situates the Brazilian case within the broader context of colonialism and modernity, drawing parallels with other instances globally where the exhibition of indigenous peoples went hand in hand with efforts at state-building and colonial expansion. This comparative approach not only underscores the global dimensions of such practices but also illuminates the specificities of the Brazilian experience in the use of ethnographic human displays as a strategy for nation-building. My dissertation offers a nuanced understanding of how the spectacle of the Botocudos at international fairs was instrumental in the construction of a modern Brazilian state.
Ulises Juan Zevallos-Aguilar (Advisor)
199 p.
Comparative Literature; Hispanic American Studies
Indigenous Peoples Brazil Colonialism

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Baldemira, J. M. (2024). Zoololgicos humanos en el Brasil decimononico. Botocudos y la construcción de la nacion brasilena moderna [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1720892328503396

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Baldemira, Julian. Zoololgicos humanos en el Brasil decimononico. Botocudos y la construcción de la nacion brasilena moderna. 2024. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1720892328503396.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Baldemira, Julian. " Zoololgicos humanos en el Brasil decimononico. Botocudos y la construcción de la nacion brasilena moderna." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1720892328503396

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.