HANDMADE TERRITORY: CRAFTS AS IDENTITY EXPRESSION IN REMAINING QUILOMBOLA COMMUNITIES

Abstract

In the contemporary globalized world, the valorization of territorial specificities has become fundamental for the affirmation of social groups in the face of alterity. When we consider craftsmanship as the result of a productive activity that combines manual dexterity with creativity and often spans generations, artisanal know-how can be representative of an identity expression linked to the territory of origin. The Remaining Quilombola Communities have strong cultural identification, which is often not translated to consumers.In this scenario, this article discusses the potentialities of the activation of handicrafts as an expression of territorial identity in two Quilombola Communities in the Centro Serra territory, Rio Grande do Sul state: Júlio Borges (Salto do Jacuí) and Linha Fão (Arroio do Tigre). From the methodological point of view, it is an action research, having the case study as a procedure and recurrence to participant observation and open interviews as research procedures. Finally, we emphasize the importance of deepening the reflection on identity craftsmanship, bringing visibility to knowledge and practices that have been receiving renewed attention in the contemporary context of expressive appreciation for the consumption of cultural goods.