A patchwork way to democracy: Brazil’s struggles to remember its past and the role of arts to create an anti-authoritarian culture

Abstract

Abstract: The aim of this thesis is to analyse Brazil’s long history with authoritarianism and investigate whether and to which extent the country succeeded to overcome the twenty one years under the military rule. A historical overview is provided in order to give visibility to a range of different elements that has impacted the country’s political environment and cultural identity. The investigation continues as we understand the intrinsic elements that composed the Brazilian authoritarian regime and the governmental initiatives towards the building of democratic values, the respect for human rights and the memorialisation of past atrocities. In the final chapter, the relevant role of civil society is assessed even though the nation is still battling with a culture of violence and social fragmentation. It leads to the elaboration of the contributions brought by arts and culture in the transitioning process and whether it is a valid mechanism or not to achieve reconciliation. Key words: Brazil, transitional justice, memory studies, latin american studies, arts and human rights