Encantos e desencantos das cidades: sensibilidades e sociabilidades em Sousa - PB (1922-1960).

Abstract

The main aim of that research was to understand how some signs of modemity were received in Sousa, a small city in Paraíba State, and how, in the limit of three decades (1922- 1950), they were desired and experienced by different social groups in that city, observing the formation of sensitivities and sociability. Based on the Chartier and Pesavento’s concepts about representation and sensitivities, we are considering the modem in Sousa from Benjamin’s perspective relatedto the coexistence of archaic and modem in that urban space. In order, to contextualize the modemization in the urban world, we have done a dialogue with the modemizing experiences, occurred in big cities, and some small towns. Like many other cities, Sousa also was dreamed, desired, conceived, planned, rationalized and practiced by different social actors who, in tum, represented several cities. Anchored in Michel de Certeau thoughts, who defends the idea of the invention of the everyday life, we inquire the several past of Sousa city that form the urban world constituted not only of elites, but it also adds a whole group of poor men and women, who also wanted a town . In our route of research, we find numerous traces and ffagments of different Sousa city that pointing to the civility and progress representation in its urban transformations, while some traditions keep on existing. We also considered important the different narratives about the city made by several looks.