A tradição ressignificada: uma leitura da vida sociopolítica de Princesa Isabel-PB.

Abstract

This work is the result of a study wich took place in county of Princesa Isabel, located in the backlands of the state of Paraiba. Our main objetive was the investigation of the permanence of two families who have been taking turns in the local political power since the beginning of the century, adapting themselves to the political, economical and social changes that occurred in the recent history of the country, thus showing that traditional political practices can articulate with modern political tendencies, guaranteeing the existence of a certain cultural standard capable of facing the expansion of the capitalist society and the homogenization of its ideological structure. The theoretical basis of the dissertation revolves around the question of the of "personal relationships" - a concept that accommodate different variants, such as friendship, family, patronage and personal relationships. All these relationships, with their peculiarities, act in certain contexts, in a sense that make us see how established are the obligations or the rules that caracterize the political behaviour. With this work we want to demonstrate like, in a small town, the traditional political practices articulate with the modern ones, confirming thus that determined structures that are typical of the past still persevere historically, but acquiring new meaning in the process.