Memória social e referências culturais: um estudo etnográfico sobre a produção de artesanato em barro em Santana do São Francisco, Sergipe

Abstract

The main objective of this master’s dissertation is to analyse, from na anthropological perspective, the production of craftworks in the city of Santana do São Francisco, located in the state of Sergipe, Brazil. It encompasses a reflection on the processes used by different social actors in the construction of social memories related to the production of clay artworks in the city; the means through which the social memory of the city’s craftwork production allow for the reflection on the development of local cultural references; and the different meanings given to clay objects while circulating between different spheres of values, for example, as goods, or handicraft and art objects. To reach the proposed goals, a qualitative methodology of ethnographical nature was used, based on primary and secondary data collection. Hopefully, this dissertation will provide contributions to consolidated discussions in the fields of Social Memory, Cultural Heritage and Ethnographic Material, while offering a basis to help artisans to have their know-how recognised, in the future, as cultural heritage of the city of Santana do São Francisco.