/ Vinicio Altmann
Cultivating Citizenship through Cultural Terrains: A Study of the NEOJIBA Project’s Complementary Registers of Emancipation in Bahia, Brazil
Vinicio Altmann | Master Thesis , 2023
This master's thesis explores the concept of citizenship beyond its conventional legal boundaries, delving into its spatial and cultural construction within urban settings. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of southern urban theorists such as James Holston and Teresa Caldeira, the study emphasizes the role of everyday practices and ideas of urban agency in shaping citizenship. At the heart of this inquiry is an in-depth examination of NEOJIBA, a socio-pedagogical and musical training initiative in Bahia, Brazil, which serves as a case study for understanding the impact of cultural activities and a pedagogy attuned to territorial contexts on fostering 'active citizenship.' The thesis argues that active citizenship, as conceptualized by scholars including Milton Santos, Paulo Freire, and Boaventura de Sousa Santos, constitutes an emancipatory process that nurtures a lasting commitment among learners to engage with and improve their urban environments. Central to this analysis is the introduction of the concept of "fixo," which underscores the significance of integrating physical infrastructure, social services, and material support with a socio-territorially situated cultural education to foster urban agency. Through detailed narratives of NEOJIBA members and an examination of the program's pedagogical and operational structures, the thesis reveals how these components act as complementary registers of emancipation.