Os toreros em Belo Horizonte: construindo caminhos na contramão das ruas da cidade

Abstract

The toreros are a group of street-vendors found in Belo Horizonte which do not have documented licenses or any kind of formal permissions. They act tactically through the gaps of surveillance practices, between daily negotiations, “getaways” and conflicts. They are defined relationally as one of the main opponents of urban planning in Belo Horizonte. This paper aims to discuss the collectivity sense matters around these worker activities contemporaneously, in order to debate the effects of the labor “identity crisis” hypothesis, considering the transformations from their traditional forms. Then, I articulated the social identity sociological affair with the notion of collective memory, a concept that inspires to think through the senses of collectivity and belonging produced by social experiences. These experiences and perceptions are frequently overtaken by the “official history”, narratives normally elaborated by dominant groups, represented by the government, mass media groups etc. The data is a result of a qualitative research: documentary research, observation and semi structured interviews.