Capoeira: da marginalização à reafirmação identitária

Abstract

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian cultural expression that mixes game, dance and fight. Currently, it has considerable importance, as for its cultural and historical value as for its educational value. Thus, it is understood that Capoeira is important in the life of any human being, because it provides an increase of knowledge, allows human approximation through its cultural practice, and brings benefits to the body and mind for their practitioners. From these principles, it was elaborated this paper with the aim of studying Capoeira as an Afro-Brazilian culture, examining its history from of slavery time in Brazil until nowadays, showing its importance and its value to the society as one of its cultural representations. To make this paper, it was done a research about the origin and historical context of Capoeira, the process of its marginalization, its contribution to a construction of an identity, its importance in the school environment, and its role as a social inclusion way and some aspects of oral tradition present in it. Finally, it will be shown the results obtained after the implementation of a project about the inclusion of Capoeira in a school. Therefore, it is possible to valorize and keep alive this cultural practice and stop any kind of discrimination and prejudice against Capoeira and other activities of African origin.