Bodies, Beliefs, and Belonging: Exploring Agency and Resistance in 20th-Century Brazil

This panel explores the complex motivations of agency and resistance of individuals and groups in 20th-century Brazil. Focusing on the period between the 1920s and 1950s, it examines the intersections of class, gender, personal beliefs, public policies, meanings of conservatism and progressiveness in a time of rapid modernization. While cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro underwent dramatic industrial and demographic growth, inhabitants grappled with shifting social hierarchies. This resulted in evolving gender roles, contested ideas of national identity, and the dynamic influence of religious belief.