Mística, myself and I: Beyond cultural politics in Brazil’s Landless Workers’ Movement

Abstract

How do grassroots social movements respond to shifting perceptions within their bases on key issues? This article centres its analysis on the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST -Landless Rural Workers' Movement) and instances of the movement's cultural activity, in particular, mística. It is recognised that the MST's cultural activity reflects a deep engagement with cultural politics, and further, that the movement's culture sector contributes directly to the delineation and formation of the 'landless' identity. However, from an ethnographic perspective and privileging the experiences of the members of the movement, this article goes beyond cultural politics to suggest that shifting notions of individualism, in the context of the movement's cultural activity, are having an impact on MST artistic expression and members' daily lives. The article argues that from within the bases of the movement, there has been a shift from what can be termed a receptive individualism, where members internalise cultural activity, to an expressive individualism, where members actively seek to shape the movement's cultural programmes. Members speak of a lack of visceral energy that the culture sector's activities used to possess, which provides the impetus for the article's concluding remarks on how social movements respond to transformation more widely. AberturaSanta Catarina, the south of Brazil. We wake up at six am to a breakfast of freshly baked bread, homemade jam and hot instant coffee, but shortly breakfast is over,

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“…Unlike the MST, these movements have supposedly gone beyond the 'perceived need for "unity as sameness"' (Maeckelbergh 2009: 18) that the MST is prone to seeking through its strong collective identity (Flynn 2013) and Polletta (2002) has commented on the subtlety inherent to these movements' decision making processes, a subtlety that is perhaps not the case within the MST as plans for rural industrialisation may indicate. But can movements like Occupy and the Alterglobalization movement really be productively set alongside a more traditional social movement like the MST?…”

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“…Symbols are integral because they 'materialize the abstract and acquire various meanings and connotations' (Issa, 2007: 133). Mística incorporates banners, flags, signs and costumes and can be used during marches, protests, and occupations (Flynn, 2013). The basic guidelines are that mística should be brief, simple, solemn, and rehearsed (Issa, 2007), but as we see with the CIW's use, these guidelines are not strictly adhered to.…”

“…It can be 'beautiful' and 'moving' and appeal to feelings of love, as authors like Flynn (2013) and Issa (2007) have described with Brazil's Landless Worker's Movement -the movement most well-known for employing mística theater. However, the CIW often incorporates caricaturized imagery, emphatic movements and expressions that convey a more satirical and humorous story, often invoking laughter from the audience.…”