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Haunted Heartland

Name: Haunted Heartland
Price: 16.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: Norman, Michael
ISBN: 9780299315146

✍️ Norman, Michael

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4.5

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

This book, 'Haunted Heartland,' delves into the profound, enduring legacy of racial inequality in Brazil from the late 19th through the late 20th century. Author Michael Norman, drawing from George Reid Andrews's research, meticulously uncovers how Brazil's claim of 'racial democracy' was systematically undermined by widespread discrimination. Focusing on key societal shifts in São Paulo, this work reveals the persistent challenges faced by Afro-Brazilians, despite the absence of formal segregation laws. It's a critical examination of how past injustices continue to shape the nation's present.

Norman, Michael

📚 all books by this author (4) →

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Folk Magic

Praise for this book

“An intriguing, engaging collection that is a real pleasure to read. This edition combines old favorites with new discoveries of strange tales. The author's extensive research into Midwestern ghost story traditions makes this well-loved book a valuable resource for folklorists.”

— Elizabeth Tucker

🏛 University of Wisconsin Press 📅 1991 📖 352 pages 📔 Paperback 📐 Paperback ISBN: 9780299315146

Fun Fact

'Haunted Heartland,' while deceptively titled, is a vital, meticulously researched exposé of racial inequality in Brazil. Michael Norman, drawing from robust data, offers a compelling counter-narrative to the 'racial democracy' myth. It excels in revealing the subtle, systemic mechanisms of discrimination. Readers expecting supernatural tales will be disappointed, but those seeking rigorous social history and a deep dive into post-abolition Brazilian society will find this an indispensable and enlightening, if unsettling, read.

📝 Description: Haunted Heartland

For much of the twentieth century Brazil enjoyed an international reputation as a racial democracy, but that image has been largely undermined in recent decades by research suggesting the existence of widespread racial inequality. George Reid Andrews provides the first thoroughly documented history of Brazilian racial inequality from the abolition of slavery in 1888 up to the late 1980s, showing how economic, social, and political changes in Brazil during the last one hundred years have shaped race relations. No laws of segregation or apartheid exist in Brazil, but by looking carefully at government policies, data on employment, mainstream and Afro-Brazilian newspapers, and a variety of other sources, Andrews traces pervasive discrimination against Afro-Brazilians over time. He draws his evidence from the country s largest and most economically important state, Sao Paulo, showing how race relations were affected by its transformation from a plantation-based economy to South America s most urban, industrialized society. The book focuses first on Afro-Brazilians' entry into the agricultural and urban working class after the abolition of slavery. This transition, Andrews argues, was seriously hampered by state policies giving the many European immigrants of the period preference over black workers. As immigration declined and these policies were overturned in the late 1920s, black laborers began to be employed in agriculture and industry on nearly equal terms with whites. Andrews then surveys efforts of blacks to move into the middle class during the 1900s. He finds that informal racial solidarity among middle-class whites has tended to exclude Afro-Brazilians from the professions and other white-collar jobs. Andrews traces how discrimination throughout the century led Afro-Brazilians to mobilize, first through the antislavery movement of the 1880s, then through such social and political organizations of the 1920s and 1930s as the Brazilian Black Front, and finally through the anti-racism movements of the 1970s and 1980s. These recent movements have provoked much debate among Brazilians over their national image as a racial democracy. It remains to be seen, Andrews concludes, whether that debate will result in increased opportunities for black Brazilians. Winner of the 1993 Arthur P. Whitaker Prize"

📑 What's inside

Preface to the Second Edition
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💎 Expert review

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💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

This text is a dense academic examination that may not suit casual readers seeking light entertainment or broad generalizations. It requires patience for detailed sociological analysis and specific historical focus on São Paulo rather than a pan-Brazilian overview. Readers expecting a narrative-driven history or personal anecdotes might find the tone too dry and analytical. However, for those committed to understanding the structural underpinnings of racial inequality, it is an indispensable resource that rigorously challenges comforting national myths with hard evidence.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers deeply interested in the nuanced mechanics of systemic racism and the construction of national narratives will find immense value here. This book is essential for those seeking to understand how ideological frameworks like 'racial democracy' can obscure profound social inequalities. It offers a rigorous, evidence-based look at how historical injustices in São Paulo continue to resonate today. By dismantling the myth of seamless integration, it provides crucial context for contemporary discussions on race and equity in Brazil. Scholars, activists, and informed citizens concerned with post-colonial studies or Latin American history will gain a clearer, more honest perspective on the enduring legacy of discrimination.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5

★★★★★

For those drawn to the deep, unsettling truths of societal injustice, or anyone seeking to understand how historical wounds linger. If you're fascinated by complex social histories and the hidden forces that shape national identity, this exploration of Brazil's haunted past is essential reading for…

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

This text is a dense academic examination that may not suit casual readers seeking light entertainment or broad generalizations. It requires patience for detailed sociological analysis and specific historical focus on São Paulo rather than a pan-Brazilian overview. Readers expecting a narrative-driven history or personal anecdotes might find the tone too dry and analytical. However, for those committed to understanding the structural underpinnings of racial inequality, it is an indispensable resource that rigorously challenges comforting national myths with hard evidence.

❓ Frequently asked questions

While the title might suggest supernatural elements, 'Haunted Heartland' metaphorically explores the persistent, spectral presence of historical racial inequality in Brazil. It's a social science inquiry, not a paranormal one.

São Paulo is a primary, in-depth case study due to its economic significance, but the book's findings illuminate broader patterns of racial disparity across Brazil, providing a national overview through this regional lens.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Brazilian Racial Democracy Myth

This study meticulously dismantles the long-held perception of Brazil as a harmonious 'racial democracy.' It exposes how, beneath the surface of social acceptance, pervasive economic and social disparities continued to plague Afro-Brazilians, revealing a complex history of systemic discrimination that belied the nation's public image.

Post-Slavery Racial Dynamics

Examine the intricate evolution of race relations in Brazil following the 1888 abolition of slavery. The book traces the entry of Afro-Brazilians into agricultural and urban labor, analyzing how economic transformations and governmental policies shaped their social standing and opportunities over a century.

São Paulo's Transformation

Discover how Brazil's most industrialized state, São Paulo, serves as a crucial case study for understanding national racial dynamics. From its roots as a plantation economy to its emergence as a metropolitan hub, the book highlights how these profound shifts impacted the lives and experiences of its Afro-Brazilian population.

📜 Historical context

This work stands within a tradition of critical historical inquiry that scrutinizes national narratives of progress against the lived realities of marginalized communities. It challenges established views on post-colonial societies, echoing the scholarship that unearths systemic discrimination often masked by official rhetoric, thus contributing to a broader understanding of global racial dynamics.

📚 Glossary

Racial Democracy
Abolition of Slavery (1888)
Afro-Brazilians

📔 Questions to reflect on

How might the concept of a 'haunted heartland' apply to other nations grappling with historical injustices and their lasting impact?
Considering Brazil's experience, what are some subtle, non-legislated forms of discrimination that might persist in societies today?
How does historical research like this challenge or reinforce your understanding of national identity and claims of social harmony?