BETWEEN PARTIES AND SOCIAL BOUNDARIES: MEMORY AND SOCIABILITY AT THE MORADA NOVA RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL ASSOCIATION

Abstract

This article analyzes the trajectory of the Associação Recreativa e Cultural de Morada Nova (Recreational and Cultural Association of Morada Nova) in Ceará between the 1950s and the 1980s, viewing it as a significant space for sociability, leisure, and social distinction. Drawing on an analysis of statutes, meeting minutes, oral history interviews, and specialized literature, the study investigates the role the Association played in shaping cultural practices and organizing the municipality's social life. The findings reveal that the club transcended its recreational function, serving as a venue for legitimizing the prestige of local elites through membership selection mechanisms, codes of conduct, and criteria for social belonging. Furthermore, the article discusses women's participation in the institution, highlighting the gender relations and moral standards that restricted women's presence in decision-making spaces and regulated access to events hosted by the Association. By addressing the transformations that occurred throughout its history, the article contributes to an understanding of the formation of urban culture in Morada Nova and the interplay between leisure, power, memory, and social exclusion.