BETWEEN RESISTANCES AND CONTINUITIES: COLONIALITY, CULTURE, AND SOCIAL CONFLICTS IN THE HISTORICAL FORMATION OF BRAZIL

Abstract

This study aims to analyze, from a long-duration perspective, how different forms of resistance — Indigenous, African, popular, and labor — became structuring elements of Brazil’s historical formation. By articulating coloniality, economic exploitation, racial violence, and regional inequalities, the research discusses the persistence of domination practices established during the colonial period, which continue to operate in the present, shaping conflicts, identities, and struggles for rights. Drawing on both classic and contemporary scholarship, it demonstrates that Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans, and popular classes did not assume a passive role; rather, they acted as essential protagonists in the country’s cultural, political, and social construction. Understanding the dynamics of these resistances and their continuities is fundamental for analyzing the challenges faced by contemporary Brazil, especially regarding cultural preservation, anti-racist struggles, socioeconomic inequalities, and popular mobilizations.