Culture and politics in Rio de Janeiro

the "caixeiros" and the São Januário theatre at the second half of the XIX century

Abstract

Considering that the politics relations exceed the field of institutional politics and that a politics culture can provide a human group with expression vials supplying some of its aspirations, expectations, rules and beliefs, this article seeks to understand the process from which the theater of São Januário became part of a political culture shared by the “caixeiros” of Rio de Janeiro in the second half of the 19th century, playing a major role in the attempts for redefining their work relations with their employers.