Cultural aspects of Icapara village: Transformations throughout the 20th century

Abstract

This article analyzes the cultural transformations that occurred in the village of Icapara, a Caiçara community in the city of Iguape, Sao Paulo, throughout the 20th century. Historically characterized by geographical isolation and a way of life based on subsistence agriculture and fishing, the village experienced an accelerated process of modernization starting in the 1970s, with the opening of a road connecting it to the urban center. The study explores the changes in the economic and social structure, material culture, religious practices, social events, and the daily life of its residents. The methodology is based on the compilation of documentary and bibliographic sources, as well as oral tradition, contrasting the traditional way of life with the new social and cultural configurations resulting from intensified contact with urban society, tourism, and the market economy. The work documents the decline of traditional practices, such as collective work (“demão”), the Caiçara fandango, and the artisanal processing of cassava, while also analyzing the resilience and reinvention of others, such as religious festivals and social events, demonstrating the complex dynamics between tradition and modernity in a Brazilian coastal community.