As one of the largest events in Brazil, the São João in Campina Grande has incorporated modern elements into its cultural and regional character, acquiring the shape of a spectacle, in the process of commodification of culture. This... more
As one of the largest events in Brazil, the São João in Campina Grande has incorporated modern elements into its cultural and regional character, acquiring the shape of a spectacle, in the process of commodification of culture. This aspect leads us to the discussion of public sphere proposed by Jürgen Habermas, whose approach points to the dualistic conception of system and lifeworld. In order to analyze how lifeworld and system coexist in the São João celebration in Campina Grande, we perform this critical research, through in-depth interviews with four groups of agents involved in the organization of the event. Our findings point to the clear prioritization of strategic action, in which the consensus of public space tends to be diluted in the political and marketing imperatives involved in the "professionalization" of a celebration that is born in the public sphere.
