Os impactos econômicos da festa de batuque em Porto Alegre/RS : patrimônio cultural do Sul do Brasil.

Abstract

This thesis discusses an Afro-Brazilian religion originated in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, relating its cultural heritage to regional development. Overall, we aimed to identify the impacts of the Party of Batuque in Porto Alegre, RS. Batuque (literally, "drumming") refers to the religious culture practiced by terreiro people (traditional religious communities of African descent) and considered an intangible cultural heritage. Our specific objectives were: (a) to identify the impacts of this cultural heritage in Porto Alegre, RS; (b) to investigate the cultural cycle of the Festa de Batuque, characterizing its production chain; (c) to measure the economic value of this intangible heritage by using valuation models; and (d) to characterize a set of cultural information regarding the Party of Batuque for the establishment of the Satellite Accounts of Culture, a method for measuring cultural activities' economic value. We found theoretical support in the contributions of the Andrés Bello Agreement, an intergovernmental institution aiming to promote cultural integration between Latin American countries. The institution developed a study to measure the economic impacts of cultural heritage. Most Latin American countries — but not Brazil — partake in the Agreement and have their own measurements. Thus, we seek to contribute to the theoretical discussions around the valuation of intangible heritage, necessarily involving the relationship between culture and the economy. We also aim to foster the process of cultural measurement and compare the economic dynamism of various cultures on a local, regional, national, or international level. Our empirical research adopted a quantitative-qualitative approach, analyzing results from questionnaires and interviews. We found impacts across several dimensions: economic, social, cultural, and environmental. In terms of identifying Festa de Batuque's cultural cycle and production chain, we found several directly and indirectly related activities that create jobs and generate income. In measuring Party of Batuque's economic value, we adopted the contingent valuation method to determine how much society would be willing to pay to participate in this cultural manifestation. The average value observed was R$ 193,03 (in Brazilian reais). We also used the cost-of-travel method to determine how much money was indirectly spent by participants to attend the party. The average value found was R$ 541.24 (in Brazilian reais) per participant. After systematizing and analyzing data, the set of information we built on Afro-Brazilian culture could be called Satellite Account of the Party of Batuque. This Satellite Account proved this culture to be multi-ethnic, transnational, and cross-class.