Culture and body practices in traditional communities of the center west of Brazil

The body practices are social constructs capable of expressing identities of the subjects. The manifestations of these practices represent senses and meanings that change according each culture and we can therefore infer patterns of variability between urban-industrial cultures and traditional cultures. Traditional societies are pervaded by a dense network of sociability and communication building a complex whole where collective arrangements stand up to the individuals. Based on this, the study had as research question: What is the meaning of the relation between body and culture expressed by children and young people in traditional communities of the center west of Brazil? The research subjects consists on children and young people that live in those traditional communities in the center west of Brazil, in particular, demarcated by Quilombo populations of Goias and African decedents living in Brasilia Federal District. The research design is characterized by a sociological analysis, based on ethnographic exercise. The research was developed through techniques such as observation, interview and recording images. With the aim to obtain information from children, it was also used drawings as a form of data construct. The results show that the relation between body and culture to children and young afro-descended people presents multiple identities. They hold multiple references that have as meaning the constitution of fluid process considering modern cultural patterns in traditional societies. The presence of fluidity – cultural hybridation – can be found in the dances, games and drawings (in this case children). The results allow to conclude that the constitution of identity processes is resignified daily and somehow towards new meanings that break with the prevailing cultural standards.