Eleventh International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

Through the historic trajectory of the Brazilian collections belonging to the municipality of São Paulo, the replacement of the use of the concept of folklore for that of popular culture as well as alterations in the field of Museology were examined. For this purpose, the experiences that served as guidelines for Brazilian theorization in this field were analyzed, specifically the work of Georges Henri Rivière, the trajectory of the National Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions in Paris, and the idea of social museology. The conclusion of this study ascertains that there is an ambiguity between the treatment of the collections and the contemporary discourse in which cultural diversity is recognized and celebrated, even in specific public policies. This research confirms the hypothesis that, despite the establishment of new institutions, the process of valuing popular culture in places that house collections is characterized more by an appropriation and an alignment of discourse rather than by an effective rupture of boundaries or a reorganization of the field of work.