In the meshes of paternalism: recreational associations among textile workers in the Jardim Botânico neighborhood in the First Republic

Abstract:

From the end of the 19th century, different leisure associations emerged created by textile workers from the Jardim Botânico - a neighborhood located in the south of Rio de Janeiro - which had the support of the managers of the fabric factories installed there during the period. Through the analysis of workers’ newspapers, the commercial press and police documents, which granted annual licenses to similar clubs in the city, this article aims to investigate how these workers appropriated these supposed concessions - in a conflicting dialogue with the of employers’ world. In the light of the understanding of the concept of paternalism operated by the English historian E. P. Thompson, the intention is to demonstrate that these recreational associations financed by the factories constituted both spaces for fun among such workers and spaces for negotiation and dispute for their shared interests.

Keywords:
Paternalism; Botanical Garden (Rio de Janeiro); Associations