A MORTE ESCULPIDA E RITUALIZADA: história social da morte em São Luís na segunda metade do século XIX (1850-1870)

Abstract

The discussions presented in this work aim to investigate the historical process of secularization of death in the society of São Luís during the second half of the 19th century (1850 to 1870). Our research problem is based on the perception that customs related to death have transformed over time, establishing a historical perspective on this process. In 19th-century São Luís, we find both continuities related to death and dying, as well as the development of the secularization of customs surrounding death, with the establishment of new practices that coexist with the past in a subliminal rearrangement. We propose to investigate the secularization of death through the social representations instituted by the people of São Luís, highlighting the relationship between social agents, the State, and the Church. Our theoretical sources range from medievalists such as Le Goff (1990), Catroga (1999), Ariès (2012), Vovelle (2010), and Schmidt (2023) to national authors who have focused on the history of death, including João José Reis (1991), Claudia Rodrigues (1997 and 2005), Renato Cymbalista (2006), and Agostinho Coe (2007 and 2013). The work is divided into three chapters. The first provides a systematic literature and theoretical review to support the general and specific objectives. In the second chapter, we delve into the first part of the investigation, which deals with social medicalization and its influences on everyday life in São Luís, particularly in relation to death. In the third chapter, we address in more detail the social aspect of collective representations of death in 19th-century São Luís.