Public History and questions socialement vives

a reflection on the potential of the theme of Brazilian integralism in historical dissemination

Abstract

The aim of this article is to promote a reflection on the importance of Public History in dealing with the so-called “questions socialement vives” or “socially acute questions” in Brazil at the present time, based on the experience of integralism, the largest fascist organization outside Europe during the interwar period. The Public History movement in Brazil has been characterized by the adoption of an agenda to defend democracy and citizenship, with an emphasis on promoting practices that favour underground memories. In this sense, we believe that the theme of integralism deserves to be highlighted in order to understand Brazilian authoritarian political culture and its specificities in the mid-20th century, as well as the transnational connections with movements such as European fascism. Understanding the historical trajectory of the right and extreme right is an important way of broadening historical awareness and valuing democracy, since it is possible to identify authoritarian traits that remain in Brazilian society today.