Parentesco e poder: as relações genealógicas da elite política camponovense

Abstract

This paper analyzes the genealogical kinship relations among members of the political elite of the municipality of Campos Novos, Santa Catarina. The choice of this municipality is justified by its considerable territorial extension and population, as well as the lack of a reliable political historiography on the locality. The temporal scope was defined as the period from 1882 to 1891, corresponding to the interval between the establishment of the municipal council and the promulgation of the Santa Catarina State Constitution. In order to define the concept of political elite, both classical and contemporary approaches were reviewed, with Robert Putnam's perspective ultimately adopted as the most suitable theoretical framework for the proposed analysis. Methodologically, kinship was traced up to the third ascending generation (great-grandparents), also including ties established through marriage, whose relevance to understanding local power networks was duly justified. The overall objective was to determine the importance of genealogical ties — whether by blood or marriage — as a criterion for participation in the local political elite. In how many cases was there some form of kinship? The results indicate that genealogical kinship relations, particularly those established through marriage — rather than consanguineous ties — played a significant role in shaping the local political elite. Furthermore, it was found that an even more significant factor in the composition of this elite was the substantial presence of descendants of slaveholders among its members, revealing the persistence of power structures associated with slavery in the formation of the municipality's politics.