RITUAL AND SYMBOL IN POLITICS

Abstract

The political rituals, existing mostly in the electoral campaign situations, serve as a broad reference to the reflection about the so called "Citizenship Caravan" (Caravana da Cidadania) performed by the "Workers Party" at the moment when Luis Ignácio "Lula" da Silva ran for elections to President of Brazil. From of the observation of newspapers reports, videos, photography images, and books, it was considered in this article that such campaign ritual enclose interesting aspects, from which the subjects of culture and politics, are articulated. In this sense, the "Citizenship Caravan" has been analyzed from the following questions: a) the production of identification mechanisms between the "people"  and the candidate; b) The symbology of the event its attempt of knowledge and "discovery" of Brazil; c) The symbols and images construction as the expression of the interest conflicts.