The politics of « racial » classification in Brazil (original) (raw)

This paper traces the gcncalogy of« racial » taxononùes in Brazil a rguing that recent policies which focus on the « black population » or the « black community » depend upo n a belief that Urazilian society is neatly divided into « blacks »and « not blacks », t hus superseding taxonomies which produce ambig uous « racial » categories based on the social « appearance » of individuals. The paper argues that such new political orienta ti on may be a fo nn of self fulfilling prophecy, bringing into being that which it assumed to exist.