Public Research Presentation Series

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 10:25:33 -0400
culture, dandyism, erudite, mobility, race, social

This upcoming Wednesday, October 22, 2025 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the LLC Conference Room (SHER 202A), we will hold the first session in our Public Research Presentation series.

This session's featured participants:

Edy Carão

Edy Carão is a social scientist who graduated from the University of Campinas (Unicamp) and is currently pursuing a master's degree at the university's School of Education. Their work bridges academic research and social movements, focusing on the development of public policies within Brazilian universities.

As an undergraduate, Edy conducted research on graffiti and inscriptions in the university's public restrooms, examining how issues of gender and sexuality are expressed in these spaces and how gender- and sexuality-based violence emerges as a public issue to be addressed by institutions. In their master's program, Edy investigates Brazilian Indigenous movements, with particular attention to how LGBTQIAPN+ issues have surfaced within these movements and contributed to the institutionalization of policies to combat gender- and sexuality-based violence.

Their most recent contribution includes the development of public policies for trans quotas at the University of Campinas (Unicamp).
Douglas de Jesus Gonçalves

Dandies of Color, Culture, and Social Mobility: A Dialogue Between Victor Séjour and Cruz e Souza

In this paper, Douglas aims to bring into dialogue two men of color who used culture as a means of social mobility: American writer Victor Séjour (1817–1874) and Brazilian poet Cruz e Souza (1861–1898). The goal is to highlight similarities and differences between these two experiences of the African diaspora. Both were men of color from the first generation of free people in their families who used education and the erudite culture of their time to navigate and ascend socially.

Considering the differences in how racism structured social relations in their respective territories—as well as what was considered "erudite" in each context—the main hypothesis is that their engagement with European culture functioned, in part, as a strategy to attain respect and dignity. However, racial barriers prevented both from achieving the same prestige as their white contemporaries.

This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.