The rodeo market in Brazil: symbolic economy and the expansion of "cattle culture" in the new agricultural frontier

Abstract

This research examines the formation and current expansion of the rodeo market in Brazil, aiming to explore modes of valuation and the symbolic economy surrounding the relationships between men and bulls, as well as the connections between this market, agribusiness, and broader cultural, economic, and political processes. Taking as a starting point the construction of bodily capital of cowboys and bulls, it seeks to analyze the transformation of Brazilian rodeo into a sports and cultural market, focusing on processes of symbolic conversion and the construction of the value of riding techniques, skills, and performances, considering the agents (human and non-human), networks of relations, systems of meaning, and cultural frameworks that bring this market to life and drive its expansion into the so-called "new agricultural frontier." Through fieldwork at the Festa do Peão de Barretos (São Paulo) and Expoara (Araguaína, Tocantins), including semi-structured interviews with cowboys, bull breeders (tropeiros), and rodeo organizers, as well as data collection and document analysis, the research proposes an analytical perspective capable of articulating different approaches and procedures. As outcomes, the project anticipates the publication of articles, the production of ethnographic materials, the organization of a thematic dossier, the offering of a postgraduate course, and participation in national and international events for research dissemination.