O impacto do reconhecimento do bumba meu boi como patrimônio cultural imaterial da humanidade pela UNESCO nas políticas culturais maranhenses: uma análise das mudanças e permanências ocorridas entre 2019 e 2025

Abstract

This work aims to investigate the cultural policies implemented in Maranhão focused on Bumba Meu Boi between 2019 and 2025, analyzing the extent to which UNESCO’s recognition of this tradition as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity has influenced its safeguarding and the sociocultural dynamics of the groups. The research adopts an interpretive epistemological approach and is qualitative in nature, utilizing bibliographic research, documentary analysis, and fieldwork based on semi-structured interviews with masters and members of different Bumba Meu Boi groups. The study problematizes narratives about heritage through the concept of Authorized Heritage Discourse and analyzes the trajectory of the festival’s institutionalization, which shifted from historical criminalization to its elevation as an icon of Maranhão identity and a tourist product that generates millions in revenue for the local economy. The results confirm the hypothesis that the impact of international heritage recognition on state policies has been structurally limited, with public authorities acting primarily to spectacularize and promote large-scale events, paying performance fees through calls for proposals with hard-to-access bureaucracies and a preference for groups from the capital and specific types of accents, while neglecting the protection and support of traditional masters and knowledge bearers. It was thus found that the community members' expectations regarding the practical benefits of UNESCO recognition were not met, as this recognition is often perceived as a purely symbolic title considering the communities’ material vulnerability. However, the research highlights the strong agency of the communities that preserve this tradition, as they develop strategies of resistance and autonomous safeguarding by adapting aesthetic and choreographic elements, engaging with digital platforms, and strengthening the sense of community and political identity within their associations. It is concluded that Bumba Meu Boi survives amid the ongoing tension between tradition and commercialization, demonstrating that the vitality of this cultural heritage is sustained, fundamentally, through the resilience of its participants