Discrepant Cosmopolitanisms, hybridity and Community in Crisis

Interrogations Around a Concept by Silviano Santiago

Abstract

The article proposes a critical rereading of Silviano Santiago's thought through the concept of "discrepant cosmopolitism" wich the Brazilian author adopts from James Clifford in his book Grafias de vida - a morte. The study articulates this concept whit others previously formulated by Santiago, such as the "in-between space" and the "cosmopolitan of the poor", with the aim of examining recent trasnforations in Brazilian culture in a context of identity-based activism that challenges a long-standing tradition of convivialty. The essay employs an analytical-comparative methodology, combining close reading of Santiago's essays whit theoretical references from authors such as James Clifford and Néstor García Canclini, as well as literary and visual works by contemporary Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian artists. As a result, the article seeks to demonstrate that Santiago's concept of hybridiy does not aim to soften cultural conflicts but rather to intensify them as engines of critical translation. Furthermore, it identifies a shift inhis work from a more conciliatory vision toward an ethics of ferocity and discrepancy, in tune with aesthetic and linguistic experiences that challenge the notion of an imagined community. In conclusion, the article argues that the Brazilian modernist project, reactivated by Santiago, continues to offer useful framework for thinking about a national culture open to difference and instability.