SOCIABILITY AND MEMORIES OF THE SOCIAL AND SPORTIVE RIVALRY: SOCCER CLUBS AND THE CONFIGURATION OF URBAN SPACE IN MARIANA-MG.

From the understanding that soccer enables us to reflect upon issues related to identity, social life, and disputes within a certain society, this article aims to investigate the influence of sport on the socio-spatial configuration of Mariana, Minas Gerais - Brazil, through the rivalry between the two traditional clubs of the city: Marianense Soccer Club and Guarany Soccer Club. Considering the dynamics of communicative processes and social interactions, this work deals with oral narratives collected by means of interviews conducted with residents of the municipality who had experienced this rivalry strength, which peaked and declined in the twentieth century. The memories reveal that the dichotomy between Marianense and Guarany concerning private, public, and sportive spaces 1) generated geographic and symbolic movement in a city that was stagnated ever since the end of the gold cycle and, driven by soccer clubs, 2) developed new habits, relationships, and civilization aspects, revealing structural questions related to politics, ethnics, and social class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]