Mercado Rio Vermelho (Ceasinha): um processo de perda de identidade e gourmetização de um mercado público na Bahia, Brasil

Abstract

The fair and the public market are traditionally recognized as places where food is sold and bought, characterized as spaces of intense circulation of people and goods. The issue of public markets refers to sociocultural, economic, geographic and historical aspects, as they are places where people meet and socialize. Understanding the process of change and the impact of this transformation involves knowing the history of the market, the traders, the clientele, their relationships with the market and the communication of the market with its audience. The research had, as general objective, to understand the effects of the change in the physical structure of the Rio Vermelho Market (Ceasinha) after its renovation and reconstruction from the perception of customers and merchants. The market shift to another model apparently produced some effects different from those expected. In this sense, the question arises: how to preserve the identity of public spaces that undergo structural interventions? One of the hypotheses is that the physical and structural changes caused a change in the meanings in the relationships between the merchants themselves and in the commercialization process with their customers. In addition to the theoretical framework, the epistemological bases are established in Jürgen Habermas, with the historical evolution of the Public Space and Edgar Morin, in the perspective of complexity. The contemporary scenario of Capitalism and Globalization is based on Milton Santos and the consumer society, by Jean Baudrillard. As for the methodological approach, this is a quantitative and qualitative research with content analysis of the answers to open questions. In addition to participant observation, questionnaires were applied and interviews were carried out with the permission holders of the boxes and regular customers. This investigation is approved by the ethics committee. Results indicate social segregation between old and new permit holders, between the market and the surrounding public. Improvements in property security and in the hygienic and sanitary aspects of the market were observed. There is a process of struggle on the part of the old permissionaires for the preservation of the identity of the popular market. There was evidence of loyalty of the old clientele, however there are complaints from traders of partial loss of this clientele during the reform process, without a desired increase in demand. The new construction communicates economic changes and promotes a process of elitization of public space. The new services and products cater to a clientele with higher family incomes. The public with lower purchasing power does not feel comfortable in the new environment. The work brings the contribution of the analysis of the public market in the sociocultural perspective that must be respected in the structural interventions in urban public spaces.