ABSTRACT
The presentation of class and race and of the trickery and magic results in three key mechanisms for distributing security: keeping inequality problematic, mobilising in structural violence, and preserving the possibility of unimagined outcomes through constant improvisation. The negotiation and co-creation of these mechanisms constitutes what Habermas refers to as ‘communicative rationality’, in promoting understanding primarily within the group, but also with observers and ultimately with the state. Alongside progressive shifts in the distribution of security there are some blockages. The vertical hierarchy of capoeira academies and involvement of big business inclines toward conservative or regressive practice through the chauvinism and individualism. Additionally, the Brazilian state has proved resilient in protecting its privilege.
