Introduction

The Cidade da Cultura is a product of the economic transformations, representative of how neoliberalism has encouraged the public and cultural sectors to adapt to its ideological tenets of the market. It is emblematic of contemporary debates about the utility of public space and culture. The significance of land and heritage to local communities as a means of gaining investment through marketing and modernization efforts exacerbates tensions between stasis and cultural fluidity. Heritage and authenticity are pivotal concepts upon which contemporary politics and culture turn. Angharad Valdivia argues "as a cultural and conceptual framework, Latinidad enables a more nuanced reading of the disjuncture between the lived realities and commodified constructions of hybridity". Approaching cultural practices as the site of both resistance to and incorporation within hegemonic social structures, cultural studies orients us towards questions regarding the politics of cultural practices with an eye towards social justice. The chapter also presents an overview of this book.