Gilberto Freyre

Gilberto Freyre was a Brazilian sociologist and writer who is considered one of the founders of modern sociology in Brazil. He was born on March 15, 1900, in Recife, a city in northeastern Brazil. He came from a wealthy and influential family of sugar planters and politicians. He studied at Baylor University and Columbia University in the United States, where he was influenced by the anthropologist Franz Boas. He returned to Brazil in 1923 and became involved in the regionalist movement, which aimed to valorize the culture and identity of the northeast. He wrote many books and articles on topics such as race relations, slavery, family, sexuality, and religion. His most famous work is Casa-Grande & Senzala (1933; The Masters and the Slaves), which is a sociological and historical analysis of the formation of Brazilian society and culture. He argued that Brazil was a unique case of racial and cultural mixing, where the Portuguese, the Africans, and the Indians created a new civilization based on harmony and tolerance. He also coined the term "racial democracy" to describe the Brazilian model of social integration. He died on July 18, 1987, in Recife, due to a heart attack. He was 87 years old. He received many honors and awards, such as the Prêmio Machado de Assis, the Prêmio Jabuti, and the Order of Rio Branco. He also inspired many other scholars and movements in social, political, and cultural fields.