“Eu não entendo essa gente, seu moço / fazendo alvoroço demais”: a criminological itinerary on negative citizenship and subcultural theories based on the song “O meu guri”

Abstract

This article examines the intersection between criminology and Brazilian popular music through an analysis of the song “O meu guri” (1981) by Chico Buarque. Using subcultural theories of criminology as a theoretical basis, especially the work of Albert Cohen, and the concept of negative citizenship developed by Nilo Batista, the study explores how the musical narrative portrays the processes of criminalization and social marginalization in contemporary Brazil. The analysis reveals how the song articulates complex issues about poverty, crime and violence through the perspective of a naive mother who doesn't understand her son's criminal reality. The study shows that Buarque's work offers an important tool for understanding criminological phenomena, allowing a critical analysis of the social structures that perpetuate cycles of marginalization and violence in the Brazilian context. The methodology used is based on analyzing the work as a representation, considering both the world represented and its representational function, allowing for an interpretation that takes into account different temporal and interpretative contexts.