Malandragem
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Malandragem is a Brazilian Portuguese term for the Bohemian lifestyle - an ethos of idleness, fast living and petty crime - traditionally celebrated in samba lyrics, especially those of Noel Rosa. The exponent of this lifestyle, the malandro, has become significant to Brazilian national identity as a folk hero. Constantly present in Brazilian literature, besides other arts such as cinema and music.
"Malandro" could be defined as someone who:
- Never works and lives off scams;
- Is a ladies man
- Leads a bohemian life of only fun and pleasure;
- Is lazy, sluggish;
- Cheats and deceives in order to prevail; smart-ass.
[edit] Translation from Wikipedia in Portuguese
Malandragem is defined as an aggregation of strategies utilized in order to gain advantage in a determined situation (these advantages are often illicit). It is characterized by savoir faire and subtlety. Its execution demands aptitude, charisma, and cunning and whatever other characteristics which allow for the manipulation of people or results, obtaining the best outcome, in the easiest possible way. Contradicting logical argumentation, labor and honesty, malandragem presupposes that such methods are incapable of generating good outcomes. Those who practice malandragem (o malandro) act in the manner of the popular Brazilian adage, immortalized by Lei do Gerson: “I must take advantage of everything.”
Together with the concept of jeitinho,* malandragem can be considered another typically—but not exclusively—Brazilian mode of social navigation; however, unlike jeitinho, with malandragem the integrity of institutions and individuals is effectively attacked, legally speaking, as malicious. However, successful malandragem presupposes that advantages are gained without the action being perceived. In more popular terms, the malandro dupes the target without him or her knowing he or she has been tricked.
Malandragem is characterized in the Brazilian popular imagination as a tool for individual justice. Facing the forces of perforce oppressive institutions, the individual malandro survives by manipulating people, fooling authorities and sidestepping laws in a way which guarantees his jeopardized well-being. In this way, the malandro is the typical Brazilian hero. Literary examples include Pedro Malasarte and João Grilo.
Like jeitinho, malandragem is an intellectual resource** utilized by individuals of little social influence or the socially disadvantaged. This does not impede the equal use of malandragem by those of better social position. Through malandragem, one gains illicit advantages in gambling, business, and in the totality of his or her social life. One can consider a malandro the adulterer who convinces a woman of his false fidelity; the employer who finds a way to pay his employees less than what he owes; the player who manipulates his cards and wins the round.
But, depise this apperently egocentrical tough of line and malicious nature, a person how use the malandragem not is exactly or nescessárily selfish. probably lazy, tough not careless with the people arond himself. the person that use malandragem to take advantage over another person, normally does not to it with the intent do harm the others live, only to save yourself from an unjust life and/or to avoid misaventures, making the malandragem a form of wit, a tipical plot device/characteristic of an antihero.
trans. note* Jeitinho is another important Brazilian concept coming from the expression “dar um jeito,” literally “find a way.” It implies the use of resources at hand, as well as personal connections, and creativity. Como é que ele conseguiu os bilhetes? How did he manage to get those tickets? Ele deu um jeito.
trans. note** The text uses “recurso de esperteza” which more acuratley means a resource used by espertos, savvy, cunning, or sly individuals who use common sense and prior knowledge, as well as naturally-gifted intelligence in their thought processes. The individual is “street-smart” and not necessarily “book-smart.”
[edit] References
- Brazilian Samba: Malandragem
- Malandragem (Portuguese)
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