Showing papers in "Dados-revista De Ciencias Sociais in 2008"

Os partidos dentro e fora do poder: a judicialização como resultado contingente da estratégia política

Abstract: The article analyzes the judicialization patterns in politics during the two terms of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2002) and compare them to the subsequent period of slightly less than a term and a half under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2008). The purpose of the comparison was to observe whether appeals were issued to the Supreme Court challenging Federal acts on grounds of unconstitutionality. Both differences were observed and some common uses of judicialization when comparing the two Presidential Administrations.

Ocupações de terra, acampamentos e demandas ao Estado: uma análise em perspectiva comparada

Abstract: Based on the observation that land occupations with camps currently place an unavoidable demand on the Brazilian state for land expropriation and redistribution, the article analyzes the sociogenesis of this discourse. The authors seek to: examine how the first landless camps emerged; understand how men and women mobilized to occupy land; and identify relations between the original landless camps in Brazil and the current ones. The article takes a comparative approach, focusing on the individuals involved in the first land occupations in the South, Southeast, and Northeast of the country. In the conclusion, the authors show how such discourse draws on individual initiatives and the intersection between historical processes, the constitution of movements, and the response by the Brazilian state.

Definindo a arena política local: sistemas partidários municipais na federação brasileira

Abstract: This article analyzes the Brazilian political system from the local perspective. Following Cox (1997), we review the problems with electoral coordination that emerge from a given institutional framework. Due to the characteristics of the Brazilian Federal system and its electoral rules, linkage between the three levels of government is not guaranteed a priori, but demands a coordinating effort by the parties' leadership. According to our hypothesis, the parties are capable of coordinating their election strategies at different levels in the party system. Regression models based on two-stage least squares (2SLS) and TOBIT, analyzing a panel of Brazilian municipalities with data from the 1994 and 2000 elections, show that the proportion of votes received by a party in a given election correlates closely with its previous votes in majoritarian elections. Despite institutional incentives, the Brazilian party system shows evidence that it is organized nationally to the extent that it links the competition for votes at the three levels of government (National, State, and Municipal).

Governança eleitoral: o modelo brasileiro de justiça eleitoral

Abstract: This article introduces the debate on electoral governance and examines the main criteria for distinguishing between the different models in comparative terms. The models adopted by various Latin American democracies, highlighting the Brazilian model and its peculiarities will also be discussed in the work. The conclusion is that the prevailing system of electoral governance in Brazil is an atypical combination of elements, such as: concentration of governance activities in a single electoral commission; exclusion of the Legislative Branch from naming and selecting members of the electoral commission and adoption of the "rule of intersection" with the Constitutional Court. This combination creates a favorable institutional climate for the judicialization of partisan political competition, since it allows legal readings of the rules of the competitive game to include interpreting the Constitutional wording.

Gênese e redefinições do militantismo ambientalista no Brasil

Abstract: This article examines the conditions under which environmental activism emerged and evolved in Brazil from 1970 e 2006. The idea was to introduce a conceptual discussion on the relations between "opportunity structures", "political processes", and "individual involvement" in the emergence of mobilizations and collective protests. The methodology consisted of biographical interviews with three different generations of activists, focusing on the meanings associated with the use of academic training in activism, the principal modalities of militant careers, and the types of resources and social ties that support the activists' concepts and practices. The research showed that the period under study constitutes a milestone for the emergence of new patterns for reconverting university and professional training into militant resources for action in the "environmental field".

Classe social e desigualdade de gênero no Brasil

Abstract: This article investigates the hypothesis that gender inequality in income in Brazil is influenced by the social class context. Class order and occupational segregation act as relevant factors in gender inequality. The effect of social class on the gender wage gap, although less pronounced as compared to interactions between class and race, plays an important "moderating" role on gender disparity, particularly by accentuating the gap in the case of capitalists, managers, and holders of professional qualifications (as assets) and attenuating them in the case of ordinary workers. The study identifies sharp inequality in gender treatment that appears to supersede the inequality in access to valuable contexts and resources, representing a direct effect of gender.

Transições da escola para o trabalho no Brasil: persistência da desigualdade e frustração de expectativas

Abstract: This study analyzes the changes in economic structure and labor markets in the last 60 years in Brazil that provided the basis for establishing patterns in the transition from school to work for young men and women born since 1948. Data from population censuses beginning in 1970 and the National Household Sample Surveys (PNADs) beginning in 1976 were used to support the idea that Brazil witnessed a developmentalist pattern in the social trajectories of young people marked by lesser importance of education in shaping their initial life opportunities, constructed in a highly unstable and poorly structured labor market. This pattern can be distinguished from another, which we will call a fordist transition pattern, typical of advanced capitalist countries and characterized by strong family and state control over the general work qualifications processes, in which the school plays a central role and serves as the principal element for social mobility and creation of life opportunities.

A precarização do emprego na Europa

Abstract: This article examines the hypothesis of the emergence of a post-Fordist wage relationship, exploring one of this concept's components: the transformation of permanent employment into precarious employment. Based on Eurostat data, the article analyzes the evolution of the temporary work indicator in the last twenty years and the reasons that lead workers to accept this situation, according to a generational matrix. The article concludes that there has been a structural change to the extent that all countries have moved towards greater flexibilization of employment relations through liberalization of layoffs, expansion of temporary work, or a combination of the two.

Relações internacionais federativas no Brasil

Abstract: This article aims to analyze the phenomenon of international diplomatic relations conducted by States and Municipalities in Brazil, based on the methodology used by the Forum of Federations (2007), which developed a comprehensive study of paradiplomacy, with a focus that incorporates Constitutional issues, inter-government relations, foreign relations/foreign policy, and related issues of legitimacy and accountability

Mulheres brasileiras em tempo de competição eleitoral: seleção de candidaturas e degraus de acesso aos cargos parlamentares

Abstract: Candidate selection is a key element in the link between electoral systems and political parties. Selection is necessary for candidates to access elective political office, where Brazilian women are still underrepresented. This article examines Brazilian women's presence in electoral contests, constructing a model to explain the preliminary candidate selection process, one of the parties' main roles. The article then outlines the steps for accessing office, from voter to party member to candidate, focusing on candidacies in the 1998 and 2002 Brazilian elections and the evolution in women's candidacies since 1946.

Diário Trabalhista e democracia racial negra dos anos 1940

Abstract: In order to refute the interpretation that racial democracy in Brazil has simply been an illusion or ruse of white supremacy, the authors analyze the participation of Black leaders in the elaboration of the Brazilian national imaginary in the 1940s. They argue that during that period, racial democracy was a powerful instrument for mobilizing Blacks as well, whether as nationalists or anti-racists. The authors explore one of the most important sources through which this ideology was forged by a key figure of the Black intelligentsia, Abdias do Nascimento, with his column in the Diario Trabalhista [Laborite Daily] entitled "Problems and Aspirations of Black Brazilians". In this column, Nascimento published dozens of interviews with Black leaders and common people that demonstrate the foundations, principles, and interests involved in the construction of a racial democracy.

Regras e contexto: as reformas da Constituição de 1988

Abstract: Why do institutions change, and why, how, and on what subjects have changes occurred in the 1988 Brazilian Constitution? The article raises two hypotheses. The first assumes that the rules of amendment to the 1988 Constitution reflect the original framers' uncertainties on some issues. The second refers to the causes of changes, that is, contending that the constitutionalization of numerous issues was followed by changes in Brazil's macroeconomic and political context, allowing for the redesign of various Constitutional provisions. The article concludes that by designing a Constitution that reflected the redemocratization agenda, the framers "untied the hands" of future legislators and Presidents, facilitating the rules for Constitutional amendments and allowing Brazil's adaptation to a new context.

Sociabilidades e valores: um olhar sobre a família árabe muçulmana em São Paulo

Abstract: This study explores the sociability and family values of Muslim Arabs in Sao Paulo, Brazil, based primarily on 10 interviews with individuals of different age groups, socioeconomic strata, and genders. With Christian Arab families as the counterpoint, the article contextualizes the arrival of these immigrants and discusses and investigates the family dilemmas and practices permeated by a strong patriarchal trait and the challenges faced by this religious minority. The article concludes that the group’s ethnicity and religiosity tend to be continuously reshaped as the group grows and reproduces in local society, reacts to the stereotypes attributed to it, and interacts more intensely with this same society through the new generations born in Sao Paulo.

Comparando estruturas sociais no Rio de Janeiro e em São Paulo

Abstract: This article presents the results of a comparative study on socio-spatial structures in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in 2000. We drew on data from the national Demographic Census by weighted areas to construct the Erikson, Goldthorpe, and Portocarrero (EGP) classification and the International Socio-Economic Index (ISEI), both widely used in social stratification studies. This information was then submitted to group analyses for the two cities, allowing comparison of the presence of social groups in each city. Next, using spatial statistics, we assessed the spatial distribution of the socio-economic classes and the presence of social segregation in the two metropolitan areas. The results suggest the presence of strong similarity between the social structures in the two cities, also marked by similarly intense patterns of social segregation at the metropolitan level.

Crime e estratégias de policiamento em espaços urbanos

Abstract: The article seeks to explore the interconnections between police, crime, and urban territory, discussing their crucial importance in the current public policy scenario for security in large Brazilian cities. The author draws on observations of a monthly series of violent crimes in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, in a regression model with structural breaks to estimate the impact of the so-called "Results-Based Police" Program in reducing crime. According to the findings, police intervention in urban territory was responsible for a significant reduction in violent crimes (5,675) from January 2001 to October 2003.

Empresariando o trabalho: os agentes econômicos da intermediação de empregos, esses ilustres desconhecidos

Abstract: A new economic sector has burgeoned in the wake of labor deregulation, especially in large metropolises: services specializing in the intermediation of work opportunities. Employment agencies, outsourcing and "temp" companies, and human resources consulting firms have formed a veritable market within the overall labor market. The article aims to analyze this market. The first section draws on the relevant international literature, systematizing the various analytical approaches. The second part conducts a historical analysis of how the job agency market was first established in Brazil. The third section analyzes how this market currently operates, based on the case of Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest metropolitan labor market in general and largest job agency market in particular. Micro-data for 2001 and 2004 from the RAIS (the official Annual Survey of Information and Salaries) and ethnographic observation in the largest cluster of job agencies provide the basis for the conclusions in the fourth and last section of the article.

A Outra face do horário gratuito: partidos políticos e eleições proporcionais na televisão

Abstract: This article analyzes the impact of Free Television Advertising on proportional elections in Brazil, based on an analysis of the data for the Rio de Janeiro City Council elections in 2004. The article discusses the hypothesis raised by Schmitt, Carneiro, & Kuschnir that free TV advertising time allows political parties to organize their candidates hierarchically, establishing informal "slates". The study thus links two types of evidence, concerning: 1) the efficacy of free TV time as an instrument for political communication, whereby more TV time tends to translate into more votes for a candidate and 2) the analysis of different strategies adopted by the political parties to split the free advertising time between the candidates.

A Modernidade do Cristo Redentor

Abstract: Inspired by the proposal for a reading of modernity from Brazil, this paper focuses on three highlights in the history of the Christ the Redeemer statue on Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro The first analyzes the meanings acquired by the idea of freedom of religion that allowed erecting a Catholic symbol in the national capital The second reveals the contemporary characteristics of the architectural form and devotional content in the image that served as the icon for a Christian restoration The third analyzes the recent Catholic demand to reclaim the monument’s "religious meaning" - premised on a societal differentiation - as a presence in the public space Emphasizing modern notions and arguments in the Catholic discourse, the article concludes with elaborations on the multiple and polyvalent nature of modernity

Escândalos, marolas e finanças: para uma sociologia da transformação do ambiente econômico

Abstract: The political crisis traversed by Lula's first Presidential Administration provided a rare window to analyze the relationship between the world of finance and Brazilian society. The succession of scandals and the reactions to them triggered and unveiled the way in which financial trends depend on the cognitive framings that are produced beyond their boundaries and control. An analysis of how the scandals are produced and the reactions they spark thus shows how society shapes, reinforces, or challenges the conditions in the financial environment, thus highlighting the possibilities and limits of constraints imposed by finances on Brazilian society in the early 21st century.

"Prosperidade" na década de 1990: etnografia do compromisso de trabalho entre Deus e o fiel da Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus

Abstract: In the 1990s, when Brazil was experiencing "trade opening", terms that were already dear to "neo-liberal" ideals such as "competitiveness", "entrepreneurship", and "success" slowly seeped into Brazilian society’s imagination. Meanwhile, there was a sharp rise in membership in the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, which defends the "Theology of Prosperity". In this article I examine information gathered through an ethnographic survey of worshippers at a UCKG congregation in Rio de Janeiro in order to expand the understanding of the aspirations, dispositions, and experiences of these lower-income social actors who chose to embrace this religious faith in the 1990s.

Gestão de políticas públicas no estado federativo: apostas e armadilhas

Abstract: This study aims to explore proposals derived from two approaches of an economic inspiration pertaining to the distribution of decision-making authority for public policy-making and implementation in federative governmental systems. The methodological approach was a bibliographical review based on key conceptual references for each of the above approaches - both that focusing on horizontal bargaining between local entities and that prescribing the construction of vertical incentives by the national sphere - implying concentration of decision-making authority in one of the poles in federative bargaining, in the face of which the author proposes overall parameters and requirements to be incorporated into an agenda focused on the construction of institutions for federative coordination.

O conceito de federalismo e a idéia de interesse no Brasil do século XIX

Abstract: This article analyzes the formation of the concept of Federalism in 19th century Brazilian political debate. We seek to understand the transition from the concept of Confederation to that of Federalism and the political values that came to be associated with the latter. Based on the methodology of Conceptual History formulated by Reinhart Koselleck, we focus on the continuities and breaks in the issue of decentralization. Analyzing 19th century newspapers and Parliamentary debates, we contend that the notion of Provincial interest is a key aspect for understanding the Federalist thinking formulated in the first half of the 19th century.

Civil society, participatory institutions, and representation: From authorization to the legitimacy of action

Abstract: Political participation in democratic Brazil has be en marked by two important phenomena: the growth of both civil society’s presence in public policies and of the so-called participatory institutions F rom the standpoint of civil society, diverse actors, be longing to this political field, sought greater pre sence in institutions known for deliberation on public po licies in the areas of health, social work and urba n policies since the end of the authoritarian period (Coelho, 2004; Cunha, 2004; Avritzer, 2008; at pres s) These claims generated a series of hybrid formats t hat can be characterized by the presence of institutions along with the participation of civil society and state actors in the areas of social wor k, health, the environment, and urban policies (Coelho et alii , 2006; Abers e Keck, 2006) This presence has grown stronger in the governments that legalize d diverse forms of insertion of civil society associations in public policies These institutions have, up until now, been analyzed, through the perspective of an increase in participation In fac t, there are more councilors in Brazil than town councilors, and in some cases, such as in participatory budget, the participation in some yea rs reached almost 180 thousand people 1 Nonetheless, as the involvement of civil society in social policies grew, a problem became evident: the emergence of new forms of representation

Os sindicatos brasileiros em face das inovações tecnológicas e organizacionais

Abstract: The article analyzes trade union action that seeks to influence processes of technological and organizational innovation in companies in Brazil. The System for Monitoring Collective Bargaining, under the Inter-Union Department of Statistics and Economic Studies (SACC-Dieese), was used to analyze collective bargaining clauses (1990- 2005) that deal with innovative processes. Interviews were held with leaders of unions belonging to the SACC-Dieese, seeking to understand what actually occurred following formal agreement to the clauses. We observed that the agreed-upon terms were not enforced in practice, revealing that the trade unions' influence in innovative processes was merely "apparent". The article seeks to demonstrate that the limited success of Brazilian trade unions in affecting technological and organizational innovations has been due not only to external constraints, but also to the unions' own limitations in formulating and interacting with technical and organizational changes.

The social conditions of instrumental action: Problems in the sociological understanding of rational choice theory

Abstract: This article critically analyzes new sociological a pproaches to rational choice theory which — beyond examining political or economic practices — link the notion of instrumental rationality to social issues and themes. The articl e begins by highlighting the issue of trust, indicating the functionality of certain social arra ngements in collective problem-solving. The paper goes on to demonstrate that problems emerge with the theory when it attempts to explain the feasibility of social norms in imperson al, comprehensive contexts. Thus, the fundamental point that appears to be missing from r ational choice theory is the perception that individual decisions and instrumental conduct themselves incorporate dispositions that in a sense are beyond the actors' control.

Partidos políticos, ideologia e política social na América Latina: 1980-1999

Abstract: The objective of this article was to investigate whether the ideology of governing parties in Latin America affects social policies, in a context of globalization under which, according to the literature, national states have lost their decision-making autonomy. The article's main hypothesis is that - all else remaining equal - governments with a leftist majority invest more in social policies than other governments, especially those with a rightist majority. The methodology used to test the hypothesis was econometric analysis of panel data, also known as pooled time series/cross-section analysis. Estimation of the model's parameters used the "panel corrected standard error" method suggested by Beck and Katz for the analysis of panels with similar dimensions to those of the current study. The principal findings of the econometric analyses corroborated the article's main hypothesis, according to which governments with a leftist majority invest more in the social area.

Conflito étnico, direitos humanos e intervenção internacional

Abstract: This article discusses how ethnic conflicts negatively affect human rights and how international intervention acts for the defense of these rights. We thus compare the structure by which ethnic conflicts are triggered and an ideal scenario in which the state is capable of guaranteeing human rights, in keeping with the United Nations perspective. While identifying the points at which ethnic conflicts breach the foundations of human rights, we analyze a second scenario in which it is impossible to guarantee such rights, raising the issue of humanitarian intervention. Finally, we argue that although human rights have gained relevance in the post-Cold War period, they do not constitute a cohesive set of objectives. Therefore, in order to understand the selectiveness behind humanitarian interventions, we conclude that it is essential to consider other interests.

Entre martelos e lâminas: dinâmicas globais e políticas de produção na indústria do caju em Moçambique

Abstract: This article discusses how the main trends and impacts of capitalist dynamics are felt in Mozambique, based on a case study of the cashew industry, especially its industrial processing component. Having emerged in the colonial period, the cashew industry provides a practical example of Mozambique's integration in the world economy through the exploitation of natural resources and the local labor force to manufacture products for the main central markets. In order to better understand this industry's evolution and current situation, the author conducted his fieldwork in various places, especially in two cashew nut processing plants in the district of Manjacaze (Gaza Province). He thus adopted a methodological strategy based on a multilocal ethnography rather than a classical approach centered on the study of a single location or a supposedly isolated and autonomous community.

Guerra, formação do estado e identidade nacional nas franjas do mundo Atlântico

Abstract: This paper deals with the impact of war on state formation in Ireland and England, focusing on the period from 1590 to 1691, the key turning point for the future development of the state in both countries. War played a vital role, but in a number of different ways, including in the ideological sphere, in a complex process, rather than simply causing a long-term expansion in army size and subsequent growth of the state. The author further emphasizes the dynamic nature of the state itself.