Uncivil society and social policies in Brazil: The backlash in the gender, sexual, and reproductive rights and ethnic and racial relations fields. (17th July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Segatto, Catarina Ianni; Alves, Mario Aquino; Pineda, Andrea
• Other Names: Moldavanova Alisa guestEditor.; Onishi Tamaki guestEditor.; Toepler Stefan guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: Public administration and development. Volume 43:Number 1(2023)
• Page Start: 60
• Page End: 69
• Publication Date: 2022-07-17
• Subjects: Brazil -- civil society -- NGOs -- social policies -- uncivil society; Developing countries -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; Public administration -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; Développement communautaire -- Pays en voie de développement -- Périodiques; Pays en voie de développement -- Administration -- Périodiques; Pays en voie de développement -- Conditions économiques -- Périodiques; Pays en voie de développement -- Conditions sociales -- Périodiques; 350
• DOI: 10.1002/pad.1992
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0271-2075

Abstract

Abstract: This paper analyzes how dynamics between Brazil's right‐wing populist government and civil and uncivil organizations affected the role of civil organizations, especially rights‐based ones, and Brazil's democratization process. These dynamics contributed to stripping policies of their progressive nature and rejecting the values of diversity, freedom, and equality. Our analysis relies on the inhabited institutions approach to comprehend the role of action, interaction, and meaning in institutionalized spaces. We analyzed two policy fields—gender, sexual, and reproductive rights, and ethnic and racial relations—through documents and in‐depth interviews. Our analysis shows that Bolsonaro's government mobilized mechanisms related to institutional changes, the replacement of actors, and their interactions to inhibit civil society organizations' influence in policy formulation and provision and strengthen the participation of uncivil groups, thereby legitimating conservative ideas and discourses, and closing civic space for NGOs with rights‐based agendas.