Brazil: POLITICAL CULTURE, SOCIALIZATION AND RECRUITMENT

SystemBrazil

Brazilian Political Culture: Origins Thomastic synthesis of Greeks and St. Augustine Expansiveness of New World environment Rousseau

Political Culture: Characteristics Elite Dominated Emperor Dom Pedro II (age 61) Legacy of patrimonialism Civil society Emerged in response to authoritarian rule Political Culture: Characteristics

Political Culture: Catholic Religion Catholic nation; largest number of Catholics in the world Religious observance among Catholics traditionally low; of little importance electorally Liberation theology Ecclesiastical base communities National Conference of Brazilian Bishops National Cathedral: Brasilia

Political CULTURE Evangelical Protestants Candomble Religious differences in voting patterns minimal

Political Culture of Statism State permeates society Compliance and enforcement often arbitrary Social solidarity movements in favelas Began as mechanism of state control during military dictatorship (1964 – 85) Movements evolved into institutions that sought to influence those in authority Became a force for democratization

Gender Machismo and marianismo Under military rule traditional image and orientations towards politics of women began to change. Political opportunity followed educational and occupational opportunity. Authoritarianism had an economic impact on women: Took the lead in their communities’ struggles for health care and sanitation Made demands relating to wages and worker rights

Racial Democracy: No & Yes Racial Democracy myth Racial prejudice embedded in traditional Brazil Movimento Negro Unificado-The Unified Black Movement Against Racial Discrimination Affirmative action policies under President Lula

Brazilian Political Culture How democratic? Not tolerant of authoritarianism No single vision of what kind of democracy they supported They distrust politicians, political parties, and democratic institutions more than in the recent past. Distrust democratic institutions today more than other Latin Americans. Less aware of their civic rights and responsibilities than most Latin Americans On the other hand, Brazilians behave in more democratic ways than their answers to surveys may imply Turn out to vote at higher rates and believe their vote matters more than on average across Latin America

Brazilians National Pride

Attitudes toward Institutions

Political Socialization in Brazil Changes in the socialization of Women Economic development and political organization carried over into democratic era Increased activist orientation of women Race as a component of political socialization Print Media Newspapers – confined to elite Magazines

Socialization and Mass Communication Impact of Television (access is universal) Brings politics into Brazilian homes via the horario gratuito free television time set aside during the election campaigns for the political parties Individual candidates and parties receive coverage during television news and any televised debates Telenovelas (prime-time soap operas) . project themes subtly influence the ways in which people view politicians and institutions.

Socialization and Neighborhood Political learning

Recruitment of Political Elites Traditional political families Coronales Fernando Collor de Mello & Jose Sarney Wealth – especially in South-east and South Military regime – opportunities for Técnicos Movement to professional politicians (Fernando Henrique Cardoso) Labor movement (Luis Ignacio da Silva ‘Lula’) Inclusion of more women Luiza Erundina

Political Recruitment and Political Participation: Citizen Politics Blossoming of associations – 8,000 in the late 1970s Organized movements around identities, single issues political and social rights, most notably those to protect indigenous peoples, the environment, and human rights and to gain land for the landless Tactics International allies Direct confrontation Use of the courts Role of NGOs

Political Participation as Political Recruitment Mass political participation Staggering amount of participation Elections Participatory budgeting Process by which hundreds of thousands of citizens meet in a series of open, public assemblies before the legislative budget cycle begins in order to establish spending priorities

Citizen Politics Grassroots church groups Urban Neighborhood associations (8000) Professional associations Countryside (Movement of Landless Rural Workers) Mass demonstration and confrontational politics Non-governmental organizations

MASS POLITICAL PARTICIPATION Voting compulsory Submission of blank ballots (varied between 19% and 31% in 1990’s) Voting is becoming more inclusive 1960 – 19 million eligible to vote 1998 – 106 million eligible to vote

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