2) Research field – Studies on democracy and political behavior
Institute of Democracy and Democratization of Communication: The Face of Democracy in Brazil - Political Parties
Project current status: Concluded
Oswaldo M. E. do Amaral e Sérgio Simoni Júnior
On through
INCT – MCTI/CNPq/CAPES/FAPs Nº 16/2014
Abstract
The Institute of Democracy and Democratization of Communication aims to bring together researchers of national renown and international collaborators in order to advance the discussion about Brazilian democracy, its organization, the democratic habits of the population and the organization of the media in the country. The program of the Institute of Democracy and Democratization of Communication is based on the mobilization and grouping of research groups from four main institutions - UFMG, UERJ, Unicamp and USP - in addition to the participation of researchers from Unb, UFPR, UFPE, UNAMA, IPEA and, internationally, CES / UC and UBA. This horizontal and cooperative articulation will aim at the association in interinstitutional networks with the different instances of Government and with the society. Researchers of recognized national and international competence, with leadership experience in complex projects, publications of impact in specialized scientific journals and significant results in orientation and supervision of students should promote two activities within the Institute: (1) public opinion polls on the state of democracy in Brazil including the legislature and the judiciary; (2) proposal for the application of information technologies that improve the quality of democracy in Brazil. The researchers, members of the Institute of Democracy and Democratization of Communication, will develop their activities combining research and teaching in Public Institutions of Higher Education, located in Brazil - in Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Brasilia, Pará and Pernambuco - and abroad - Argentina and Portugal. Among the body of researchers of the Institute of Democracy and Democratization of Communication are sociologists, political scientists, jurists, historians, communicologists mostly CNPq researchers 1. These researchers are experts in the areas of public opinion, democracy, justice and citizenship, structuring themes of the institute's work. The Institute of Democracy and Democratization of Communication will also have as one of its central axes the evaluation of how communication technologies can improve the performance of democracy. This part will be held in close collaboration with the Center for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra (CES / UC).
The search
The research "The Face of Democracy in Brazil" is one of the axes that articulate research on representation, participation and public opinion within the framework of the Institute of Democracy and Democratization of Communication.
The last years have been showing important changes in the behavior, attitudes and values of Brazilian citizens with respect to democracy and its functioning in the country. Some points deserve to be highlighted: the relation with the representative system points to very significant deficits that are expressed in the low degree confidence and evaluation of institutions, the refusal of politics, parties and politicians, and constitute negative perceptions that affect the legitimacy of the system.
In the scope of participation, new forms of activism began to form the forms of organization and mobilization, translating the structural changes of politics into the era of new communication technologies.
The study of the positions and judgments about the political system and the evaluation of its impact on adherence to democracy, as well as the identification of attitudes towards the values of democratic life are some of the points of this research.
Project team
Oswaldo M. E. do Amaral
CESOP / IFCH-UNICAMP
Sérgio Simoni Júnior
CESOP / UNICAMP / PÓS-DOC