Rousiley C. M. Maia

Participação e deliberação na internet: Um estudo de caso do Orçamento Participativo Digital de Belo Horizonte

This paper aims to examine how political conversations take place on the online forum offered as part of the Digital Participatory Budget (OPD) in a Brazilian city, Belo Horizonte. The authors propose an analytical model based on deliberative theories in order to investigate the discussions over this participatory program. The main sample consists of the messages posted by the users (n=357) on the commentaries section. The results show that reciprocity and reflexivity among interlocutors are rare; however, the respect among the interlocutors and the justification levels in several arguments were high during the discussion. The authors conclude that, even in a situation in which there is no empowerment offered by of the digital tools, the internet can effectively provide environments to enhance a qualified discursive exchange. In spite of low levels of deliberativeness, the case study shows that there are important gains concerning social learning among the participants.

Mediated Deliberation The 2005 Referendum for Banning Firearm Sales in Brazil

This article investigates the role of the news media in constructing mediated deliberation, focusing on how instrumental politics intertwines with critical argument exchanges in public debates. In the context of Brazils recent democratization process, the author analyzes mediated deliberation in the national referendum for banning firearm and ammunition sales in 2005. The following indicators are explored: (1) participant accessibility and characterization, (2) use of arguments, (3) reciprocity and responsiveness, and (4) reflexivity and reversibility of opinions. The article argues that normative deliberation principles add to controversy frame studies by helping understand how contending interlocutors increase the quality and the complexity of reasons in dispute in situations where no consensus or general agreement is expected.

Atores da sociedade civil e ação coletiva: relações com a comunicação de massa

The aim of this paper is to investigate different ways of understanding the relationship that civil society actors establish with the mass media, in order to shape public policies and to communicate with broad audiences. Therefore, we explore two models - one derived from the theories of resources mobilization and political mobilization, and the other derived from the theories of collective identity and recognition. We examine the premises and some theoretical contributions and weaknesses of these models to approach the influence that collective civic actors may exert on the political and civic spheres, through mass media communication. The objective is not to argue that one model should overcome the other, but rather to point out that an integrated model allows for the articulation between the informal arenas of civil society and the formal domains of the political system. It also helps one to distinguish among different forms of communication - such as aesthetic expression, bargain and argumentation, which present different logics, effects and criteria of success.

O papel democrático da sociedade civil em questão

This paper critically assesses some assumptions that lead political and social thinkers of various traditions to emphasize the democratic role of the civil society. Starting with contemporary debates on civil society, the author investigates the concept of civil society and examines the following problems: the view of civic associations as exclusively democratic citizenship-promoting agents; the celebration of localism and the power of communities to the detriment of the role of the Estate; the unavoidable tensions between the affirmation of personal interests and collective solidarity; and several levels of articulations between civil participation and institutionalization required to revitalize democracy. This assessment leads to the conclusion that the decline of enthusiasm should not be mistaken for the decline of the importance of civil society for the future of democracy.

Recognition, feelings of injustice and claim justification: a case study of deaf people's storytelling on the internet

This paper argues that Honneths theory of recognition opens promising venues for exploring the role of emotion in politics, particularly when issues of injustice are at stake. While endorsing Honneths view that ‘feelings of injustice’ are an important source for intelligibility of injustice, and that disadvantaged individuals need to build a ‘shared interpretative framework’ in struggles for recognition, this article contends that a more nuanced account of discursive justification is required to deal with dissent and moral disagreement. As a response to this problem, we suggest that Honneths approach of subjective reaction to injury as violation of conditions to practical identity can be brought together with notions of discursive justification in the Habermasian fashion. Through an empirically based analysis – using storytelling of deaf people gathered in two virtual environments: (a) the website of the main Brazilian organization for deaf persons (FENEIS), and (b) Orkut, an online social network – this paper evinces that subjects not only articulate feelings of injustice or claims for recognition in everyday experience, but also usually engage in interpretation, judgment and justification of such claims. Results show that Honneths theory of recognition, when articulated with a notion of discursive justification, can better equip scholars concerned with practices that aim to overcome injustice.

Análise indireta de enquadramentos da mídia: uma alternativa metodológica para a identificação de frames culturais

Este trabalho tem o objetivo de formular uma metodologia para a analise indireta de enquadramentos da midia. Nosso argumento principal e o de que a codificacao de elementos mais explicitos no texto, ao inves da codificacao do enquadramento como variavel singular, propicia maior validade e confiabilidade a analise. O artigo e divido em tres partes: primeiro, exploramos os procedimentos metodologicos tradicionalmente empregados na frame analysis; na sequencia, propomos alguns metodos para a identificacao indireta de enquadramentos; por fim, aplicamos a metodologia a um caso empirico. Adotamos uma perspectiva conceitual que entende os enquadramentos da midia como padroes de interpretacao culturais. Porem, diferentemente de grande parte dos estudos que optam por tal abordagem, identificamos os frames atraves de elementos mais objetivos e explicitos do que o proprio frame.

Recognition and Moral Progress: A Case Study about Discourses on Disability in the Media

This article aims to discuss the notion of moral progress in the theory of recognition. It argues that Axel Honneths program offers sophisticated theoretical guidance to observe and critically interpret emancipatory projects in contemporary politics based on ideas of individuality and social inclusiveness. Using a case study — the investigation, through frame analysis, of transformations in the portrayal of people with impairment as well as in public discourses on the issue of disability in major Brazilian news media from 1960 to 2008 — this article addresses three controversies: the notion of progress as a directional process; the problem of moral disagreement and conflict of interest in struggles for recognition; and the processes of social learning. By articulating empirically based arguments and Honneths normative discussions, this study concludes that one can talk about moral progress without losing sight of value pluralism and conflict of interest.

Poderia a deliberação enriquecer o reconhecimento

O presente artigo busca discutir como a nocao de deliberacao publica pode dar resposta a alguns dos problemas enfrentados pela teoria do reconhecimento. Para tanto, realizamos um estudo de caso sobre a luta das pessoas atingidas pela hanseniase por recursos financeiros, com foco na indenizacao dos exilados sanitarios. Concluimos que uma ampla deliberacao social acerca de politicas de reconhecimento geraria ganhos epistemicos e de legitimidade, alem de implementar, na pratica, a nocao de um telos em espiral.

Do pessoal ao político-legal: estratégias do jornalismo para enquadrar os movimentos gays

Este artigo busca compreender as consequencias das mobilizacoes dos movimentos GLBT (Gays, Lesbicas, Bissexuais e Transgeneros) para a introducao de novos temas na esfera de visibilidade constituida pelos media1 . Problematiza-se, em particular, a construcao de enquadramentos pelos jornalistas, em relacao as praticas dos atores sociais com metas, interesses ou mensagens conflitantes. Como jornais e revistas informativas de grande alcance lidam com questoes controversas que envolvem esse coletivo?

Recognition and ideology: assessing justice and injustice in the case of child domestic labor

Some cases of injustice are hardly perceived as such by individuals who experience them, even when there are established legal frameworks, public policies and social mobilization to combat a particular situation of injustice. This chapter examines one of these situations, namely child domestic labor (CDL), a deep-rooted socio-cultural practice found in many parts of the world. Our study focuses on CDL in Belem, the state capital of Para, in Northern Brazil, where the International Labor Organization (ILO) has implanted a pilot program combating child work.