The transformation of social organization and mobilization processes, alongside the emergence of new actors and conflicts, is a global phenomenon that coincides with the crisis of democracy, growing social vulnerability caused by liberalizing policies, the rise of the populist far-right, and the increasingly central role of digital communication technologies. These phenomena both reflect and drive changes in the makeup of civil society and in the relationships between its actors and the state. This broad and complex process of reconfiguring interactions between civil society and the state in Brazil is the focus of this INCT.
Following a period of center-left governments that strengthened social policies and established spaces for social organizations and movements to participate in public policymaking, the 2010s were marked by protests criticizing the political system, calls for presidential impeachment, and the growing influence of conservative civil society actors and far-right political organizations in the public sphere. As a result, the ways in which civil society interacts with the political and party system – as well as with state agents, government agencies, market actors, and market arenas – are changing. Relationships within civil society are also shifting, paving the way for a variety of counter-movements.
To address these transformations, INCT Participa brings together a wide network of researchers and civil society organizations committed to producing knowledge aimed at intervention. This network stands out for its disciplinary diversity, nationwide presence, recognized expertise, and a long history of collaboration. Committed to producing advanced knowledge, training new researchers, enhancing state capacities, strengthening civil society efforts, and promoting internationalization, the network focuses on three research areas: participation, associativism, and political contention.
