Brazilian cultural policies during the workers’ party governments: challenges for the development of cultural citizenship

ABSTRACT

The presidential elections that brought the Workers’ Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores, or PT) to federal power represented a new moment for Brazil with the implementation of democratic, inclusive and sovereign policies. In the area of culture, the Ministry of Culture reclaimed a leadership role for the State and developed public policies with the critical participation of civil society. During the administrations of presidents Luis Inácio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff, culture finally reached a new level. This article seeks to determine to what extent the cultural policies undertaken by these administrations promoted cultural citizenship. Based on a study of the course of cultural policies in the country, we argue that despite a conceptual and ideological orientation in this direction, the Ministry was unable to surpass certain barriers and overcome longstanding problems.

KEYWORDS:

• Cultural policies
• cultural citizenship
• democratic state

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The impeachment is considered an institutional coup organised by dissidents in the administration, members of the legislative and judicial branches and the mainstream media.

2. One of the founders and an active militant of the PT, Chauí led the Municipal Secretariat of Culture of São Paulo (1989–1992).

3. Although we do not address differences between the two administrations and treat the policies developed during this period together, it should be emphasised that the political and cultural level achieved between 2003 and 2010 declined between 2011 and 2016.

4. During this period, some actions were implemented in the area of physical patrimony, libraries and the publication of legislation on intangible patrimony.

5. During the administration of President Fernando Collor de Mello (1990–1992), two conferences were held: during the administration of President Itamar Augusto Catiero Franco (1992–1994), six were held; during the administration of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995–2002), 17 were held; during the administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2002–2010), 74 were held; and during the first term of President Dilma Vana da Silva Rousseff’s administration (2011–2014), 28 were held (Aragão 2013; Brasil 2015).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Antonio Albino Canelas Rubim

Antonio Albino Canelas Rubim: PhD in Sociology from the University of São Paulo and postdoctoral degree in Cultural Policies from the University of Buenos Aires and San Martin University. PhD Professor at the Multidisciplinary Graduate Program in Culture and Society in Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) . Researcher at the Center for Multidisciplinary Studies in Culture in UFBA. I-A Researcher at CNPq. Former Secretary of Culture of the State of Bahia/Brazil.

Sophia Cardoso Rocha

Sophia Cardoso Rocha: PhD Student at the Multidisciplinary Graduate Program in Culture and Society in Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). Master degree in Culture and Society in UFBA. Graduated in Production in Communication and Culture, by the Faculty of Communication of UFBA, and in Law, by the Catholic University of Salvador. Researcher at the Center for Multidisciplinary Studies in Culture in UFBA