ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the process of negotiation among the movements, the parties, and the state apparatus, to better understand the way new sociopolitical identities are forged. These identities stem from the popular movements' continuous interaction with various collaborators. The chapter then returns to the popular movements' contribution to Brazilian society's democratization process. In the final years of the military regime, some public agencies began to encourage contact between public officials and the population targeted by social service policies. Popular associations established direct dialogue with sectors of the public administration. Although the contribution of popular movements toward institutionalizing participation depends on their interlocution with other actors, their role in inducing change in popular political culture is conditioned by the extent of their autonomy. The focus on the popular movements has shown that their dynamic depends on the interaction and that, when space for participation opens, changes in the balance of power do occur, allowing for greater, although still restricted, popular autonomy.
