Social movements and protest in Brazil

In Chapter 7, we address social movements and protest in Brazil. Though Brazil might have a reputation as an easy-going, fun-loving country, it also has a long history of intense social conflict and collective mobilization. Social movements have long faced difficult struggles, battling an authoritarian and often violent state apparatus (particularly during the twentieth century), as well as hegemonic and nationalist discourses that undermine their efforts. Since Brazil’s return to democracy in the 1980s, social movements have grown enormously and today play significant roles in social and political debate. Alongside struggles for land, housing, and resources are numerous groups challenging Brazil’s legacy of racial discrimination, gender inequality, and homophobia. Not to be overlooked are new technologies like social media that are having profound impacts on the ways social movements organize, evidenced by Brazil’s 2013 street protests. We consider these questions in this chapter, suggesting that collective mobilization may be entering a new phase thanks to new organizational strategies and increasing attention paid to intersectional identities.