Public Sociology and the Rights of Citizenship in Brazil: Critical Assessment and Historical Perspectives

Public sociology is at the origin of the formation of the modern Brazilian sociological field. Between 1960 and 1970, at least two important institutions of sociological research (the Center for Labor and Industrial Sociology at the University of São Paulo, CESIT, and the Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning, CEBRAP) developed the praxis characteristic of public sociology building up links with extra-academic audiences, in particular, radical trade unions and progressive social movements. The purpose of this presentation will be to reconstruct the theoretical and political links between these experiences in public sociology and the current engagement of the Center for the Study of Citizenship Rights (Cenedic), public sociology institute founded at the University of São Paulo in the 1990s by sociologist Francisco de Oliveira. Thus, we intend to debate some tensions between the academic research and social movements fighting for the rights of citizenship which resurfaced with unprecedented strength in Brazil in June 2013.