Engineers and Capitalism in Brazil

Based on a partial analysis of an ongoing survey, we have managed to observe that the changes introduced into the Brazilian social and economic environment since 1990 have had a fairly strong impact on the engineers of that country. Both the transformations of the productive structure and the change in type of state intervention (tending towards neo-liberalism) have played an important role in redefining the professional group of engineers and in the formation of collective identities. This article firstly presents the way in which the literature analyses these two transformations and their effects on the reproduction of the professional group of engineers. We then present the first results of a survey carried out amongst Brazilian engineers in 2009. We show (1) the general data constituting the professional group, (2) some developing trends amongst engineers and (3) the various structural cleavages which influence the formation of engineers' opinions towards State policy

Middle class and Brazilian State in the Nineties

This paper is just a part of my doctorate research that studies the professional middleclass of Brazil in the nineties. I will present here the research about the recent BrazilianState modifications and its impact on the middle class. My thesis is that there was amodification in the Brazilian State intervention and that Brazilian conditions ofreproducing white-collar workers have changed. Contrary to the form of the KeynesianState intervention that had included all the middle class, especially the ensemble ofwhite-collar, the Neoliberal Brazilian State has broken up the middle class

Fim da luta de classes? A teoria das classes em poder político e classes sociais a partir de maio de 1968 e sua peculiaridade em relação à corrente Althusseriana

Departing from sociological interpretations inspired by May of 1968, this article attempts to revive the centrality of the theory of social classes for the understanding of the different social movements and collective organizations. To that end, it departs from the contributions of Nicos Poulantzas’s Political Power and Social Classes, attempting to determine its peculiarities, advances and limits en relation to the process of renovation of Marxism, in general, and the Althusserian current, in particular. The general thesis is that this work has a theory of social classes in a practical state, whose principle characteristic is the primacy of social practices in the delimitation of social classes

O trotskismo e o capitalismo neoliberal no Brasil : Democracia Socialista, PSTU e O Trabalho - uma analise das campanhas eleitorais de 1998 e 2002

Orientador : Armando Boito JuniorDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências humanasMestrad

Engineer, politics and society in the context of Brazilian capitalist restructuring

Orientador: Armando Boito JuniorTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, Université de ProvenceResumo: A tese tem como objeto de estudo o grupo profissional dos engenheiros brasileiros face às transformações políticas e econômicas que ocorreram no país após os anos 1990, respectivamente, a adoção das políticas neoliberais e a reestruturação produtiva. Analisa como as diferentes frações do grupo profissional foram afetadas por essas transformações e como suas distintas organizações de interesse agiram na conjuntura política. De um lado, mostra como a partir da combinação das políticas de abertura comercial, de desregulamentação financeira, de privatizações e de reforma do Estado existe uma tendência de aumento da participação do setor privado na economia e de crescente dependência financeira, patrimonial e tecnológica em relação ao exterior, transformando qualitativamente as atividades relacionadas à engenharia. De outro lado, a tese sugere que as políticas de desregulamentação do mercado de trabalho, de reforma da previdência e de focalização dos gastos sociais do Estado tiveram um efeito sobre o grupo profissional no sentido de uma tendência à individualização da gestão de carreira e do bem-estar. A partir de análises quantitativas entre os engenheiros e qualitativas entre estes e suas organizações de interesses, a tese tem como foco central de análise a evolução histórico política do grupo profissional. Parte, num primeiro momento, da descrição da literatura que trata das organizações de interesse dos engenheiros nos anos 1970 e 1980 para, num segundo momento, estudar de modo aprofundado como essas organizações agiram na conjuntura política da década de 1990 e início dos anos 2000. Também faz uma análise exploratória do perfil político dos engenheiros das empresas estatais, em especial da Petrobras, em comparação direta com as transformações ocorridas nas suas situações de trabalho. De um modo geral, a tese defende que a dinâmica das lutas macrossociais exerce um peso considerável no posicionamento político das diferentes frações do grupo profissional e de suas organizações de interesseResumé: L'objet d'étude de notre thèse correspond au groupe professionnel des ingénieurs brésiliens face aux transformations politiques et économiques menées au Brésil dans les années 1990 et 2000, notamment l'introduction des politiques néolibérales et de la restructuration productive. La thèse analyse comment les différentes fractions du groupe professionnel ont été touchées par ces transformations et comment ses distinctes organisations d'intérêt ont agit dans la conjoncture politique. D'un coté, la thèse montre comment la combinatoires des politiques d'ouverture commerciale, de déréglementation financière, de privatisations et de reforme de l'État sont liées à l'augmentation de la participation du secteur privé dans l'économie et à la croissante dépendance financière, technologique et patrimoniale du pays envers l'extérieur. D'autre par, la thèse suggère que les politiques de déréglementation du marche de travail, de reforme du système de retraites et de focalisations des dépenses sociales de l'État ont eu un effet sur le groupe professionnel : il y a une croissante tendance d'individualisation de la gestion de la carrière et du bien-être. A partir d'une étude quantitative avec des ingénieurs et qualitative entre ceux et leurs organisations d'intérêt, notre thèse est ciblée sur l'analyse de l'évolution historique et politique du groupe professionnel. Elle part, dans un premier moment, de la description de la littérature que porte sur les organisations d'intérêt des ingénieurs dans les années 1970 et 1980 et analyse, dans un deuxième moment, la façon dont ces organisations ont agit dans la conjoncture politique des années 1990 et 2000. La thèse fait également une analyse exploratoire des profils politiques des ingénieurs des entreprises étatiques, en spéciale la Petrobras, en les comparant directement avec les transformations dans leurs rapports de travail. D'une manière plus générale, notre thèse soutient que la dynamique des luttes macrosociales a d'influence considérable sur le positionnement politique des différentes fractions du groupe professionnel et de ses organisations d'intérêtAbstract: This thesis analyses Brazilian engineers professional group in the context of the neoliberal policies and of the productive restructuring. It studies how the fractions of the professional group have been affected by these structural transformations and how their different political organizations have reacted in the political conjuncture. On one hand, the thesis shows how the combination of opening up the economy, privatization, States' reform and financial liberalization could raise private sector activities and Brazilian economic dependence. This thesis describes how both transformations have been qualitatively touched engineers activities. On the other hand, it suggests that the liberalization of labor market, the reform of the public retirement system and the policies of focusing State social investments have had an effect on the professional group: a trend towards an individual career and well being management. Through quantitative analyses amongst engineers and qualitative studies among them and their interest organizations, the thesis focuses on analyzing the evolution of political history of the professional group. First, it describes the literature which shows the Brazilian engineers interest organizations during the 1970s and 1980s. Second, it studies in depth how these organizations have acted in the political context of the 1990s and early 2000s. This thesis also makes an exploratory analysis of the political profiles of the engineers of state companies, particularly Petrobras, in direct comparison with the changes occurring in their labor conditions. In general, the thesis argues that the dynamics of the macrosocial conflicts carries considerable weight in the political positioning of the different fractions of the professional group and its interest organizationsDoutoradoCiencia PoliticaDoutor em Ciência Polític

Ingénieur, politique et société dans le contexte de la restructuration capitaliste brésilienne

Thèse écrite entre mars 2010 et août 2010. Thèse bilingue portugais/françaisThis thesis analyses Brazilian engineers professional group in the context of the neoliberal policies and of the productive restructuring. It studies how the fractions of the professional group have been affected by these structural transformations and how their different political organizations have reacted in the political conjuncture. On one hand, the thesis shows how the combination of opening up the economy, privatization, States' reform and financial liberalization could raise private sector activities and Brazilian economic dependence. This thesis describes how both transformations have been qualitatively touched engineers activities. On the other hand, it suggests that the liberalization of labor market, the reform of the public retirement system and the policies of focusing State social investments have had an effect on the professional group: a trend towards an individual career and well being management. Through quantitative analyses amongst engineers and qualitative studies among them and their interest organizations, the thesis focuses on analyzing the evolution of political history of the professional group. First, it describes the literature which shows the Brazilian engineers interest organizations during the 1970s and 1980s. Second, it studies in depth how these organizations have acted in the political context of the 1990s and early 2000s. This thesis also makes an exploratory analysis of the political profiles of the engineers of state companies, particularly Petrobras, in direct comparison with the changes occurring in their labor conditions. In general, the thesis argues that the dynamics of the macrosocial conflicts carries considerable weight in the political positioning of the different fractions of the professional group and its interest organizations.L'objet d'étude de notre thèse correspond au groupe professionnel des ingénieurs brésiliens face aux transformations politiques et économiques menées au Brésil dans les années 1990 et 2000, notamment l'introduction des politiques néolibérales et de la restructuration productive. La thèse analyse comment les différentes fractions du groupe professionnel ont été touchées par ces transformations et comment ses distinctes organisations d'intérêt ont agit dans la conjoncture politique. D'un coté, la thèse montre comment la combinatoires des politiques d'ouverture commerciale, de déréglementation financière, de privatisations et de reforme de l'État sont liées à l'augmentation de la participation du secteur privé dans l'économie et à la croissante dépendance financière, technologique et patrimoniale du pays envers l'extérieur. D'autre par, la thèse suggère que les politiques de déréglementation du marche de travail, de reforme du système de retraites et de focalisations des dépenses sociales de l'État ont eu un effet sur le groupe professionnel : il y a une croissante tendance d'individualisation de la gestion de la carrière et du bien-être. A partir d'une étude quantitative avec des ingénieurs et qualitative entre ceux et leurs organisations d'intérêt, notre thèse est ciblée sur l'analyse de l'évolution historique et politique du groupe professionnel. Elle part, dans un premier moment, de la description de la littérature que porte sur les organisations d'intérêt des ingénieurs dans les années 1970 et 1980 et analyse, dans un deuxième moment, la façon dont ces organisations ont agit dans la conjoncture politique des années 1990 et 2000. La thèse fait également une analyse exploratoire des profils politiques des ingénieurs des entreprises étatiques, en spéciale la Petrobras, en les comparant directement avec les transformations dans leurs rapports de travail. D'une manière plus générale, notre thèse soutient que la dynamique des luttes macrosociales a d'influence considérable sur le positionnement politique des différentes fractions du groupe professionnel et de ses organisations d'intérêt.

: Trends and fractions inside a professional group

The objective of this paper is bring some elements to understand the professional group of Brazilian Engineers in the post-1990 period. It focuses on the relationship between the engineers attitudes and the State policies towards Brazilian development, specially the industrial policy.Le texte apporte quelques éléments pour comprendre le groupe professionnel des ingénieurs au Brésil dans la période postérieure à 1990. Il est ciblé sur la relation entre les opinions politiques des ingénieurs et les politiques d'État, notamment le politique industrielle