Do Internacional ao Subnacional: uma Contribuição quanto a Inserção do Nordeste na Internacionalização de Políticas Públicas

Public policy international diffusion studies have gained relevance in the international specialized literature since the 90s. Among other reasons for the potential to allow the recognition of the real influence that international relations have in the production of local policies. Nevertheless, this debate is still incipient in Brazil. Especially when we adjust the focus to subnational agents in peripheral regions. This article is a contribution to the deepening of the debate along with the intention to support the focus adjustment. It has had the goal to present the results achieved in a research effort conducted by the integration of the extension and the teaching. The integration took place through the training course in Public Policy and International Diffusion, presented in the article, which resulted in the research design and execution of internationalized public policy mapping in the states of the brazilian northeast and the diagnosis of the field in the brazilian research with emphasis in the inclusion of the region. It has been made a study of the state of the art in the diffusion research which confirmed the incipience, already identified by other authors, and has led to the recognition of the Northeastern insertion as well as an object as productor of the analysis. With the mapping there were identified import experiences and also exportation of public policies led by different northeast states, signaling the regional participation in the international scenario of public policies diffusion.Los estudios sobre la difusión internacional de políticas públicas cobraron relevancia en la literatura especializada internacional a partir de la década de los 90. Entre otras razones, por el potencial de permitir el reconocimiento de los contornos reales de la influencia de las relaciones internacionales en la producción de políticas locales. Sin embargo, el debate aún está en pañales en Brasil. Especialmente cuando nos enfocamos en entidades subnacionales en regiones periféricas. Este artículo es una contribución a la profundización de este debate, con el fin de apoyar el ajuste del enfoque. Se pretendía difundir los resultados obtenidos en un esfuerzo de investigación realizado desde la integración con la extensión y la docencia. La integración se realizó a través del curso de extensión / capacitación en Políticas Públicas y Difusión Internacional, presentado en el artículo, que resultó en el diseño de la investigación y ejecución del mapeo de políticas públicas internacionalizadas en los estados del Nordeste y en el diagnóstico del campo de investigación con énfasis en la inserción de la región. El relevamiento del estado del arte de la investigación divulgativa confirmó lo incipiente, ya identificado por otros autores, y permitió reconocer la inserción del Nordeste como objeto y como productor de los análisis. Con el mapeo se identificaron experiencias en la importación y exportación de políticas públicas lideradas por diferentes estados del Nordeste, señalando la participación regional en el escenario internacional de difusión de políticas públicas.Os estudos sobre difusão internacional de políticas públicas ganharam relevância na literatura internacional especializada desde os anos 1990. Dentre outros motivos, pelo potencial de permitir o reconhecimento dos contornos reais da influência das relações internacionais na produção das políticas locais. Contudo, o debate ainda é incipiente no Brasil. Principalmente quando ajustamos o foco sobre entes subnacionais em regiões periféricas. Este artigo é uma contribuição para o aprofundamento deste debate, com a intenção de apoiar o ajuste de foco. Ele teve por objetivo apresentar os resultados alcançados em um esforço de pesquisa realizado a partir da integração com a extensão e o ensino. A integração se deu por meio do curso de extensão/capacitação em Políticas Públicas e Difusão Internacional, apresentado no artigo, do qual resultou o desenho de investigação e execução do mapeamento das políticas públicas internacionalizadas dos estados do nordeste brasileiro e o diagnóstico do campo na pesquisa brasileira com destaque para a inserção da região. O levantamento do estado da arte das pesquisas sobre difusão, confirmou a incipiência, já identificada por outros autores, e permitiu reconhecer a inserção do Nordeste tanto como objeto quanto como produtor das análises. Com o mapeamento foram identificadas experiências de importação e, também, de exportação de políticas públicas lideradas por diferentes estados nordestinos, sinalizando a participação regional no cenário internacional de difusão de políticas públicas

The profession of brujeria on spiritual entrepreneurship in Puerto Rico

This study explores the commodification of witchcraft (brujeria) in an urban, capitalist context in Puerto Rico. Against the predictions of the Enlightenment, witchcraft has not disappeared with modernity; it has selectively changed its modus operandi to adapt to the new social space of consumer capitalism and transnationalism. Due to what appears to be a kind of cultural Darwinism and a historic disregard for orthodoxy, the Puerto Rican blend of Kardecean Spiritism, popular Mediterranean Catholicism, and Afro-Latin witchcraft and magic is a winning combination that offers an answer to the ambiguities of a society guided by late consumer capitalism and the welfare state. A historic perspective and a survey of the public debate about witchcraft adds to the ethnographic research, providing a comparative view on the relationships of the state and global discourses to brujeria since Spanish Catholic colonial rule, the process of nineteenth century nation-state building, until the total separation of State and religion under U.S. rule. Witches, after centuries of religious change that transformed them from heretics to charlatans, operate today in a commodified laissez-faire social space as spiritual entrepreneurs. Brujeria lives and thrives in a transnational world and a post-capitalist society, turning the contemporary social space of witchcraft into an arena of complex interests and threats. The transnational circulation of goods and people has increased the pool of saints, deities, charms, prayers and potions to draw from in order to summon the occult forces that help to attain personal power and material success. This dissertation tests a major and potentially controversial question: must witchcraft be relegated to the exotic or the subversive? Rather, this research is proof of a safe coexistence and/or deep connection of witchcraft and capitalism which flies in the face of any attempt to perceive human action in dual terms. Brujeria today has elevated material success to a morally and spiritually grounded ethos; viz., a calling and a blessing. This form of spiritualized materialism is simultaneously recharging the reproductive energies of brujeria and consumer capitalism

The profession of brujeria on spiritual entrepreneurship in Puerto Rico

This study explores the commodification of witchcraft (brujeria) in an urban, capitalist context in Puerto Rico. Against the predictions of the Enlightenment, witchcraft has not disappeared with modernity; it has selectively changed its modus operandi to adapt to the new social space of consumer capitalism and transnationalism. Due to what appears to be a kind of cultural Darwinism and a historic disregard for orthodoxy, the Puerto Rican blend of Kardecean Spiritism, popular Mediterranean Catholicism, and Afro-Latin witchcraft and magic is a winning combination that offers an answer to the ambiguities of a society guided by late consumer capitalism and the welfare state. A historic perspective and a survey of the public debate about witchcraft adds to the ethnographic research, providing a comparative view on the relationships of the state and global discourses to brujeria since Spanish Catholic colonial rule, the process of nineteenth century nation-state building, until the total separation of State and religion under U.S. rule. Witches, after centuries of religious change that transformed them from heretics to charlatans, operate today in a commodified laissez-faire social space as spiritual entrepreneurs. Brujeria lives and thrives in a transnational world and a post-capitalist society, turning the contemporary social space of witchcraft into an arena of complex interests and threats. The transnational circulation of goods and people has increased the pool of saints, deities, charms, prayers and potions to draw from in order to summon the occult forces that help to attain personal power and material success. This dissertation tests a major and potentially controversial question: must witchcraft be relegated to the exotic or the subversive? Rather, this research is proof of a safe coexistence and/or deep connection of witchcraft and capitalism which flies in the face of any attempt to perceive human action in dual terms. Brujeria today has elevated material success to a morally and spiritually grounded ethos; viz., a calling and a blessing. This form of spiritualized materialism is simultaneously recharging the reproductive energies of brujeria and consumer capitalism

Ritual Piracy or Creolization with an Attitude

Discusses a renewed view on "creolization", in relation to the Caribbean's social and cultural history. Author first points at the different creolization theories, noting a recurrence in these of the concepts of "mixture", "creative mixture", or "dialogue" between cultures, and describes how such "harmonious mix" views of creolization influenced forms of nationalism and nation building in the Caribbean, thereby blurring inequalities. She, however, points at the unequal power relations, or "contentious constitution", historically involved in creolization processes, with hegemonic (cultural and religious) colonial power over and against so-called superstitious or other vernacular interpretations. With a specific focus on late-19th c. creolization processes in urban slave and highland peasant-Maroon societies in Puerto Rico, she further shows how vernacular, magical religions and folk healing rechanneled hegemonic religious symbols, like the cross, to purposes other than those intended by the Church. She calls this a form of "ritual piracy", including tactical mimicry, representing thus subversion from within, but with maintained relations to the hegemonic, complicating the "resistance" aspect

Shimmering Magic: Cross-cultural Explorations of the Aesthetic, Moral, and Mystical Significance of Reflecting and Deflecting Shine

This introduction lays basic theoretical groundwork that helps tie together these different articles on ritual uses of shimmer. Contributors examine not only how contemporary technologies of mass production (tinfoil, plastic sequins) and reproduction (photographs) have entered both iconoclast and iconophile ritual and popular culture spheres; they also illustrate how metaphoric and metonymic forms of agency and presence are attributed to shimmering properties and substances. Contributors have a common purpose in probing the limit of common sense assumptions about the agency of shine as presencing (rather than just representing) the divine