Brazilian Research and Studies Center
The Brazilian Studies and Research Center (BRaS) is a non-profit and independent network research center based in Würzburg, Germany. BRaS produces and disseminates relevant social-science research with a focus on Brazil. The center’s core mission is to promote throughout the world scientific research on Brazil with a focus on its political, social, economic, and cultural development. Moreover, the BRaS are committed to the principle of science with and for society.
Majority influence in proportional elections: the case of Brazilian mayors and city councilors
Brazil has the most fragmented party system in the world. In 2018, 30 parties obtained at least one seat in the Lower House, with the effective number of parties being 16.4. This value is pointed out by several analysts as one of the obstacles to governance, given that the presidential party usually does not win a majority in the Legislature and must resort to multiparty coalitions to govern and to remain in office. The diagnosis of the fragmentation of the party system was accompanied by several attempts at treatment.
The 2020 Brazilian municipal elections as a test for Bolsonaro’s increasing popularity
The first round of the upcoming municipal elections in Brazil will take place on 15th November of this year, with over a one-month delay due to the coronavirus pandemic[1]. Both the public and scholars will need to wait a little bit to unfold the many expectations that come with these elections. Of course, each election entails some degree of expectation, especially in a country such as Brazil, where there is a high party fragmentation and an unstable party system, and thus a high degree of uncertainty about who the winners will be. However, two contextual facts make these elections more interesting to both the public’s and scholars’ eyes.
Self-regulation on a local credit union
Cooperation is a collective action between two or more people, for a common purpose. Records in cooperation exist throughout the history of humankind, and various forms of cooperation between humans have been noticed since antiquity. The action is as old as human relations. Every day individuals have helped each other to overcome obstacles or to defend themselves from the weather, diseases, hunger, misery, etc. This concept is also related to modern times and is used in organizations that are called cooperatives.
In Between Fields of Research: Where Does Cultural Studies Stand?
When I was invited to write about the field of research I am working in, I was overwhelmed by the fact that I have my doubts on how to describe it. I had never heard about Cultural Studies before. It was only when I was accepted at the Ph.D. program on Heritages of Portuguese Influence at the University of Coimbra in Portugal, that those words started to make sense.
Academic staff
M.A. Anna Bennech
DFG research fellow and Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of Würzburg
M.A. Claudia Pires de Castro
Masters student in Political Science at the University of Vienna
M.A. Giovanna Imbernon
Ph.D. candidate in Cultural Studies at the University of Coimbra (CES/IIIUC)
Guilherme Souza
MSc Candidate in Environmental Risks and Human Security at the United Nations University and the University of Bonn.
M.A. Jayane Maia
GIGA Research Fellow and PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Hamburg
M.A. Lucas Thixbai Fraga
Ph.D. Candidate in Public Policy at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
M.A. Matheus Jones Zago
DFG research fellow and Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at University of Würzburg
M.A. Matheus Lucas Hebling
Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP)
M.A. Thaís Cavalcante Martins
Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar)
Dr. Eric Nogueira Andrade
Junior Ph.D. researcher
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Research groups
This research group investigates various forms of social and political attitudes and political dynamics in Brazil. It deals with the impact of social and institutional change, at the national and local levels, on the political regime, the processes of political participation and accountability, the electoral and party systems, the interplay between elites and society, and on the public policymaking. Its research agenda also includes the determinants of political support and behavior, the consequences of informal practices, such as clientelism and corruption, on the rule of law, the role of new media technologies on politics, the process of democratization and measures of transitional justice, and the relationship between democracy, citizenship, and violence, with an emphasis on the role played by the civil society.
This research group examines the mechanisms and interventions that lead (or not) to greater economic growth, focusing on three key topics: i) the impacts of welfare policies on economic growth, inclusiveness, and sustainability; ii) the relationships between labour, and both productive system and social-political systems; and iii) the effects of international cooperation and global socio-economic transitions on growth and structural change in Brazil. By focusing on the exchange between economy, society, and labour, it addresses the conditions by which individuals can participate amply in economic and social life, as well as the changes in social and labour relations thanks to the capitalization of the economy. Its research agenda also covers how global challenges such as climate change, and attempts at promoting global governance impact on the Brazilian economic growth.
This research group studies identities and social differences, particularly the formation of collective identities and the process of inclusiveness in Brazilian society. Reflections on racial, gender and ethnic inequalities based on the dialogue between political and social theories are welcomed, as well as studies on the production and diffusion of collective memory and values, and their relationship with power and culture. It also encompasses studies on religiousness, nationalism, ideologies, and the applicability of human rights to minority or marginalized groups. Finally, it addresses the connections between ideas, discourses, and agency, seeking to grasp how significant ideas and discourses arise and spread, which actors play a role in this process, and how the state and non-state actors take these ideas.
This research group focuses on discussions about ontology, epistemology, teaching and research, and their different methods, and how they are used in Brazilian studies. Moreover, it seeks to analyze the processes of production and circulation of different forms of knowledge (scientific, indigenous, empirical, theoretical) and their effects on cultural and social development. It also investigates relations between theoretical and methodological schemes and the repercussions of epistemological frameworks on the ways of thinking the social sciences. It connects the construction of analytical and interpretative models with approaches such as modernity, post-modernity, globalization, and post-colonialism. Its research agenda also entails reflections of conceptual vocabularies and logical-discursive formations, including the cognitive and social aspects of human language
This research group aims to discuss new trends in educational, scientific, and technology policies, including their impacts on the national development process. It discusses the participation of various social actors in the elaboration of these policies: the State, the productive sector, and the scientific community. It also investigates the conditions and new practices for the production of scientific and technological knowledge, considering the context of globalization, the democratization of society, the center-periphery relations, as well as their impacts on Brazilian society. Its research agenda also comprise emerging educational issues such as the diversification and evolution of higher education over time, institutional assessment, and the training of professional and scientific staff.
- masters’ or Ph.D. students/candidates in Political Science or correlated areas;
- former experience with independent and original research on the political, social and economic situation in Brazil;
- full work proficiency in English (German knowledge will be a differential);
- availability to dedicate a few hours per month to academic activities.
- review scientific abstracts and papers;
- organization of books and annals of events;
- support for publications by BRaS members.
- fees exemptions in BRaS’ events;
- contact and interaction with an international researchers’ network;
- experience in organizing academic publications and reviewing academic productions;
- contact with institutions in Europe and Brazil.