Between "PiG" and "Mensalão": analyzing political myths as a way to find connections among the political, cultural, social and economic realities in contemporary Brazil

• Grant number: 12/22657-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2013
• End date: June 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Sociology - Other specific Sociologies
• Principal Investigator: Roberto Grün
• Grantee: Roberto Grün
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

I'm attempting to demonstrate the potential of the study of contemporary political mythologies on the understanding of the real social and political dynamics. The theoretical inspiration come from the principles of Durkheim's and Bourdieu's sociology whereby the formation and maintenance of social and political groups is built around some shared ideas at the same time solidify the groups and solidify the myths. I'll use in the demonstration the pair "PIG x Mensalão" extracted from the Brazilian current political struggles for which I intend to make a conceptual archaeology and an analysis of diffusion and of the diffusers of the two myths. I intend to demonstrate that the building of the two native concepts have more to do with symbolic dynamics and politics than with the possible existence of a "conspiracy of elites instrumented by mainstream media" or the "malevolent nature of Lula and his political followers". Such native assessments are needed for the political game in which are inserted but, for the purposes and according to the demonstration they are unverifiables. (AU)