Socially enforcer authoritarianism: the crimes of may and institutional trust

• Grant number: 24/01660-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: April 01, 2024
• End date: June 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Sociology - Other specific Sociologies
• Principal Investigator: Marcos César Alvarez
• Grantee: Bruna Ferrari
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07923-7 - Center of the Study of Violence - NEV/USP, AP.CEPID

Abstract

The core of this research is centred on the concept of socially enforced authoritarianism. The discussion revolves around the crimes of May, 2006 (henceforth 'crimes of May'), when in response to attacks of members of criminal organizations, policemen invaded communities in the outskirts of the state of São Paulo and executed 454 civilians (most of them black and brown). In this analysis, I will conduct a series of interviews with people who had any type of connection with victims or with the crimes of May, seeking to understand their perceptions about the rule of law, the police, and the justice system in Brazil. Following that, I will triangulate the results with data from previous surveys conducted by the University of São Paulo's Center for Study of Violence (NEV-USP) between 2015 and 2018, aiming to analyze how the crimes of May affected people's perceptions of the functioning of democratic institutions. (AU)