Um Referente Fora de Foco: Sobre a Representatividade do Sindicalismo no Brasil
<abstract language="eng">In the academic debate, Brazilian unionism has been characterized both as representative and as non-representative – with defenders of both positions grounding their arguments in the same basic facts. Taking issue with these interpretations, the article quest...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
1997-01-01
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| Series: | Dados: Revista de Ciências Sociais |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0011-52581997000200001 |
| _version_ | 1818289668459855872 |
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| author | Adalberto Moreira Cardoso |
| author_facet | Adalberto Moreira Cardoso |
| author_sort | Adalberto Moreira Cardoso |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <abstract language="eng">In the academic debate, Brazilian unionism has been characterized both as representative and as non-representative – with defenders of both positions grounding their arguments in the same basic facts. Taking issue with these interpretations, the article questions whether or not union membership is a suitable measure of representation. If, given Brazil’s corporative union structure, unions do not need to recruit members, to what extent can membership serve as an adequate measurement of union representation? Precisely what do union membership rates measure, and precisely what does it mean to "represent workers" in Brazil? The article first offers a conceptual discussion of the relationship between union membership and representation. The thesis is that in Brazil the former does not suffice as a measurement of the latter. But if the union membership rate is high, what is it measuring in any case? The second part of the text explores the empirical side of the question, through analysis of a 1994 survey conducted within four occupational categories. It becomes clear that membership rates are indicative of the degree to which the union makes its presence felt in the life of those it represents. But it also becomes clear that in and of itself this rate does not account for the complexity of the relations between the rank-and-file and union leaders. In short, the referent is blurry – but it is there. The text seeks to lend it greater conceptual and empirical clarity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:15:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ad2f3418c44741dbb52fccb6fb700ee4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0011-5258 1678-4588 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:15:56Z |
| publishDate | 1997-01-01 |
| publisher | Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Dados: Revista de Ciências Sociais |
| spelling | doaj.art-ad2f3418c44741dbb52fccb6fb700ee42022-12-22T00:02:53ZengUniversidade do Estado do Rio de JaneiroDados: Revista de Ciências Sociais0011-52581678-45881997-01-0140210.1590/S0011-52581997000200001Um Referente Fora de Foco: Sobre a Representatividade do Sindicalismo no BrasilAdalberto Moreira Cardoso<abstract language="eng">In the academic debate, Brazilian unionism has been characterized both as representative and as non-representative – with defenders of both positions grounding their arguments in the same basic facts. Taking issue with these interpretations, the article questions whether or not union membership is a suitable measure of representation. If, given Brazil’s corporative union structure, unions do not need to recruit members, to what extent can membership serve as an adequate measurement of union representation? Precisely what do union membership rates measure, and precisely what does it mean to "represent workers" in Brazil? The article first offers a conceptual discussion of the relationship between union membership and representation. The thesis is that in Brazil the former does not suffice as a measurement of the latter. But if the union membership rate is high, what is it measuring in any case? The second part of the text explores the empirical side of the question, through analysis of a 1994 survey conducted within four occupational categories. It becomes clear that membership rates are indicative of the degree to which the union makes its presence felt in the life of those it represents. But it also becomes clear that in and of itself this rate does not account for the complexity of the relations between the rank-and-file and union leaders. In short, the referent is blurry – but it is there. The text seeks to lend it greater conceptual and empirical clarity.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0011-52581997000200001representation theoryunion representationcorporative union structureBrazil |
| spellingShingle | Adalberto Moreira Cardoso Um Referente Fora de Foco: Sobre a Representatividade do Sindicalismo no Brasil Dados: Revista de Ciências Sociais representation theory union representation corporative union structure Brazil |
| title | Um Referente Fora de Foco: Sobre a Representatividade do Sindicalismo no Brasil |
| title_full | Um Referente Fora de Foco: Sobre a Representatividade do Sindicalismo no Brasil |
| title_fullStr | Um Referente Fora de Foco: Sobre a Representatividade do Sindicalismo no Brasil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Um Referente Fora de Foco: Sobre a Representatividade do Sindicalismo no Brasil |
| title_short | Um Referente Fora de Foco: Sobre a Representatividade do Sindicalismo no Brasil |
| title_sort | um referente fora de foco sobre a representatividade do sindicalismo no brasil |
| topic | representation theory union representation corporative union structure Brazil |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0011-52581997000200001 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adalbertomoreiracardoso umreferenteforadefocosobrearepresentatividadedosindicalismonobrasil |