Social movements and the city: an analysis of the recent forms of collective action in Belo Horizonte

Abstract

The contemporary environment has an inherent diversity of social participation forms, pluralization of the movements and forms of collective action. In Belo Horizonte, in addition to the manifestations associated with national issues since 2013, it is possible to notice an increase of social movements that are redefining the city of Belo Horizonte by questioning its mercantilization, claiming for the right to the city, a more inclusive appropriation of the urban space and aspects related to social inclusion and democratization of the municipal management. This exploratory and qualitative work addresses the social movements in the city of Belo Horizonte in the last decade, with guidelines referred to the city and the right to the city, aiming to analyze how forms of collective action, through several repertories, including interaction with the local government. By the review of theoretical developments related to social movements, it is sought to understand who the actors are and how they were constituted in collective actors, what are the shared meanings and especially, what agendas and repertoires of actions and interaction with local government and what are the consequences of their acting.