Doctoral Dissertation Research in Political Science: Networks and Neighborhoods in Local Politics: The Case of Brazil

政治学博士论文研究：地方政治中的网络和社区：巴西的案例

• 批准号: 0921716
• 负责人: Barry Ames
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: University of Pittsburgh
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-08-15 至 2011-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0921716&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Political; Science

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). How do adults in countries with relatively new democratic systems, such as Brazil, become civically engaged? Brazilian adults often know little about and are unengaged in politics because of high poverty and low educational levels, as well as the newness and complexity of the Brazilian political system. This leads to clientelism, meaning politicians' gifts of material resources to private citizens implicitly or explicitly in exchange for political support, and it ultimately reduces true accountability to voters. This project focuses on how social networks, and especially connections to neighborhood leaders and community groups, can convey critical political information and mobilize people who otherwise would have little interest or incentive to get involved. The researchers hypothesize that people with social networks that are more embedded in their neighborhoods tend to know more about and get more involved in local politics. At the same time, though, they should have greater access to clientelism and be less likely to hold anti-clientelistic norms. A survey of 1400 residents in 40 Brazilian neighborhoods will allow for an examination of how social network connections to fellow residents as well as activists and politicians affect what people learn and whether they choose to participate. In these neighborhoods, the project will focus on both a municipal election and a series of local government forums in which citizens are able to provide input on the municipal budget. In addition, six focus groups will explore patterns of political discussion: when people choose to discuss politics, why, and what they believe they learn from doing so. This study will have a number of social impacts. First, it will help international and domestic policy professionals understand how local civil society groups affect democratic attitudes. This information will be useful in promoting democratization. Second, the results of this research will be made available to non-academic audiences in the two case cities, where local stakeholders are interested in disseminating research on local political behavior. Third, the project will provide hands-on training in research methods to Brazilian social science students.

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111 - 5）资助的。在民主制度相对较新的国家，如巴西，成年人如何参与公民事务？ 巴西的成年人往往对政治知之甚少，也不参与政治，因为他们的贫困程度高，教育水平低，而且巴西的政治制度既新又复杂。 这导致了裙带主义，即政治家含蓄或明确地将物质资源赠送给普通公民，以换取政治支持，并最终减少了对选民的真正责任。 这个项目的重点是社交网络，特别是与邻里领导人和社区团体的联系，如何能够传达关键的政治信息，并动员那些本来没有兴趣或动机参与的人。 研究人员假设，那些拥有更深入社区的社交网络的人往往更了解当地政治，也更参与当地政治。 但与此同时，他们应该有更多的机会接触到客户主义，不太可能持有反客户主义的规范。 一项对巴西40个社区的1400名居民的调查将研究社交网络与其他居民以及活动家和政治家的联系如何影响人们学习的内容以及他们是否选择参与。 在这些社区，该项目将侧重于市政选举和一系列地方政府论坛，公民可以在这些论坛上为市政预算提供投入。 此外，六个焦点小组将探讨政治讨论的模式：当人们选择讨论政治，为什么，以及他们认为他们从这样做中学到了什么。 这项研究将产生许多社会影响。 首先，它将帮助国际和国内政策专业人员了解当地民间社会团体如何影响民主态度。 这些信息将有助于促进民主化。 第二，本研究的结果将提供给两个案例城市的非学术受众，当地利益相关者有兴趣传播当地政治行为的研究。 第三，该项目将向巴西社会科学专业学生提供研究方法方面的实践培训。