Political and social participation in mediatized society: analysis of the relationship between communication, citizenship and social movements in Portugal

Abstract

The studies developed by this researcher from 2014 with the Postgraduate Program in Communication of Unesp and with the Research Group Media Communication and Social Movements, which mostly deal with the relationship between communication, citizenship and social movements in the Brazilian context, they suggest the importance of the media for the configuration of contemporary society, for the formation of sociability, for citizen participation and for the performance of social movements. After studying the Brazilian context, some questions raised the proposition of a research that could answer how this relationship occurs in other democracies, especially those that have a regulated media system distinct from Brazil, but with some historical-cultural proximity, verified in the so-called Lusophone space. Considering the regulation of communication and the historical and cultural aspects of Portuguese society, we intend to understand how the relationship between communication, citizenship and social movements in Portugal is established. Specifically, this research aims to: a) Analyze the performance of social movements in Portugal and how they relate to the media of that country, based on the example of the performance of Casa do Brasil de Lisboa and UMAR - Union of Women Alternative and Response; b) Understand the structure of the Portuguese media system and the proposal for media regulation, namely the action of the Communication Regulatory Authority, with a view to estimating the potential of political and social participation that this system offers. We propose a bibliographic research and in-depth interview with activists members of social movements, whose results will be analyzed from the interpretation and construction of meanings, as indicated by the qualitative method that characterizes this research. By proposing research in Portugal and considering the regulation of social communication of that country, we hope to contribute to the understanding of the relationship between communication, citizenship and social movements as a global phenomenon, in full development, estimating the potential of different regulatory experiences and their impact on citizenship and political and social participation. (AU)