The relative deprivation and the activism in protests in Brazil: an investigation about the horizon of possibilities

Abstract

This article analyzes the relationship between relative deprivation and political participation in protests in Brazil, seeking to understand the specific role of the widening of the horizon of possibilities for contesting political activism. The relative deprivation is here understood as "the result of a perception of needs, comparing to others that don't have them, needs that should not exist or that may disappear" (Santos, 2006, p. 148). The gap between the social place one occupies and the level a person assesses that can be reached intensifies when there is expansion of the horizon of possibilities, in other words, the perception that this progression in living conditions is feasible. The larger the gap, the greater the likelihood of engaging in protests (Gurr, 1971). Using Americas Barometer 2012 survey, it was found that the expansion of the horizon of possibilities is in fact related to activism in protests, supporting the hypothesis that the relative deprivation, in the recent history of Brazil, has important influence on political activism.

relative deprivation; protests; horizon of possibilities; political participation