Abstract
This paper retrieves elements from the sociological theory applied by Florestan Fernandes in the study of Brazilian society, associating in the explanation the specificities of the historical course with the ambiguous mechanisms of social inclusion of its members. It is a matter of an interpretative reconstruction of the sociological concept of integration, based on an immanent reading of Florestan Fernandes works dealing with the question of formation and development of Brazilian society. The study of the works dealing with Tupinambá, Negros (black people) and the Bourgeois Revolution shows that, if in Brazil the social order was kept stable despite the exclusion and systematic marginalization of a large part of Brazilians, this is due, according to Florestan Fernandes, to a special type of integration that has operated and still operates among Brazilians, and which has greatly contributed to prevent any kind of transformation or deeper revolution of the social order.
Keywords:
Integration; Brazilian social thought; Florestan Fernandes