Abstract
The article analyses the struggle for rights led in the early XXth century by workers of Belo Horizonte (Brazil) which shared a catholic militant culture. The confessional culture produced struggle strategies that were favourable to the workers – in spite of the theories of co-optation – and tried to spread religious arguments in order to justify rights and ensure protection laws. The analysis of the struggle led in Belo Horizonte shows that the catholics inverted the logic of revolutionary claiming – the threat of social disorder – and used their representativeness and ability to maintain social order as a main instrument.
Keywords
confessional culture; struggle for rights; religion