Technologies of community: cultural policy, museums, and the reshape of polarities in Brazil

Contemporary liberals generally maintain a positive stance towards cultural inclusivity, participatory culture, and cultural consensus. The liberal framework emphasizes the importance of cultural policies that foster inclusion and active participation, acknowledging the critical role of consensus in a democratic culture. This thesis critically challenges this framework from the perspectives of political economy and cultural studies, exposing the linkage between inclusive cultural policies and capitalist economic growth. I focus on the cultural policies enacted during Lula's leftist administration from 2003 to 2010, centering my analysis on two foundational aspects of cultural politics: structure and experience. Through textual analysis, I explore numerous policies formulated by Lula’s government concerning the structural aspects of cultural policy. I highlight the development of these policies, which aimed to engage corporations, the state, and local communities in the pursuit of consensus. Rather than viewing consensus as a democratic achievement, my research critically examines the experience of cultural consensus and its implications. I contend that cultural consensus frequently reconciles the needs of local communities with the demands of capitalist development. Utilizing bureaucratic records, I demonstrate that the consensus facilitated by inclusive cultural policies often undermines the authentic interests, aspirations, and desires of these communities. Within this thesis, I characterize the institutional and experiential dynamics of cultural policies as “technologies of communities.”