title: Political parties, strongmen and populism: Why Jair Bolsonaro won the 2018 Brazilian election

authors: Tait, Paul James

subjects: Jair Bolsonaro

abstract: The election of Jair Bolsonaro as President of Brazil in 2018 is an example of the recent global phenomenon of election victories by right-wing populist leaders, such as Donald Trump, Rodrigo Duterte, and Viktor Orbán. However, Bolsonaro’s election victory was driven by a range of critical domestic factors, not just by populism. This thesis explains how the nature of Brazil’s political parties and electoral system contributed to Bolsonaro’s victory. Bolsonaro was the candidate of a minor party, the Social Liberal Party (PSL), and exploited weaknesses in two major parties, the Workers Party (PT) and the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), who won Brazil’s elections from 1994 to 2014. Brazil’s two-round system enabled Bolsonaro to consolidate the support of a broad coalition of voters frustrated with PT rule and the traditional opposition.

Bolsonaro also campaigned as a change candidate and as a pro-military strongman, rather than as a conventional politician reliant on the support of a political party organization. He appealed to voters dissatisfied with former governments, constant corruption scandals, and economic turmoil. Bolsonaro’s victory is consistent with José Nun’s argument that the middle classes support democracy in good economic times but accept authoritarian options when they start struggling. Bolsonaro successfully used a style of exclusionary populism in his election campaign, to gain media attention and voter support. Nevertheless, populism was a communication method and campaign tactic, and not the fundamental basis of Bolsonaro’s unexpected election as president.

text: Political parties, strongmen and populism: Why Jair Bolsonaro won the 2018 Brazilian election The election of Jair Bolsonaro as President of Brazil in 2018 is an example of the recent global phenomenon of election victories by right-wing populist leaders, such as Donald Trump, Rodrigo Duterte, and Viktor Orbán. However, Bolsonaro’s election victory was driven by a range of critical domestic factors, not just by populism. This thesis explains how the nature of Brazil’s political parties and electoral system contributed to Bolsonaro’s victory. Bolsonaro was the candidate of a minor party, the Social Liberal Party (PSL), and exploited weaknesses in two major parties, the Workers Party (PT) and the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), who won Brazil’s elections from 1994 to 2014. Brazil’s two-round system enabled Bolsonaro to consolidate the support of a broad coalition of voters frustrated with PT rule and the traditional opposition.

Bolsonaro also campaigned as a change candidate and as a pro-military strongman, rather than as a conventional politician reliant on the support of a political party organization. He appealed to voters dissatisfied with former governments, constant corruption scandals, and economic turmoil. Bolsonaro’s victory is consistent with José Nun’s argument that the middle classes support democracy in good economic times but accept authoritarian options when they start struggling. Bolsonaro successfully used a style of exclusionary populism in his election campaign, to gain media attention and voter support. Nevertheless, populism was a communication method and campaign tactic, and not the fundamental basis of Bolsonaro’s unexpected election as president.

year: 2020

title: Review: Salon

authors: Houlahan, Mark

subjects: Salon

abstract: Salon was a welcome local attempt at exploiting the theatre potential of non-traditional theatre spaces. A salon is a great choice: so much potential for narcissism and display. The hot lights, the big mirrors. Everything is on display.

text: Review: Salon Salon was a welcome local attempt at exploiting the theatre potential of non-traditional theatre spaces. A salon is a great choice: so much potential for narcissism and display. The hot lights, the big mirrors. Everything is on display.

year: 2010

title: The contribution of family literacy programmes to the wellbeing of individuals, families and communities

authors: Furness, Jane Amanda

subjects: Adult Literacy Strategy

abstract: Approaches to literacy education named as ‘family literacy programmes’ first emerged in Aotearoa New Zealand in the early 2000s amidst considerable enthusiasm. Such approaches involve adults, children, or both in literacy learning in the contexts of home and family life. They are part of a wider field, established internationally, of academic and practical endeavour encompassing studies of the literacy practices of family members, studies of parents’ support of children’s literacy development, and studies of programmes aimed at enhancing family members’ literacy abilities, and the evaluations of such programmes. It is a contentious field, with divergent views of what constitutes both literacy and family, leading to differing expectations of what programmes are for and what they might achieve. From a moral perspective, hopes for such approaches, which hold much intuitive and culturally-located appeal, must be set against the concerning disparities in wellbeing between different groups, evident and growing in New Zealand as elsewhere. 

The study set out to explore the effects of a range of family-focused approaches in New Zealand, and their characteristics that seemed important in achieving relevant and meaningful outcomes for participants and their families. An important aim of the study was to encourage the essential conversation concerning the ideological and research-informed basis on which policies and practices should be developed to best suit our contexts, and that have people’s overall wellbeing, as well as their literacy development, in mind. The study traced the experiences of nineteen mainly Māori, Pacific and Pākehā adult participants in four varying family-focused literacy programmes located in different kinds of communities, drawing on Kaupapa Māori methodologies in its approach. Conversational interviews with the adult participants, programme staff and others who knew the participants well, repeated over 18 months, as well as participant observations of programme sessions and programme documentation, formed an extensive data set for latent theoretical thematic analysis. I identified literacy and other changes in the participants’ lives; synergistic links between factors influencing the programme effects, ‘flow on’ of effects to wider aspects of the participants’ lives and to their families and communities, and links to the personal, relational and collective wellbeing of individuals, families and communities.

The findings demonstrate that there are complex influences on programmes such that effects are highly individualised, but that there is nevertheless a tangible, discernable process in play as people journey from participation to wellbeing, in which literacy enhancement, familiarity with new literacies, and new uses of literacies, are involved. The study suggests a disjuncture between current literacy education policy and the hopes, aspirations and real lives of many people for whom the programmes are intended and who wish to contribute to their families and communities despite their complex and often fraught lives. It also demonstrates that a deep level of care and holistic concern is possible in a programme which also achieves literacy skill development. Recognition of people’s whole selves including their problems and their existing abilities in programme content and approach demonstrated the ‘respectful relevance’ that appears crucial to the involvement and the positive (useful and meaningful) outcomes that were observed. It demonstrated that a broad and inclusive evaluative lens offers the best hope for full appreciation of the contribution of programmes such as these, when the overall wellbeing of families, communities and society as a whole is placed at the centre of literacy work. 

The study offers new and urgently-needed ecological systems-based models within a wellbeing orientation to family literacy theory. These have implications for the future development of programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand and provide frameworks against which programmes internationally may consider their work afresh. The study calls for greater community relevance in family literacy based on local values and aspirations.

text: The contribution of family literacy programmes to the wellbeing of individuals, families and communities Approaches to literacy education named as ‘family literacy programmes’ first emerged in Aotearoa New Zealand in the early 2000s amidst considerable enthusiasm. Such approaches involve adults, children, or both in literacy learning in the contexts of home and family life. They are part of a wider field, established internationally, of academic and practical endeavour encompassing studies of the literacy practices of family members, studies of parents’ support of children’s literacy development, and studies of programmes aimed at enhancing family members’ literacy abilities, and the evaluations of such programmes. It is a contentious field, with divergent views of what constitutes both literacy and family, leading to differing expectations of what programmes are for and what they might achieve. From a moral perspective, hopes for such approaches, which hold much intuitive and culturally-located appeal, must be set against the concerning disparities in wellbeing between different groups, evident and growing in New Zealand as elsewhere. 

The study set out to explore the effects of a range of family-focused approaches in New Zealand, and their characteristics that seemed important in achieving relevant and meaningful outcomes for participants and their families. An important aim of the study was to encourage the essential conversation concerning the ideological and research-informed basis on which policies and practices should be developed to best suit our contexts, and that have people’s overall wellbeing, as well as their literacy development, in mind. The study traced the experiences of nineteen mainly Māori, Pacific and Pākehā adult participants in four varying family-focused literacy programmes located in different kinds of communities, drawing on Kaupapa Māori methodologies in its approach. Conversational interviews with the adult participants, programme staff and others who knew the participants well, repeated over 18 months, as well as participant observations of programme sessions and programme documentation, formed an extensive data set for latent theoretical thematic analysis. I identified literacy and other changes in the participants’ lives; synergistic links between factors influencing the programme effects, ‘flow on’ of effects to wider aspects of the participants’ lives and to their families and communities, and links to the personal, relational and collective wellbeing of individuals, families and communities.

The findings demonstrate that there are complex influences on programmes such that effects are highly individualised, but that there is nevertheless a tangible, discernable process in play as people journey from participation to wellbeing, in which literacy enhancement, familiarity with new literacies, and new uses of literacies, are involved. The study suggests a disjuncture between current literacy education policy and the hopes, aspirations and real lives of many people for whom the programmes are intended and who wish to contribute to their families and communities despite their complex and often fraught lives. It also demonstrates that a deep level of care and holistic concern is possible in a programme which also achieves literacy skill development. Recognition of people’s whole selves including their problems and their existing abilities in programme content and approach demonstrated the ‘respectful relevance’ that appears crucial to the involvement and the positive (useful and meaningful) outcomes that were observed. It demonstrated that a broad and inclusive evaluative lens offers the best hope for full appreciation of the contribution of programmes such as these, when the overall wellbeing of families, communities and society as a whole is placed at the centre of literacy work. 

The study offers new and urgently-needed ecological systems-based models within a wellbeing orientation to family literacy theory. These have implications for the future development of programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand and provide frameworks against which programmes internationally may consider their work afresh. The study calls for greater community relevance in family literacy based on local values and aspirations.

year: 2012