LoSAM-Workshop in Santa Cruz do Sul

During this workshop, the LoSAM Ph.D. candidates Anna Paula Bennech and Matheus Jones Zago, had the opportunity to present their research, discussing methodological and theoretical issues regarding their thesis' structure and the field research that they are conducting in Brazil since October/2019. Professor Dr. Hans-Joachim Lauth (University of Würzburg) and advisor of the Ph.D. candidates, coordinated those debates, including the two co-advisors Prof. Dr. João Pedro Schmidt (UNISC) and Prof. Dr. José Nascimento (UNISC), and Prof. Dr. Silvana Krause (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS).

Moreover, Professor Lauth gave a lecture about interdisciplinarity and inter-institutional cooperation on LoSAM for UNISC's professors and academical staff.

The second day of the Workshop had presentations of research related to local organizations, social movements, and civil society protagonism. Prof. Dr. Bernice Wbatuba (Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missões) offered an overview of public policies that allowed the expansion of access to higher education, based on a perspective of historical institutionalism. Dr. João Paulo Reis contributed with reports on the constitution of the Agricultural School of Santa Cruz do Sul (Escola Família Agrícola), an essential step for Sicredi educational principles. The Workshop also had the presence of Prof. Dr. Ieda Camargo, giving insightful reports on the constitution of communitarian schools and the democratic formation of the Communitarian University of Santa Cruz do Sul (UNISC). Finally, Priest Ma. Roque Hammes presented the importance of the Catholic Church and labor unions for collective life in Santa Cruz do Sul.

In the concluding panel, the topic of civil society in contemporary democracy was taken up from theoretical and analytical perspectives. Among others, Prof. Silvana Krause spoke on "anti-politics" and Prof. Hans-Joachim Lauth on the relevance of informal institutions. The two doctoral students Anna Bennech and Matheus Zago presented their research approach for discussion.   All together, the lectures addressed key issues for research on UNISC and SICREDI - vital elements of LoSAM's “Subproject E”, led by Professor Lauth and comprised of Anna Bennech and Matheus Zago.

Thus, the Workshop was an excellent opportunity to present LoSAM to UNISC's community, considering that it is a partner of Subproject E. Besides that, it was a productive space to discuss and align methodological, theoretical, and practical issues. The encouraging result is based on the cooperative cooperation with the Brazilian colleagues and the very well planned coordination by Prof. João Pedro Schmidt.