Internacionalismo como tema e como projeto de vida - entrevista com Rosana Pinheiro-Machado

Abstract

Believing in spaces for dialogue is an obligation in times when denialism and disregard for verified information are present on the public scene. We are experiencing an unprecedented pandemic accompanied by an increase in inequality and poverty, as well as an increase in migration due to war and disasters, in addition to the intensification of ethnic-identity conflicts and significant disbelief in institutions, with a global impact. In this scenario where ideas and conflicts seem to be difficult to decipher, the reaffirmation of the commitment to science and the diversification of debate spaces, especially in Brazil, becomes an act of resistance to the low obscurantism that has hindered the understanding about central issues for socializing.

 Given the importance of science as an instance of analysis, debate, and criticism of reality, the editorial board of CSOnline - Revista Eletrônica de Ciências Sociais proposes, from this issue, a new section dedicated to listening to renowned researchers on the scene public and academic. Our objective, based on interviews carefully prepared by our team, is to broaden the frontiers of discussion of topics of interest and, at the same time, in a sensitive way, to know the trajectories and perceptions of relevant figures in the Social Sciences. We understand that Anthropology, Political Science and Sociology have a lot to contribute to the construction of accessible and qualified debates towards a more plural, fair, and participative society.

The first interviewee chose, the result of intense curatorial work, is Professor Rosana Pinheiro-Machado. PhD in Social Anthropology from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Rosana has worked at major universities in Brazil and abroad, such as the University of Oxford, and is currently a professor of International Development at the University of Bath, in the United Kingdom. In one of her best known researches, she studied the circulation circuit of Chinese products until arrived in Brazil, via Paraguay. Her thesis won the main awards in Brazil, such as the best thesis award from the Brazilian Association of Postgraduate Studies in Social Sciences (ANPOCS) and CAPES. In addition, she has become one of the leading academic voices in the contemporary debate, against the intransigences of the Bolsonaro government and the advancement of conservatism and anti-democratic movements, in Brazil and in the world.

She gave us this interview in November 2020 in a very rich, but turbulent and eventful context. In Brazil, just after the end of the first round of Brazilian municipal elections, there was still an expectation for the holding, in the second round, of mayors in the most populous cities. Among our neighbors, important facts were also underway: Bolivia had faced the greatest tension since the deposition of Evo Morales with MAS's return to the country's presidency; in Chile, the constituent's reissue process had been approved in a plebiscite; in the United States, counting the votes in the White House race between Trump and Biden generated fear and concern. Through a video call, Rosana answered a series of questions about her research, about the role of intellectuals in the public debate, about universities in Brazil and Europe, and also about a range of topics such as mental health in academia, interdisciplinarity, and contemporary politics.