This project involves the dissertation research of an anthropology student from the University of Florida. The project is to study the impact of institutionalization on the performance of feminist non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Brazilian women's movement. The student's hypothesis is that the more institutionalized NGOs will deal in issues more in the mainstream of Brazilian culture, stressing short-term concrete results, with fewer participatory procedures. The less institutionalized are hypothesized to deal in more consciousness-raising, `empowerment` practices. Data will be collected using participant observation, in-depth interviews, surveys of organization membership and a content analysis of written and oral material produced by each group and its grassroots beneficiaries. This research is important because social movements are where cultural practices and beliefs are voluntarily transformed by a group of individuals. Advancing our understanding of the procedures used by such groups and the social implications of the procedures, can help society design policies and programs to create more satisfying cultures.
