The EXTRA project aims to shed new light on the effects of changes in trade unionism and the world of work on the dynamics of politicisation in the workplace and the rise of the far right in France and Brazil (see detailed summary below).
Summary of the EXTRA project: In both Brazil and France, the last 20 years have been characterised, to varying degrees, by a sharp rise in the far right, but also by profound changes in the world of work (increasing job insecurity, «Uberisation», deteriorating working conditions, etc.) and in trade unionism (the erosion of trade union rights, a decline in membership, and the professionalisation and technicisation of trade unionism).
Beyond national differences, the trade union movement has historically fuelled support for left-wing parties and played an important role in the political socialisation of entire sections of the working class. Despite renewed interest in sociology and political science in the political effects of work, these aspects remain understudied and are often relegated to the background in research on the far right and changing attitudes towards politics.
This project aims to shed new light on the effects of changes in trade unionism and the world of work on the dynamics of politicisation in the workplace and the rise of the far right in France and Brazil. More broadly, it seeks to examine the ways in which work contributes to the construction of relationships with politics, by studying how it shapes, reinforces and influences patterns of perception and dispositions that contribute to the (de)politicisation of certain social experiences both within and outside the workplace. To this end, it offers a comparative analysis of three sectors (transport, energy and municipal public services) in the cities of São Paulo, Brazil, and Marseille, France.