A social movement seen from within: the counter-hegemonic proposal of the “Urban Rights” Movement

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the discourse of the social movement “Urban Rights” (UR) and understand how this movement is articulated to challenge hegemonic discourses of modern urbanism and promote discourses that are alternative to the neoliberal model. We used the theoretical contribution of the New Social Movements (NSMs) theory. Foucault's archeology was employed in order to identify the strategies for constructing the UR discourse based on the subjects that constitute it. The analyses indicated that UR is a counter-hegemonic and resistant center that combats the urban management model developed in the city of Recife, affirming an alternative city project. UR has a fluid hierarchy, dynamic and contingency strategies, operates in a network, and agglomerates for specific demands.