The Urban Social Movements: Problems of Organization and Internal Democracy

Abstract

This paper analyses the boundaries and concrete possibilities related with
alternative practices generally adopted by organizations which appear
inside the social movements themselves.
First of all, the author discusses theoretically the problems caused by
organizing bureaucracies in the social urban movements. Afterwards, she
states the characteristics of an alternative model of democratic-coletive
organization, which is based on informality, agreement and division of work
in ad hoc and minima conditions.
The difficulties in both kind of organizations have been considered starting
from experiences occurred in the suburbs of Fortaleza.
This analysis shows the dilemma raised on the one hand in the demand for
less formalization and centralism, and on the other hand, for the necessity of
explicit procedures to clear up conflicts and to evaluate the legitimaty and
the representativity of rival groups, which seek to control the association or
to lead the movement.
Finally the author proposes a model "organization versus direct
participation". This model, founded in the utopic ideas of Habermas and
Lechner, praises the search for a consensus, in which all participants
recognize themselves as subjects of collective life outside any possible
manipulation and authoritarianism.