THE GOVERNMENTAL TRAJECTORY OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION: FROM THE FHC ADMINISTRATION TO THE BOLSONARO ADMINIDTRATION IN DIALOGUE: WITH BOURDIEU´S THEORY

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the trajectory of affirmative action policies in Brazilian higher education across government administrations specifically those of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff, Michel Temer, and Jair Bolsonaro by examining the proposals, advances, limitations, and setbacks that occurred. This study employs an exploratory-descriptive approach based on a review of literature and documents, grounded in a historical analysis of educational policies and the political-ideological orientations that shaped their formulation and implementation. The theoretical framework draws primarily on the work of Pierre Bourdieu particularly his concepts of economic, cultural, social, and symbolic capital to understand inequalities in access to higher education and the mechanisms reproducing social structures. The results show that affirmative action measures were developed gradually, driven largely by social movement mobilization; significant progress was made during the Lula and Dilma administrations, most notably with the institutionalization of the Quota Law. Conversely, the Temer and Bolsonaro administrations were characterized by the weakening and discontinuation of policies aimed at inclusion and equality. The study concludes that affirmative action measures are vital tools for democratizing higher education and addressing historically entrenched inequalities.