Vol. 12 No. 25 (2025): First Semester
The Revista de Estudios Brasileños (REB) publishes its 25th issue as a continuation of the papers presented at the III Congresso Internacional de Ciências Sociais e Humanas "Brasil 1824–2024: entre centralismo e descentralização", organized by the Centro de EStudios Brasileños at the Universidad de Salamanca in June 2024. This volume reaffirms the journal's commitment to disseminating interdisciplinary research that contributes to a broader understanding of Brazil from historical, political, social, and cultural perspectives.
Inspired by the bicentenary of the 1824 Constitution, the articles gathered in this issue examine the many expressions of the tensions between centralization and decentralization that have shaped the Brazilian State since Independence and continue to influence the country's contemporary challenges.
The opening studies revisit the development of Brazilian political thought by examining the role of the State in Alberto Torres's ideas and the historical context of Brazil's first Constitution. The discussion then turns to recent political developments through an analysis of the ideological foundations of Jair Bolsonaro's government and its electorate, as well as the transformations in State–society relations brought about by the digitalization of public administration through the Gov.br portal.
Territory, governance, and development are central themes throughout the volume. The articles investigate territorial development in the state of Bahia, political participation in the metropolitan outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, the historical formation of territories in the Amazon, and methodological approaches to mapping the health industrial complex on a global scale.
Public policies also receive particular attention. One study examines the role of Primary Health Care in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in Northeastern Brazil, highlighting the impact of longstanding regional inequalities. In the field of education, the issue discusses Brazilian educational policies, scientific production within the Federal Institutes, and the effects of neoliberal reforms on initial teacher education.
The volume concludes with a historical analysis of the relationship between the Instituto de Organização Racional do Trabalho (IDORT), the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo, and the Estado Novo, showing how industrialization, labor organization, and worker education became interconnected in the first half of the twentieth century.
Taken together, the contributions published in this issue demonstrate the vitality and diversity of contemporary Brazilian Studies and offer valuable insights into the historical and institutional processes that continue to shape Brazil, reinforcing the interdisciplinary dialogue that lies at the heart of the Revista de Estudos Brasileiros.