From pragmatic sociology to sociology of labor

social grammars and the 2017’s labor reform debate process in the Brazilian National Congress

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the capital-labor relation discourse dynamics when it was discussed in the legislative sphere. To analyze the dynamics, the article focuses on the Brazilian legislative sphere, specifically on public hearings carried out during the 2017’s labor reform in the National Congress. From the theoretical framework of the theory of justifications by Boltanski and Thévenot and from the concept of “social grammar”, it is problematized how the discourse dynamics between capital and labor is developed when it happens in a public debate inside the legislative sphere. This research was developed based on the analysis of documents generated from shorthand notes, which were made during public hearings carried out at the National Congress. The analysis methods were the discourse analysis and content analysis. It was identified two grammars: the social grammar of “modernization” and the social grammar of “citizenship”. The capital-labor discourse dynamics was contentious and presented critics, justifications and antagonistic discursive strategies. The capital-labor discourse dynamics presented during the public hearings revealed how the capital-labor relation in the contemporary Brazilian capitalism works. In conclusion, it is pointed out that the sociology of labor could have benefits from complementing approaches underlining the moral characteristics of discourses and objects of study that operate in the Brazilian capitalism.