Government and civil society: a debate about democratic public space

Abstract

In 1997 it was edited the collected paper “Third sector: sustained social development”. In 2003 the book “Government and civil society: a debate about democratic public space” was published. A shallow description would say that they are books that talk about democracy, citizenship and social development. However, in a deeper interpretation, a thick description, we can perceive something else in these publications. This essay is an exercise toward an ethnography of modern thought. Some papers published in these books are placed in context describing the historical moment of their production. And, they are analyzed like expressions of the thought about the relationship between the State and the civil society in Brazil. The article’s purpose is put in doubt the distinct positions that different actors take in these relations. Key words: Ethnography of Modern Thought; State; Civil Society; NGOs.