SOCIAL CONTROL OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE REGION OF COREDE MISSÕES (RIO GRANDE DO SUL) FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF PUBLIC AGENTS AND SOCIAL ACTORS

Abstract

This paper aims to understand the participatory experiences of social control in the light of social management, through the analysis of the participation of society in actions and deliberations regarding the application of resources as well as definition of public policies, which strive for local/regional development. The locus of research was the Regional Development Council of Missões (Corede Missões), in northwestern Rio Grande do Sul. This study adopts the paradigm of critical theory and the methodological assumptions of depth hermeneutics (DH), which served as a guideline to the analysis of data collected through interviews, based on a semi-structured script elaborated from categories and criteria of analysis defined by the concepts of deliberative citizenship, social management, and social control. The non-participant observation guided the presence in meetings, assemblies and forums undertaken in the region. The practice of social control in the local and regional public spaces of this Council was emphasized. However, in many cases it is still an incipient practice, far from what is expected regarding the legitimate participation of society in the processes of power and decision, encountering various adversities with respect to the proposed theme and objectives. Nevertheless, there was a great potential for the qualification of social control processes, inasmuch as the Municipal Development Councils (Comudes) were strengthened and a greater publicization about the dynamics was given, impacting this issue on society, enabling the citizens to understand about this important space for participation, qualifying the participatory democracy and providing social control of the development.