Resumo

SILVA, Vanda Aparecida da. In the arms of a kind octopus: bureaucracy, authority, citizenship. Etnográfica [online]. 2009, vol.13, n.1, pp.173-193. ISSN 0873-6561.

This is an essay inspired by experiences of Portuguese and foreign citizens, including the ones of the foreign researcher who writes it, in dealing with agencies of the administrative Machine of the host country, Portugal. My intention is here to understand some devices of the bureaucracy in daily life and discuss some of the uses of the meaning of authority in social relations. The text begins with notes of an “autobiographic ethnography”, while examining such social relations and the ways they can be affected by complex dynamics of establishment and incorporation of bureaucratic norms. The text brings elements that contribute for the understanding and reflection on the processes of learning citizenship, along with the expressions and representations of authority in a social situation.

Palavras-chave : bureaucracy; authority; citizenship; management administration.

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