Deep equality module kicks off at University of São Paulo

From August 18th to November 10th, Dr Guilherme Borges will begin teaching a course at the University of São Paulo on the concept of deep equality. More specifically, this course will address the applicability of this concept to investigate the Brazilian social reality. 

Objectives
This course aims to examine approaches developed in the Global North to analyze social dynamics shaped by racial, gender, and religious diversity. More specifically, it seeks to assess the applicability of these approaches when the focus is on investigating Brazilian social dynamics. To that end, attention will be directed to the analytical possibilities derived from the concept of deep equality, formulated by Lori G. Beaman to observe everyday practices of coexistence that transcend legal-political determinations. These practices—also referred to as “non-events”—are characterized by existing outside the official and legal norms that regulate social interaction.

Rationale
The concept of deep equality has been increasingly used in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia to gain a deeper understanding of mechanisms for negotiating diversity within those national contexts. Through the analytical framework proposed by Beaman, researchers in these countries have sought to shed light on acts of “living well together” that take place outside the prescriptions of the state and the very notion of tolerance. However, there are still few studies in Brazil employing this analytical framework. Through this course, students will be able to assess the possibilities and limitations of the concept in studying the “non-events” that surround them.

Content
The course is divided into two modules. First, we will develop a conceptual definition of deep equality and its related categories. This will involve unpacking not only these notions in the abstract, but also the social realities in which they emerge and toward which they are directed. In the second module, we will explore opportunities to apply this analytical framework to better understand the contemporary Brazilian religious landscape. As part of this module, we will conduct fieldwork in public schools. These visits will allow us to jointly examine the analytical potential and limits of Beaman’s categories in investigating interreligious dynamics taking place in these settings.