A produção da violência contra a mulher no discurso político: uma análise discursiva de pronunciamentos do ex-presidente Jair Bolsonaro

Abstract

This study explores statements made by former President Jair Bolsonaro that reflect the role of women in society, with the aim of investigating how speeches about women are strategically employed in the political context of the far-right. The research examines the use of misogynistic speech as a tool to consolidate Bolsonaro's image as a representative of traditional conservative values, which position themselves against progressive agendas. Based on the theoretical contributions of Foucault (2022), especially in the analysis of speech and power relations, and Rago (2016), who discusses the social constructions of gender and the impact of language on the constitution of identities, the analysis considers how these speeches are rooted in a specific political context. The method used is the archeogenealogical perspective of Foucaultian Discursive Studies, which makes it possible to examine the macro and micro roots of the emerging statements, considering the electoral context that led to the emergence of these statements, as well as the periods of political fragility of the former president, in which misogynistic rhetoric became more aggressive as a means of consolidating his power. The methodological approach includes the selection of statements from Bolsonaro's public statements between 2019 and 2022, followed by a critical analysis that considers the discursive formations, power relations and resistance present in the speeches he gave. The general objective of the research is to analyze, from the archeogenealogical perspective of Foucaultian Discursive Studies, the misogynistic statements of former president Jair Bolsonaro, investigating how these statements operate as a political strategy to mobilize conservative sectors of society and legitimize speeches contrary to the progressive agenda. The specific objectives consist of describing the ways in which misogyny and sexism manifest themselves in the political speech of the Brazilian far right, in light of the Foucauldian perspective, examining how the statements that emerge from the speeches made by former president Jair Bolsonaro produce effects of truth that sustain practices of symbolic exclusion and gender violence, articulating themselves with conservative and authoritarian discursive formations; understand how such speeches are part of the historical continuity of violence against women in Brazil, while highlighting discontinuities promoted by the functioning of contemporary political speech, and analyze how far-right speeches are mobilized in the construction of the so-called “Cultural War”, with emphasis on its anti-feminist and anti-democratic dimension, as well as show the discursive practices of resistance to misogyny and sexism, especially those formulated by feminist movements and social collectives in the public and digital space, which oppose the dominant power mechanisms. The statements taken from former president Jair Bolsonaro’s speeches were organized into three categories, constructed from discursive regularities. The first category, entitled Disqualification of the feminine; the second category, Symbolic and discursive violence; and finally, the third category, Normalization of the feminine stereotype. The results suggest that the former president used misogynistic statements when addressing his conservative and reactionary followers to reinforce his position as a defender of traditional values. He criticizes gender equality policies and discredits feminist movements as part of his strategy to oppose the “progressive agenda,” seeking to solidify a loyal electorate that is resistant to social change and advances in women’s rights, in a strategy to strengthen the central role of a government plan aligned with patriarchy and the conservative perspective of Brazilian society. The findings indicate that Bolsonaro’s speeches not only sustain patriarchal power structures but also perpetuate a form of symbolic violence against women, while using the political context to roll back gender equality policies. These findings are essential to understanding the interactions between language and gender power in contemporary society and to enrich debates on how political speeches impact the perpetuation of social inequalities.