身份政治与公共政策回应——基于巴西肯定性行动政策起源的分析

Identity Politics and Public Policy Response:The Origin of Affirmative Action in Brazi

作为国家治理中应对社会差距和不平等的常见政策回应,肯定性行动政策在实践层面和学术研究中都备受关注,也提出诸多需要解释或回答的问题。本文在政策起源路径上对巴西肯定性行动政策的分析表明,巴西“种族民主”向身份政治的转变带来了种族政策的重要转型,使肯定性行动政策成为其种族政策的优先选项。在身份政治的话语体系和思考框架中,肯定性行动政策获得了新的动力和正当性。这不仅强化了优惠政策的政治逻辑,也部分解释了为什么肯定性行动政策在支持证据不足且质疑或反对持续存在甚至增加的情况下,仍能不断扩大或被创制。

Affirmative action is a frequent policy response to social disparities in different countries around the world.Such policy design and practice not only interest but also puzzle policy practitioners and academia.Based on an analytic narrative tracing the origin of affirmative policy in Brazil,the paper reveals that the disillusion of“racial democracy”in Brazil gave way to the rise of identity politics,which triggered the transition of Brazil’s racial policy—the affirmative policy became a preferential alternative.The paper further demonstrates that affirmative action has gained new momentum and justification from the discourse and mindset of identity politics,which partly accounts for why affirmative action is enduring and expanding despite insufficient supportive evidence and increasing doubts or even opposition.