The Public Field in Brazil

Abstract

Contemporary public management in Brazil is undergoing a great deal of transformation. From the year 2008 the Brazilian Federal government has been investing in policies and planned actions that aim to expand access to Higher Education. This paradigm shift was possible through the understanding that the agenda of public problems required trained professionals with appropriate skills, able to propose plans, programs and elaborate projects, fostering the evolution and consolidation of Brazilian democracy. The changes in contemporary Brazilian public management have permitted the debate amongst researchers in the Higher Education sphere, evolving to what is conventionally known as the Public Field. This field integrates views that deal with contemporary processes that aim to change public management either at the state or non-state level, in its various dimensions, seeking to innovate teaching and research in the area of public policy. This article aims to reflect on the specific academic issues related to Public Field Education in Brazil. It also aims to promote an epistemological understanding related to the intellectual diversity present in this area. It considers the assumption that a multidisciplinary approach, characteristic of field courses, generates new experiences and knowledge, making a difference in the formation toward a critical view of reality in which the students are part. In order to conduct the research, a comparative analysis of experiences developed in recent years was proposed. It is seen that the curricula must converge, aiming to educate the manager who understands this phenomenon and the needs of contemporary society, who is able to recognize and work with the rights of citizens, as well as be present in the relations between state and society, with responsibilities of integrating public policy programs, optimizing the use of public resources, being able to redesign programs and projects in order to monitor and evaluate public policies.