The trajectory of political science in Brazil and its autonomization: an analysis from the postgraduate programs

Abstract The article traces the trajectory of institutionalization and autonomization of Political Science within the Brazilian academic field and, to this end, takes the post-graduation as object of study and as a fundamental space to understand the processes of building of this area throughout the twentieth century. Its more general objective is to understand the conditions of possibility of the construction of an academic space specific to Political Science in Brazil, a task developed from a quanti-qualitative approach marked by the revision and dialogue with the literature and by the work with data about the post graduate programs. The text ends by pointing out the correlation between the classical aspects discussed when it comes to objectifying Political Science (such as: relative "backwardness", relation with Sociology or even the financing of international agencies) and the master's and doctoral courses that form this area. It contributes to the debate about the role of postgraduate in the construction of the relative autonomy of Political Science in the Brazilian academic universe.