Resumo:
This thesis addresses the institutionalization and cultural management at IFRN, and is
guided by the central research question: In the development of cultural extension
projects at IFRN, what elements associated with the principles of democratic cultural
management are perceptible? Based on institutional experience and engagement with
cultural projects, it argues that IFRN’s practices reflect a democratic approach to
cultural management, despite the absence of formal structures and normative
documents that consolidate culture as an institutional field. The general objective of
the research is to identify and reflect on the elements present in IFRN's cultural
extension projects that may be associated with the principles of democratic cultural
management. Specific objectives include investigating the process of cultural
institutionalization at IFRN; analyzing three cultural extension projects from the Natal-
Centro Histórico campus; identifying theoretical categories that define democratic
cultural management; and examining how these categories are expressed in the
projects studied. This work contributes to the academic field of cultural studies in public
higher education institutions by mapping a local scenario relevant to cultural
development, offering two original contributions: (1) the analysis of cultural
management at IFRN, a historically technical and vocational institution that, through
internal transformation, has begun incorporating new knowledge areas and practices;
and (2) the documentation and critical analysis of three extension projects - Nuarte
Centro Histórico, Ateliê a Céu Aberto, and Sarau Canguleiro - which exemplify
educational practices that are more human-centered, socially integrated, and
committed to cultural diversity. The analysis is grounded in two theoretical references:
the concept of Cultural Citizenship (Chauí, 2021), and the Guideline Model for Cultural
Action with a Focus on Human Rights and Sustainability (2024). These frameworks
informed the development of analytical categories that align with the theoretical and
methodological choices of the research, enabling a critical reading of the selected
projects through the lens of democratic cultural management. The methodology
integrates multiple strategies: documentary analysis of institutional policies and
reports; review of communication materials and press coverage; in-person observation
of project activities; and open, semi-structured interviews with four groups of
participants.
