Race, class and culture in the context of affirmative action: a theoretical critical effort on race

This paper seeks to analyze three interrelated aspects of the theoretical discussions around "race relations" that were somehow recast in the context of the implementation of quotas for black people in Brazil, namely: 1) the relationship between race and class; 2) the interface between race and culture; 3) the status of race both as a social category and an analytical concept. This will be done in light of the discussions that preceded and were also intensified during the introduction of the first quota policies in Brazilian public universities. First, the paper inquires into the theoretical debate on the interdependence between class and race while pointing to the ways through which these two categories interrelate in the context of affirmative action for black people. Second, it proposes a critical analysis of the theoretical interface between race and culture in light of the disputes regarding the meanings of black identity in this context. Finally, the article analyzes the discussions around racial meanings by occasion of the implementation of affirmative action policies for black people in order to develop reflexive thinking on race as an analytical concept.