Thinking “From Below”: the Symbolism of Marielle Franco to the theoretical transformation of International Relations

Abstract

This article aims to discuss how Marielle Franco’s symbolism can contribute to the theoretical transformation of International Relations (IR). Therefore, we will reflect on the political trajectory of Marielle Franco, a black woman, LGBTQIA+, sociologist, city councilor, and anti-racist feminist activist, associating her figure to the theoretical and political debate on International Relations through the concepts of race and gender. The question that guides this research is: how does the figure of Marielle Franco relate to the theoretical transformation of IR? To answer this, qualitative and exploratory research will be conducted, guided by critical theories of International Relations. Our central argument is that the symbolism of Marielle Franco represents the urgency to pluralize and transform the discipline, connecting theory and politics and decentralizing its state-centered analytical focus to the incorporation of multiple actors and other perspectives that think the international "from below”. In this way, relating Marielle to IR guides us towards a new worldview, in which the agency of historically marginalized and silenced bodies is incorporated into the international reality.

Keywords

• marielle franco
• international relations theory
• race
• gender
• teoria de relações internacionais
• raça
• gênero