Abstract
The article proposes the analysis of the political activism of women mothers of victims of police lethality in low-income suburbs of Brazil from the perspective of social movements. It begins with the presentation of this collective action, marked by the condition of motherhood and vulnerability, and then investigates it from categories frequently highlighted in the theory of social movements. In this endeavor, its main characteristics are outlined, especially the relevance of the emotional aspect. Pain, anger and outrage, as well as love, welcome and solidarity, are fundamental affects for an in-depth understanding of mothers in struggle. The analysis is based on in-depth interviews with movement activists, on the researcher's participation in political acts and on bibliographic review. It concludes that we are facing a singular social movement and outlines the importance of an attentive to emotions perspective in this field of studies, fundamental for the understanding of such a movement.
Keywords:
Social movements; Mothers’ movements; Police lethality; Political activism; Emotions