This article is part of a concluded Master’s course research whose aim was to unveil whether the quota policy of an institution of Higher Education in Paraná state, Brazil, in the perception of the students who have resorted to it for admission in undergraduate courses, encourages or enables the democratization of access, promoting equality and social justice. Data were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed using the methodology of the Discourse of the Collective Subject (DCS). This text provides a brief discussion on social, public and affirmative policies, as well as on the quota policy. In the quota policy review, three concepts substantiate the discussion: democratization, equality and social justice. This study revealed that the quota policy can contribute to the democratization of access and the promotion of equality and social justice, provided that other actions or social policies are developed in parallel in society to ensure that every citizen has the right to equality and difference.
Democratization; Equality; Social justice; Quota policy