<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>This study is based on an investigation into the Brazilian anti-doping policy, with a specific focus on the establishment and operational mechanisms of the Brazilian Doping Control Authority (ABCD), under the auspices of the Ministry of Sport (ME). The objective was to describe how Brazilian national policy (general political decisions, interests of parties or particular politicians/agents) affects the fight against doping and, vice versa, how the harmonization process controlled by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) affects national sports policy. A multi-sited ethnographic study was undertaken, involving field diary practices, interviews and document analysis. Adopting the perspective of pragmatic sociology, this study delves into the descriptions of three key periods in the recent history of anti-doping in Brazil: the creation of ABCD and the dissolution of ANAD (National Anti-Doping Agency), the realization of the first 100 anti-doping tests by the ABCD (critical period for its members who managed to keep away ex-officers from ANAD) and the impeachment of the Brazilian president in 2016 (ex-officers from ANAD took over the direction of the ABCD). Our analysis allowed us to conclude that ‘diverting others from decision-making spheres’ comprised a political strategy to occupy spaces of power or to stabilize itself in them, which, in this case, allowed the control of anti-doping actions in the country. Local protagonists tried to make use of international injunctions and pressure or local political events to achieve these goals.</p>
</abstract>

This study is based on an investigation into the Brazilian anti-doping policy, with a specific focus on the establishment and operational mechanisms of the Brazilian Doping Control Authority (ABCD), under the auspices of the Ministry of Sport (ME). The objective was to describe how Brazilian national policy (general political decisions, interests of parties or particular politicians/agents) affects the fight against doping and, vice versa, how the harmonization process controlled by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) affects national sports policy. A multi-sited ethnographic study was undertaken, involving field diary practices, interviews and document analysis. Adopting the perspective of pragmatic sociology, this study delves into the descriptions of three key periods in the recent history of anti-doping in Brazil: the creation of ABCD and the dissolution of ANAD (National Anti-Doping Agency), the realization of the first 100 anti-doping tests by the ABCD (critical period for its members who managed to keep away ex-officers from ANAD) and the impeachment of the Brazilian president in 2016 (ex-officers from ANAD took over the direction of the ABCD). Our analysis allowed us to conclude that ‘diverting others from decision-making spheres’ comprised a political strategy to occupy spaces of power or to stabilize itself in them, which, in this case, allowed the control of anti-doping actions in the country. Local protagonists tried to make use of international injunctions and pressure or local political events to achieve these goals.

Anti-doping and National Politics: An Ethnography in Brazilian Anti-doping Around the Era of the Rio de Janeiro Games

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

This study is based on an investigation into the Brazilian anti-doping policy, with a specific focus on the establishment and operational mechanisms of the...

Anti-doping and National Politics: An Ethnography in Brazilian Anti-doping Around the Era of the Rio de Janeiro Games

Published Online: Mar 17, 2024

Page range: 25 - 35

Received: Jun 15, 2023

Accepted: Feb 20, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/pcssr-2024-0016

Keywords
Anti-doping, policy analysis, sport, ethnography, ABCD

© 2024 Daniel Giordani Vasques et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Anti-doping and National Politics: An Ethnography in Brazilian Anti-doping Around the Era of the Rio de Janeiro Games

Published Online: Mar 17, 2024

Page range: 25 - 35

Received: Jun 15, 2023

Accepted: Feb 20, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/pcssr-2024-0016

KeywordsAnti-doping, policy analysis, sport, ethnography, ABCD

© 2024 Daniel Giordani Vasques et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Anti-doping, policy analysis, sport, ethnography, ABCD