An analysis of a hearing voices group as a social movement and political power

Abstract

The hearing voices groups arose, in the 1980s, from the attempt to bring together people with experiences of hearing voices interested in sharing their stories, difficulties and coping strategies, against the pathologization of this experience. The aim would be to promote mutual support and new understandings regarding the phenomenon. The objective of this article was to bring some considerations about the process of construction and dynamics of a group of voices hearers in Brazil from the guidelines of the Intervoice Movement, analyzing its potentialities as a social and political movement. The methodology used is bibliographic review
and participant observation. As a result of the research, it was possible to observe evidence of the importance of this type of group as a political potential and arena for social mobilization, in a micropolitical perspective, since their practices are guided by principles, such as the empowerment of the participants, the protagonism, autonomy and the search for citizenship.