Diferences between backlash and civil disobedience

Abstract

This paper aims to present the differences and nuances between two “democratic” social movements that are present today: backlash and civil disobedience. Backlash is usually presented as a political incidence that refers to the social occurrence in the face of judicial decisions that deal with issues of moral disagreement, seeking their legal reform. Civil disobedience, on the other hand, is usually presented as a phenomenon that seeks a non-violent reform in the face of laws or public acts that demonstrate some type of injustice. It turns out that both preferences, in some situations, are confused, especially when a Court is called to rule on a certain law. Some authors have argued, for example, that civil disobedience would be a “type” of reaction. Thus, the aim is to present their differences in a democratic political system. I concluded that backlash, as a political aspect, is distinct from civil disobedience, since it aims to achieve an attack on the legal institution, while civil disobedience seeks reforms in the sphere of rights. I use the deductive method, extended through bibliographical research, to arrive at this idea in the research.