School Nutrition Councils in Santa Catarina, Brazil: Collective Subject Discourse analysis

Abstract

Objective
Identify in the committee members’ discourse the understanding of the School Nutrition Councils’ functions and the actions taken by their members.

Methods
This is a qualitative study, and data were collected using a questionnaire with semi-structured interviews based on the Focus Groups technique in School Nutrition Councils’ in the state of Santa Catarina. A total of nine councils were analyzed (eight municipal councils and one state council). The council members’ discourse was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed according to the Collective Subject Discourse method.

Results
Five Collective Subject Discourses’ were built and grouped according to the Central Ideas. The advances made by the actions of the School Nutrition Councils’ members and their limited ability to intervene in the school nutrition management were observed. The findings corroborate those in the literature with regard to: excessive bureaucracy hindering or preventing council member actions, the understanding the councilors of democratic institutionalized spaces such as social control, and the lack of commitment and representativeness of the members involved.

Conclusion
Among the topics analyzed, the following should be highlighted: the understanding the role of the School Nutrition Councils in supervising activities; the social control concept, which involves participation in the National School Nutrition Program; and the understanding of this program as a Food and Nutrition Security policy. There is a need for further training and of councilors and the encouragement of democratic participation aiming at greater social representation thus contributing to improve their ability to intervene in the implementation of public policies.