Participação Social, Relações de Poder e Autonomia em Conselhos Distritais de Saúde Social Participation Power Relations and Autonomy in District Health Councils

This paper reports a research that aimed to comprehend subjectivation processes underlying the participatory exercise in District Health Councils, in the city of Belo Horizonte. Councils are comprised as participatory instances established by law, marked by power relations and autonomy. Empirical data were carried on through 17 semi-structured interviews with workers and users counselors of the nine health districts of Belo Horizonte, and by participant observation of meetings and events in two District Health Councils. The results are presented in three main categories: The District Health Council; Being health counselor; Political games. There are hybridisms and multi-faceted ways of being a health counselor, in connection with the possibilities of participation in the context of district councils. We discuss the negotiation processes, in which are formed strategic alliances between the segments, either between managers and workers or between managers