This paper approaehes the topie of Psychiatric Care Reform in Brazil and, particularly, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as the role played by a disciplinary power in modern society. We believe that in spite of the implementation of a reform in Psychiatric care and the growing progress in the legislation aimed at protecting psychiatric patients, such individuais are still the objects and the instruments inside relationships of disciplinary power. This study is based on Miechel Foucalt's works, especially on his analysis of the power relationships, in order to elicit answers to our main question, to support the thesis we formulated, and to reach our goal, which is to ponder on the discrepancy we perceive between legal victories and the new speeeh delivered by the psychiatric care reformers, and on a practice which seems to deny emancipation to psychiatric sufferers, that is, deny their citizenship.
psychiatric care reform; citizenship; power relationships