Glaucia dos Santos Marcondes

Fifty Years of Gender and Generational Relations in Brazil: Changes and Continuities

This chapter gathers evidence and interpretations regarding demographic changes within the broad and complex process of transformation in the life of Brazilian families since the second half of the twentieth century. Social transformations were both cause and consequence of profound changes in the demographic system, especially after the 1960s. The main demographic factors affecting private life – mortality, fertility, and marriage rates – reflect the increasingly multifaceted conformation of contemporary families, especially those housing children under the age of 15. There is evidence of a growing heterogeneity of family arrangements resulting from a convergence toward low fertility levels across all social groups. Increased plurality does not mean loss of relevance of the nuclear family model, especially when raising children. The information used is derived mostly from demographic censuses since 1970. The historical series of demographic censuses display significant achievements for the public and private lives of the Brazilian citizens and, at the same time, help us understand a country with a long path ahead in overcoming inequalities. Concerning families, the recognition of their plural and metamorphic condition in the 1988 Brazilian Constitution – and reiterated by subsequent laws – sets the tone of the force, intensity, and speed of changes addressed in this chapter.