Maria Coleta Ferreira Albino de Oliveira

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.

Famílias brasileiras: um olhar sobre a diversidade a partir de dados de pesquisas domiciliares nacionais

Neste ano, a aprovação do casamento gay nos Estados Unidos mobilizou milhares de pessoas no mundo todo através de redes sociais, reacendendo o debate sobre o tema. O presente projeto, que dá continuidade à pesquisa PIBIC/CNPq anterior, tem como objetivo principal tecer algumas considerações a respeito dos arranjos familiares brasileiros constituídos por casais do mesmo sexo, a partir da exploração dos dados do Censo Demográfico 2010 e de revisão bibliográfica da literatura das Ciências Sociais, da Demografia e do Direito.

Registros e memória: algumas observações sobre a demografia brasileira no contexto latino-americano

This article consists of a discussion, after an interval of 30 years, on the meaning of the turbulent 1970s in Brazilian and Latin-American demography. The authors use an approach that includes both self-criticism and celebration, bringing together written material and recollections about a phenomenon that, at that time, was a collective, scientific and political project in the region. The article thus deals with the social, political and economic context of the period, the characteristics of leading demographers of the time, the style of international funding for groups and institutions, and the critical character of scientific practice in demography during that period. In a critical appraisal of the intellectual history of a group, the authors recognize that the process under discussion allows for varying points of view and considerations. Bibliographic references are included in order to document some extant records and provide an agenda for those who may also want to study the same period.