Facets of the social issue in contemporary Brazil: an introduction to the debate

Abstract

Brazil has undergone major transformations in the last four decades, including the end of the military regime, the promulgation of the 1988 Federal Constitution, the expansion of social rights, inflation control through the Real Plan, the consolidation of social assistance since 2004, and the coup against democracy in 2016. These changes have altered the way the social issue has been dealt with over time. Although some advances represent important social achievements, at the same time there has been a deepening of neoliberal policies, especially fiscal austerity. As a result, the country has experienced a paradox between the conquest of social rights and the difficulty in fully implementing the public policies needed to effectively combat the various expressions of the Brazilian social question. This dossier features articles that discuss facets of this complex issue.