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Brazil: Past and Present

When
October 17, 2016
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location
Aurora Cultural Centre

Dr. Gillian McGillivary

Dr. McGillivray teaches Latin American History as an Associate Professor for Glendon College’s Department of History. Currently working on a research project called “Sugar and Power in the Brazilian Countryside, 1928-1965,” she is author of Blazing Cane: Sugar Communities, Class, and State-Formation in Cuba, 1868-1959 (Duke University Press, 2009).

Brazil: Past and Present

Full of paradoxes and contrasts, Brazil has one of the world’s largest economies with an advanced industrial sector, extensive territory, and a huge population that just hosted the 2016 Olympics. Yet many of its regions and millions of its citizens suffer from extreme poverty and inequality. Brazil’s 1988 constitution--which brought to an end 24 years of military dictatorship--guarantees broad social and economic justice and protects the rights of historically disenfranchised groups like Afro-Brazilians, indigenous peoples, and workers. However, special interest groups and corruption problems hinder the enforcement of these laws. The nation celebrates its rich multi-ethnic culture, but remains stratified by visible racial and regional differences. Professor McGillivray will describe some of the roots of these inequalities, the left-wing government efforts to combat them, and the political and economic uncertainties of today's Brazil.

This event is part of the Fall 2016 Speaker series. Register for the Fall 2016 Event Series.