Charting new directions: - Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft

Charting new directions: Brazil’s role in a multi-polar world 51The national option:throw out the oldclothes and builda new modelDaniel VargasThe rise of the new middle class in Brazil is a significantsocial phenomenon. Mostly comprised of youngermulattoes and mestizos from the lower classes whostrive to get a business of their own started, thismiddle class is spread throughout the north, northeastand centre-west, in the outskirts of large citiesas well as in the interior of the country. It is alreadydictating fundamental changes in Brazil’s economic,cultural, social, intellectual and political dynamics.Understanding the significance of these changes isof utmost importance in order to understand today’sBrazil, its problems and their possible solutions.But more than that, it is a decisive step towardsunderstanding the onus of historical responsibilitythat falls on the shoulders of all of us Brazilians whonow have the chance to contribute to humanity.The emergence of the middle class in Brazil,a theme first put forth on the political agenda byRoberto Mangabeira Unger, 1 was driven by a seriesof policy initiatives including the maintenance ofmacroeconomic stability, increases in the minimumwage, investments in infrastructure and social policiesaimed at transferring income. People began toconsume more, which led to a consumption market inthe country. There began to appear thousands of smalland medium informal and family-based enterpriseswhere until a short time ago there predominated arudimentary economy of subsistence. In Toritama(Pernambuco), for example, a veritable industrialpole has blossomed in the middle of the north-eastbackwoods and already accounts for one third of thejeans sold in the country.Social and cultural changesThe new middle class has begun to impose culturalchanges in Brazilian society. With its own style andway of doing things, it differs from the predominantvalues and practices of Brazil’s urban centres. Newmusical styles transcend their place of origin and winmore projection in the mass media. New accents andpersonalities are gradually attracting the attentionof the rest of the country. But the most importantaspect of this cultural change is the proliferation allover the country of new churches and associationsthat inspire the spirit of combat in simple people,reinforce the feeling of solidarity beyond the familyand often help to make up for cultural and emotionaldeficits. Of course, there are problems such ascommercial exploitation of the faith of poor folk. Butwhat is certain is that the new churches are sculptingthe soul of the Brazilian people and corroding therationalist conviction that the natural outcome ofprogress is secularisation. Brazil is growing less andless secular and more and more advanced.The third area in which Brazil is fast changing is itssocial structure. For the first time in its history themiddle class represents more than half the nationalpopulation. Almost 30 million people have already leftthe ranks of poverty in the last ten years and over 35million have joined the middle class. The region ofthe country that has grown the most for years nowis no longer the south-east, where the traditionalcommercial centres are located, but the north-east,followed by the centre-west and the north. Andthe cities with the highest rates of economic andpopulation growth are not the large capitals but rather1 Professor of Law at Harvard University and formerly minister of strategic affairs in BrazilThe national option: throw out the old clothes and build a new model | Daniel Vargas