Inequality and Violence: The Case of Brazil

<p>As a dominant economic powerhouse in Latin America, Brazil paradoxically exhibits profound socioeconomic divides and egregious rates of violence. This study seeks to illuminate the extent of the intricate relationship between Brazil's inherent inequalities and its propensity for violence by employing a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The study focuses on the years from 2002 to 2021, a period characterized by pivotal social, economic, and political transformations. Utilizing the United Nations definition of homicide as a primary measure of violence, I collected data from Brazilian health repositories for all 27 federative unit's annual reported number of homicides. The research findings, derived from a beta regression analysis, postulate a direct correlation between the prevalence of violence and markers of socioeconomic inequality, such as the Gini index, illiteracy rates, infant mortality, Municipal Human Development Index (HDI), and poverty levels. In addition, the beta regression furthers this understanding by mapping causal, robust relationships. Brazil's unique position as the most economically advanced nation in Latin America, juxtaposed with its persistent challenges of inequality and violence, underscores the urgency of addressing these intertwined issues for a sustainable future. This thesis augments academic discourse and offers valuable insights for potential policy direction and targeted interventions to confront the root causes of inequality and violence in Brazil.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of International Affairs (M.I.A.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

International Relations

Year dc:date.available

2023

Author dc:creator

• Forsyth, Kimberly

Contributors dc:contributor

• Jean Krasno

• inequality
• socioeconomic inequality
• violence
• Brazil
• International Relations

Repository record dc:identifier

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/1101

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:academicworks.cuny.edu:cc_etds_theses-2195