SOCIAL POLICY AND STRUCTURAL HETEROGENEITY IN LATIN AMERICA: THE TURNING POINT OF THE 21ST CENTURY¹

POLÍTICA SOCIAL E HETEROGENEIDADE ESTRUTURAL NA AMÉRICA LATINA: A VIRADA DO SÉCULO XXI

ABSTRACT

This article addresses the complementarity between social policy and pro-growth macroeconomic policies, which turned redistribution into a crucial issue to consolidate market societies through the expansion of demand. It focuses on the recent economic history of Latin America, marked by the emergence of new conceptual paradigms so as to grasp the singularities of the region´s development. Three questions are then raised: i) which social inclusion model distinguishes the new period of economic growth led by the so called social-developmentalist strategies? ii) what role is assigned to the social protection system and to social policies in general in this context? iii) which mechanisms enabled the transition towards a mass-consumption society? Brazil will serve as a case study.

KEYWORDS:
social policy; inequality, Latin America; structuralism