Generational fracture in Brazil in the beginning of the 21st century? Analysis of the life chances of the young generation in Brazil between 2012 and 2019

Abstract:

The decline in social and economic indicators in Brazil in the second decade of the 21st century raises the question of which will be the impacts of this negative situation on the young generations. We analyze this scenario by combining the theory of generational fracture with the bourdieusian theory of class, in particular the concept of trajectory effect, to understand the strategies of social agents based on the relationship between capital structure and capital reproduction instruments. We used the correspondence analysis technique to build a map of the variables with data from Pnad-C of the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), comparing the situation of the young generation between 2012 and 2019. The results point to a reduction in middle class occupations in Brazil, which was more felt by the younger generation, as well as by the increase of highly educated young people in manual workers classes. These evidences indicates a possible generational fracture in the second decade of the 21st century.

Keywords
Generational fracture; Trajectory effect; Youths