Socioeconomic mobility in Brazil, consumption pattern and socio-environmental conflicts

Abstract

The increase in the number of Brazilians in the middle and upper classes, largely as a result of a number of important public policies, has caused a rise in the standard of consumption. The increase in income has also been observed in other populous countries in the South, which exacerbates the environmental conflict between the rich and the poor on a global scale, given the already environmentally unsustainable standard of living prevailing in the North and among the economic elites of the South. Which countries should bear the economic sacrifices of a sustainable planet? What issues are raised by a possible economic slowdown process aimed at sustainable development, taking into account the context of a capitalist economy? How do new technologies fit into this process? These are the main topics discussed in this article.

Keywords:
Socioeconomic mobility; Consumption patterns; Environmental conflict; Medium income; High income