Family in the Bolsonaro administration: the State as the operator of a moral pedagogy

Abstract

This article aims to examine how a conception of the State as operator of a moral pedagogy was implemented in the Bolsonaro administration (2019–2022). There is a specific focus on the form that familism assumed during this period, particularly considering old age and how intergenerational family relations were addressed in the discourses that informed and characterized programs and initiatives carried out by the Ministry of Women, Family, and Human Rights (MMFDH). Employing a qualitative methodology—including interviews published in print and digital media, analysis of official documents released by the MMFDH, and press coverage—, the research concentrates on two secretariats within the Ministry: the National Secretariat for the Promotion and Defense of the Rights of Older Person, and the National Secretariat for the Family.

Keywords
Family; public policies; morality