By: Nathaniel SituSang Phung

Our presentation is to outline the similarities and differences in the social structure of Latin American countries. The countries of focus will be Chile, Argentina and Brazil.

ChileArgentinaBrazil

Through the 1800’s, the country enjoyed great economic growth.

Between 1825 and 1875 Chile’s external trade went from $7.5million to $74 million.

The ports of Santiago and Valparaiso were linked by railroad.

Populations in the “nitrate zone” grew by more than 300 percent.

Politically, everything was still very oligarchic.

President Balmaceda.During the times of political

maneuvering. Any man age 25 or older have the

right to vote.

The new form of government would open the door for the formation of different political parties: Radical Party (PR) Liberal Party (PL) Democratic Party (PD) Liberal-Democratic Party (PLD) Socialist Workers Party (POS) Socialist Party (PS) Nationalist Party (PN)

The PR’s initial support base originally came from the “urban elite” who had grown tired of the oligarchic stranglehold on Chilean politics.

PR became the center of the political landscape in Chile.

By the end of the century the PR was attracting urban professionals (i.e. teachers, accountants, lawyers etc.)

Socioeconomic and demographic shifts that drastically changed their society.

The working class experienced this major growth.

The resulting urbanization boom not only involved the drastic increase in the number of people in the working class but also reorganized the country’s human geography.

Buenos Aires

Better Jobs and Pay

From the mid 1800’s to the mid 1900’s

Gente Decente [upper class]

Gente de Pueblo [middle class]

During this time period the population multiplied seven times the original number of people.

Two main divisions still remained

Possibility to Change?

The Man usually was university educated for a profession, the military, or a clerical post. If a man elected not to go to the university he would work, learning the family business which included ranching, banking, and exporting.

The women were usually groomed for domestic duties and did not seek employment.

The upper class of society was usually native born and constituted approximately 5% of the population.

The gente de pueblo included all others or approximately 95% of the population.

These strata which ranged from the somewhat educated, skilled laborer, marginally skilled, and illiterate were also determined using the same criteria

Children usually remained in the same strata as their parents because their education was very limited, sometimes to the six grades of elementary school and for a few in the lower level, education ended after the first or second grade.

Many white- collar workers (i.e. office employees, clerks and bookkeepers) came from the gente de pueblo who had actually been to some secondary school.

A skilled laborer who worked at a trade and possessed his own tools and equipment was usually able to achieve a level of economic independence.

A recently arrived immigrant usually was the one who filled the most menial occupation, as they had little or no education.

The upper class knew they held “economic and political power over both city and nation.”

It was this social class that produced the business and political leaders as well as the national elite.

Brazil’s social structure was very similar with the exception of slavery.

Rio de Janeiro (January River) became the center of Brazilian society.

During the time period of the diamond and gold rush Rio became the trade center of Brazil.

Even though Brazil experienced economic benefit from these “booms” there remained a large gap between the social classes.

The coffee plantation and mine owners were benefiting from cheap rural labor and slaves, but mostly slaves.

The lives of these slaves were similar and often worse than peasant laborers in other Latin American countries. These slaves were relegated to cramped quarters with terrible sanitation and sub-standard food in addition to physical abuse.

Many slaves remained tied to the land as sharecroppers

Former slaves could not leave because of debt and they had no possibility of ever owning any land

Migration towards the country sideThousand of Immigrants from Europe

Race MixingThe responsibility for social services

of these people were, then thrust on civil society rather than the plantation owners

As with any city with inadequate infrastructure crime rates rose and living conditions deteriorated in the lower class.

The resulting period of time was one of civil unrest as the wealthy political elites tried to control the lower classes.

Chile Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2007 © Argentina http://www.argentina.gov.ar/argentina/

portal/paginas.dhtml?pagina=1669 Brazil http://countrystudies.us/brazil/30.htm http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/brtoc.html