Thirteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

The period of popular governments in Brazil (2002-2015) was characterized by unprecedented investments in social policies to overcome poverty. Its main instrument, the Bolsa Familia, is the largest income transfer program in the world, internationally recognized and reapplied. However, inequality continues to rise and poverty rates rose again at the end of this period. Despite the economic crisis that plagues the country, it is possible to affirm the fragility of the social impact of the policies. This paper discusses the implementation of the policy and analyzes the reasons for its ineffectiveness. The results demonstrate limitations due, especially, to the lack of intersectorality between the social and economic area. However, this dissociation is not restricted to the technical dimension; it has roots in the country’s development matrix which has remained unchanged. The fundamental measures of establishing inclusive economic development and generating decent economic opportunities for the millions of poor Brazilians who were assisted and professionally qualified did not happen. If unprecedented investments were made to the poorest, in infinitely greater proportion, they remained and remain in the hands of the economic and political elite, leading to questioning the legitimacy of the discourses and practice on overcoming poverty in unequal societies of the South.