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The Color of Child Mortality in Brazil, 1950–2000: Social Progress and Persistent Racial Inequality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 September 2022

Charles H. Wood ,
José Alberto Magno de Carvalho  and
Cláudia Júlia Guimarães Horta
Charles H. Wood
Affiliation:
Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville
José Alberto Magno de Carvalho
Affiliation:
Centro de Desenvolvimento e Planejamento Regional (CEDEPLAR), Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Cláudia Júlia Guimarães Horta
Affiliation:
Fundação João Pinheiro (FJP), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Abstract

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Now that racism has been officially recognized in Brazil, and some universities have adopted affirmative-action admission policies, measures of the magnitude of racial inequality and analyses that identify the factors associated with changes in racial disparities over time assume particular relevance to the conduct of public debate. This study uses census data from 1950 to 2000 to estimate the probability of death in the early years of life, a robust indicator of the standard of living among the white and Afro-Brazilian populations. Associated estimates of the average number of years of life expectancy at birth show that the 6.6-year advantage that the white population enjoyed in the 1950s remained virtually unchanged throughout the second half of the twentieth century, despite the significant improvements that accrued to both racial groups. The application of multivariate techniques to samples selected from the 1960, 1980, and 2000 census enumerations further shows that, controlling for key determinants of child survival, the white mortality advantage persisted and even increased somewhat in 2000. The article discusses evidence of continued racial inequality during an era of deep transformation in social structure, with reference to the challenges of skin color classification in a multiracial society and the evolution of debates about color, class, and discrimination in Brazil.

Resumo

Resumo

Depois que a existência do racismo no Brasil foi pública e oficialmente reconhecida, e que políticas e ações afirmativas de inclusão passaram a ser adotadas por algumas instituições, inclusive universidades, a mensuração do grau da desigualdade racial e análises que identifiquem os fatores associados com alterações nas disparidades raciais assumem particular relevância para o debate público. Este estudo utiliza dados censitários de 1950 a 2000 para estimar a probabilidade de morte nos primeiros anos de vida, um indicador robusto do nível de vida de brancos e dos afro-descendentes no Brasil. Analisando estimativas de esperança de vida ao nascer, observa-se que a vantagem da população branca, na década de 1950, de 6,6 anos, manteve-se praticamente inalterada ao longo da segunda metade do século XX, não obstante as significativas melhorias verificadas em ambos os grupos raciais. A aplicação de técnicas multivariadas em dados oriundos dos Censos Demográficos de 1960, 1980 e 2000 mostra que, após controle dos principais determinantes da sobrevivência na infância, a desvantagem, em relação à mortalidade, da população negra persistiu, sendo observado, inclusive, um ligeiro aumento em 2000. Evidências da manutenção da desigualdade racial durante uma época de profundas transformações na estrutura social são discutidas, assim como os desafios da classificação da cor da pele em uma sociedade multi-racial, bem como a evolução dos debates sobre cor, classe e discriminação no Brasil.

Type
Research Article
Information
Latin American Research Review , Volume 45 , Issue 2 , 2010 , pp. 114 - 139
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 by the Latin American Studies Association

Footnotes

We thank Joe Potter and Chris Birkbeck for helpful suggestions, and the three anonymous LARR reviewers for constructive critiques.

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