“The land of the future that never arrives” (Stefan Zweig). “Brazil takes one step forward, two steps back. The country that never misses the opportunity to miss opportunities” (Roberto Campos). These are some of the most recurring phrases to describe a widespread perception of the country’s stagnation, opening the book titled “O Brasil mudou mais do que você pensa: um novo olhar sobre as transformações das classes CDE” [Brazil changed more than you think: a new look on the transformations of classes CDE], published by FGV Press and compiled by Lauro Gonzalez, Mauricio de Almeida Prado and Mariel Deak. The book launch event will be held at Livraria da Vila (Alameda Lorena, 1731 - Jardim Paulista, Sao Paulo/SP) on September 25, at 6:30 p.m.

The work by researchers of the Center for Microfinance Studies and Social Inclusion (FGVcemif) of FGV’s Sao Paulo School of Business Administration (EAESP) and Instituto Plano CDE between 1995 and 2015, surveying the population in classes C, D and E through field interviews and analyses of quantitative date, revealed the behavioral changes and transformations in the lives of these families, specifically some positive changes that are widely unknown by a large portion of the population.

According to the authors, despite the negative short-term impacts caused by the current crisis, the fact remains that the members of classes C, D and E have already managed to climb the social ladder.

To demonstrate such progress, which contradicts society’s bearish outlook at times of crisis, the book covers five main themes: education, housing, wealth, financial inclusion and digitalization, and each theme corresponds to one of the chapters, sorted into four sections: “What changed” points out the main changes in each theme, based on the broad range of data available; “Why it changed” breaks down the data and attempts to explain the public policies and market trends that led to such transformations; “Impacts to the families” features life stories evidencing the changes that took place in some of these households; and “Future challenges” touches upon the main issues yet to be faced and shares recommendations for each theme.

According to the authors, “the stories of the impacts that these changes had in the CDE population confirm the idea that now is the time for a long-term outlook on the transformations happening in Brazil”.

Go to the website for more information on the book.