Group 6

Instructions
After reading the case study, please answer the following questions.

1. Cite the economic growth indicators of Brazil mentioned in the case study
and discuss whether these indicators led/generated the economic
development of the country.

“Income and growth, Social Indicators, Poverty, Inequality, Land Reform,

Sustainability of Development, and Problems of Social Inclusion”. These
indicators led to the economic development of the country, because of these
growth indicators, Brazil now has free press, strengthened basic rights, and very
active but peaceful political competition. Poverty has been falling due to the
recent "Bolsa Familia" government program that has received high marks for
addressing poverty through its "conditional cash transfers" of resources to poor
families provided that they keep children vaccinated and in school. Brazil has
proven that inequality can fall, as a result of well-designed policies, such as
Bolsa Familia.

Social inclusion led Brazil to achieve an inclusive society that entails respect for
human rights, cultural diversity and democratic governance, and upholds
principles of equality and equity. As a process, it enables all citizens' participation
in decision-making activities that affect their lives.

2. Assess the economic development of Brazil using the following concept

(for even number groups use A and B concept only while for odd number
groups B and C only).
a. The New Economic View of Development
● As stated in the case study that I have read, Brazil suffered from
poverty due to inequality of land distribution, low level of education
and corruption. It's often said that Brazil experiences growth without
development. Although they suffered from such difficulties they
continue to develop at a slow pace, first let us take a look at the
change in commodity prices, soy and iron ore for example, two
important and recent periods in Brazil's economy. The first period
when high global prices led to economic growth, increased wages
and employment rates and helped the government promote
programs such as Bolsa Família. At the same time, the high prices
also masked structural problems in the economy at the national
level such as the low levels of productivity and investment thereby
opening the door to additional public spending.The second period
saw a stark drop in commodity prices. In trying to get around the
problem, the government turned to subsidies provided to certain
sectors of the economy, tax incentives, price controls and additional
 credit offered by public banks. But the strategy was not efficient
enough to stimulate growth, and contributed to a state of
uncertainty that ultimately discouraged investment and increased
the deficit in public accounts. As a result of this process and the
international economic downturn, the decline in Brazil's economic
activity caused the country's GDP to contract by 3.8%. Brazil can
keep advancing with its policies to further reduce poverty and
inequality despite its economic challenges. The promotion of new
social advancements requires improvements to the quality of
services like health and education. To ensure that decisions are
actually made in the poor's best interests, this calls for more
effective use of public resources and spending, as well as better
institutions and budgetary processes.

b. Three Core Values of Development

1. Sustenance
● Basic needs is a must in every household, without this being
present “absolute underdevelopment” takes place. By
reading the case study entitled, Progress in the Struggle for
More Meaningful Development: Brazil, we can conclude that
there is an absolute underdevelopment happening here.
Based on the World Bank data last 2017, about 7 percent of
all children under the age of 5 still suffer from malnutrition in
Brazil. Child labor is highly present in this country, as many
as 7 million children working in here. There is also an
ultimately slower improvement in health, education, and
community development. Around 1980-2000 a policy
became a bridge that made manufacturing exports grow
dramatically, this is Brazil's export policy. But by 2007, it fell
from 57 percent to 47 percent, reflecting in part an increase
in commodity prices. This made Brazil to prolong its status
as a highly indebted country. This made some of the
products to increase their prices and made it hard for the
citizens to purchase food to eat. Self-esteem must include
the presence of food, shelter, health, and protection.
Improvements in health development is slow, malnutrition is
being experienced, and protection of the children is not that
strong because of the extremely high case of child labor.
And what is stated above are some of the factors why Brazil
is considered as a country of absolute development.
2. Self-Esteem
● Brazil has even been cited as an example of a country that
has experienced “growth without development”, the high and
growing taxes that may also slowed the formal-sector
employment growth, bulk of benefits that goes to the middle
class and the rich, high percentage of children not attending
primary school, 90% of the population do not attend
secondary schools, and none make it to universities. These
are some of the factors that affected the self-esteem of each
individual in Brazil. Respect and honor is only shown to
middle-class and rich people, poor citizens on the other side
are underestimated and this causes the self-esteem of the
people who are less privileged to become low. There is a big
inequality happening in this country that needs to be
resolved immediately, for self-esteem of an individual will be
one of ingredients especially when applying to a job.
Constant discrimination to the poor, poor quality of
education, the lack of opportunities will lead them to stop
reaching the things they want in life. For the people in the
community to have the feeling of worthiness, the society
must practice to value respect to each and everyone no
matter what their social status is.

3. Freedom
● "The UNDP concluded that the unequal distribution of social
spending is no doubt a major factor in maintaining inequality
and thus poverty... The bulk of the benefits goes to the middle
classes and the rich. Close to a third of the poorest fifths of the
population do not attend primary school. But the sharpest
differences show up in secondary and tertiary education. More
than 90% of the poorest four-fifths of the population do not
attend secondary school, and practically none make it to
universities. Only primary schools end up being relatively
targeted to the poor, not because the government succeeds in
targeting resources, but because richer households send their
children to private schools. Public expenditures on secondary
and tertiary education are very badly targeted at the poor."
Human freedom isn't practiced because there is no equality of
opportunity. "As many as 7 million children still work in Brazil,
despite the country's having officially made the eradication of
child labor a priority." If the country is economically developed
then child labor will no longer be happening. There is no
economic development because the poor children are being
 alienated by the material conditions of life. Children should be
in school to learn and grow to become more knowledgeable to
contribute more to the development of their country. "According
to one estimate, the average black worker receives only 41% of
the salary of the average white worker." There will be no
development because of this discrimination. This shows that
institutions in Brazil are oppressive. The factors mentioned are
the ones that don't give the people of Brazil a range of human
choices. There is no development because there is no freedom
in Brazil.

Group members:
Jaymark Ligcuban
Cressa Mae Lago
Dober Gyle Lora
Thresia Lozarita
Aubrey Raven Lusica